Posted on 01/05/2020 6:31:29 AM PST by CatOwner
I am about to receive a Dell PC with Windows 10 Pro installed. It will have both an SSD drive (first one for me) and a SATA drive. With the past Dell PC purchases, I would take the supplied Windows OS disk and reinstall from scratch. Too much junk gets installed by Dell, and it seems trying to delete programs is more cumbersome than just performing a fresh install. I also like learning the clean install process before I actually put personal information on the new PC.
Only issues are I have not used Windows 10 at all (initial need is for installing TurboTax), and I don't think Dell (or anyone else) supplies a Windows 10 installation disk with purchased PCs. I am looking for advice as to how best to approach this.
Just bought a system with Win 10 and absolutely love it. Was hesitant about 10 after the horror stories but it is really nice. Took a day or two to get comfortable with it after using Win 7.
I second this. I use this method all the time to do a clean bare metal install of Windows 10 on laptops I’m cleaning or repairing for family.
You’ll need a USB stick just like Trump.Deplorable indicated. When you download the tool, and run it, it should take you step by step through the process of building a bootable Windows 10 USB stick with the latest build — allowing you to avoid tons of updating after you install.
If you are using a Dell, once you put the USB stick and boot, I think it’s F12 which will allow you to interrupt the boot and select a boot device (your USB key). Then it will go through the standard installation.
You can pick custom, delete your existing partitions and have Windows set everything up from scratch (what I usually do). With modern laptops, the process should be fairly quick and it will reboot and continue the install process from the laptop itself.
The install base for Win 10 is around 800 million devices, 100K had serious issues last year, that is less then .02% of the install base.
.02% of anything is insignificant
I wonder of the 100K users were from pirated or questionable keys?
And ignore Swanks
P
Uh, no. I my case it found my Win7 installation on my SSD and reformatted it, deleting without asking all my other data on the SSD as well, then installed Win10 on hard drive over Win 8.
Your situation has nothing to do with the original poster’s situation. He is receiving a new box with Win10 installed. There is no previous operating system on the box to be found and reinstalled.
You are assuming facts not in evidence. The destruction of my SSD came with one of those 300+MB monthly rollups. You didn’t mention how much data usage will increase as Windows scrapes your computer and sends it back to MicroSoft as ‘performance’ data on top of those ‘rollup’ releases.
FORBES 01/05: "Windows 10 begins 2020 hoping to turn a page on a bug-ridden 2019. Problems ranged from frustrating to limiting, chaotic to simply bizarre and Microsoft was even hit by a whistle-blower exposing the reasons for the increase in instability. But now 2020 is off to a rocky start as well.
bookmark
You can upgrade to Windows 10 for free and it is easy and you lose nothing and need not purchase a license...
Download the Windows Media Creation tool direct from the Microsoft site
Run the tool and it will ask if you want to create a bootable media (USB) to load from or do and inplace upgrade and KEEP all of your files and programs
If your Win7 is licensed you are in like flint, it will do the whole upgrade and accept your license for Win7 and poof you are now on Windows 10 Home Edition which has all that you need
I have done this on several computers and the License will show as digitally signed
Many YouTube videos on doing this but the path works and I personally have done it on several systems and have no issue or nag screens about licensing.
If you like we can take this offline in a Private Msg set
All the best
100American
You probably know this already, but Windows 10 will insatiable gobble your personal info, and will incessantly try to install all sorts of intrusive bits.
Took me about 4 hours to turn all sorts of stuff off when I got my new PC.
Also be prepared to click 4-5 times to get to a menu you used to be able to find with one.
Bfl
While it will run MS apps using a 3rd party app called Wine, There are now thousands of like kind replacements for MS apps designed to work with Linux. And files are compatible between the two. Example would be an app called Libreoffice replaces MSOffice, but it will also manipulate and utilize MS file extensions.
The apps would take some getting used to because the control button icons, location, and terminology is different, just as it would take with any new app, but they do the same things.
But I can testify that being rid of that MS ball and chain is the best thing I ever did, the security of Linux alone is well worth the hassle to make some minimal time and effort to learn new apps. Because of the structure of Linux you don’t even need an antivirus.
Some versions are better than others, I highly recommend Mint “cinnamon” 18.3 Take some time and do some reading around to get a better idea of what it is. :)
https://itsfoss.com/linux-better-than-windows/
That assumes one has an original Windows 10 disk and isn't using the vendor's (Dell's) software image to perform the re-install.
Having said that, uninstalling the crapware is actually pretty easy. Here's a link to a video I used to uninstall all the Microsoft crapware from one of my machines. Works just as well removing the Dell crapware.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience and have now decided you hate Win10. It really doesn't matter to me. I just don't like to see bad information being passed along.
I have reset my computers multiple times using the process I linked to earlier. In all cases, it has been painless and has resulted in a clean install. Whatever system was originally installed on the computer is the system that will be reinstalled. The original poster said he's getting a new system with Windows 10. That, then, is what will be reinstalled. Windows does install a couple of games that will have to be uninstalled if the OP doesn't want them, but that's no big deal.
As for your loss of data, the reset process clearly warns that the hard drive will be reformatted and all data and programs will be lost. It then gives the "are you sure you really want to do this?" warning. If you lost data, it was a result of user error. The OP is getting a brand new box so it will presumably not contain any data that he needs to preserve.
As for Microsoft's collection of data, Win10 gives significant control over what data MS will collect. I have turned just about all of them off. I don't see significant data usage when I'm not actually using the computer. Win10 does periodically update itself, which can use significant data. I'm aware that some people are forced into plans with data limits so data management is a concern. Most people will not be overly concerned about data usage, however.
I agree, I’ve supported PCs in an enterprise environment and for the most part Windows 10 is fine. I’ve had some painful updates but I had them on previous Windows versions as well. A lot of the complaints about Windows in general are blown out of proportion. Although some of the 1909 upgrades have been disastrous for some users.
Last month I broke down and I built my wife a new desktop PC and installed Win10. The first thing she said is that, “I won’t like Windows 10 put back the Windows I have on there now.” With Open Shell she really didn’t know the difference. I figured she’d baulk at the lack of Aero effects and the flat look of Windows 10 but she didn’t even notice that.
Just last week I finally broke down and upgraded my 85+ year old MIL’s PC with an in-place upgrade from Win7 to Win10 with Open Shell and she didn’t know the difference by the time I was done.
Something also cool, Linux can be installed “alongside” your windows so that you have both to boot up as you prefer. And all the files over in the windows partition can still be accessed, manipulated, copied, etc. in the windows folders even while booted in the Linux. :)
“He started exploring my photos before I even left the shop.”
The problem with storing photos, financial and other user sensitive information is once in someone else’s hands it’s all subject to compromise. I had a terabyte external hard drive fail that backed up all my data from two decades back. The hard drive was still in warranty. I chose to just throw it away as sending it to the manufacture for work would enable them to see my entire life, photos, financial and other.
Linux is not compatible with Windows, and no Windows programs will run directly on Linux.
However, there are many "work-alike" software packages, and many Windows programs are able to run under an emulator package that can be installed called "Wine." You can also install a package called "Virtual Box" which will give you Windows virtual machines (effectively a Windows computer in software) for those programs that demand Windows.
Linux is a different animal but many of the newer distributions are quite easy for the novice, especially for those with no computer experience, since you don't need to "unlearn" anything (a huge problem I have working with an iMac,) and there are lots of help videos on YouTube.
There's a saying that "Linux is user friendly, but it's extremely picky about who its friends are."
Mark
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