Windows 10: Reset vs fresh Reinstall from Media

Hi,

What is the difference of doing a reset vs. wiping all partitions and reinstalling from media? Assume it's the reset that does not preserve user files. Of course the user has backed-up important files.

Is there a difference in action, or qualifiers to the answer to question posed above if the user upgrade from 7 to 10 vs. the had 10 from the start?

It seems to me that a PC performs "better" after wiping everything and doing a fresh install from media (after adding missing drivers etc...), but maybe I'm imagining it. And reset can sometimes freeze-up(?)

When would you do one vs. the other?

Thanks.

:)

 

Does clean Install of windows 10 via media creation tool remove all files and malware?

* Merged

* Original title: Reinstall windows 10 vs factory reset

Hey guys, I just wanted to ask what the difference is between reinstalling windows via the media creation tool and the reset option in settings, I've been told that the reinstall will 100 percent get rid of the malware I have (RAT) is this true?

 

Windows 10

Try this tool to reset your computer to a fresh and clean "like new" setup (removing all files). This tool lets you create a boot-up CD or USB stick, then boot from that to fresh install Windows.
Windows 10 Media Creation Tool - microsoft.com

Windows 10 herunterladen
Download Windows 10 here if you need to create installation media to reinstall your system.

 

I've tested both methods... honestly, I don't see any difference, refresh actually reinstalls windows, and you can even wipe partitions or not...
A good thing from MS I must say, unless the instalation gets completely corrupted, refreshing is such a time saver...

 

Quite a few people have posted on here about resets failing to complete and having to do a clean install to fix it, so I have never bothered doing a reset.

 

I've done several resets, saving nothing, and they worked but I ended up doing a Clean Install on both after awhile. Don't remember why but something must not have been working right.

 

An alternative could be to restore from a Macrium image. If the offending Windows installation is working, albeit faulty, running Macrium will offer a choice of images (dates) which you have made, to restore from. If Windows will not run, using a Macrium Rescue disk will run Macrium and also give access to the choice of images (above).

Unless the date of the latest Macrium image is very recent, as soon after restoring the Macrium image, Microsoft will detect that you need an update of Windows and it will be installed.

 

My favorite is an in place upgrade repair if you have a DVD or other install media of the build. It basically reinstalls Windows and you lose no programs.

 

I could be wrong but this is what I believe . I would assume when one does a reset it just format the drive, formatting a drive does not erase all the data on the drive. Were by if one does a fresh install meaning deleting the drive and reformatting it should wipe all the data .

 

Hi sn00ker. Formatting a drive erases everything on the drive.

 

Nothing that consumers have erases every piece of data. As posted I prefer the in place update repair method. When I use Macrium Reflect to restore a backup, it wipes the drive then restores the backup.

 

My preferred method unless I need to do a completely clean install.

 

Well... Technically it only erases the partition being formatted. You really don't format physical drives, you partition physical drives, then format the partitions.

 

Technically you are correct but my drive only has one partition so I do format the drive. *Biggrin*Smile