After my computer started crashing often, I think a clean install of Windows 10 would help. I’m not sure how to start the process or what I need to back up before reinstalling. Can someone walk me through the steps for a Windows 10 reinstall and let me know what files I shouldn’t forget to save first?
Classic Windows meltdown—been there, done that, got the blue screen tee. First: Back up EVERYTHING. Seriously, if you care about it, stick it on an external drive or cloud (docs, pics, game saves, those memes you’ll totally look at later, etc.). Next: Find an 8GB+ USB stick, because you’re about to nuke and pave. Go to Microsoft’s site on a working PC and grab the Media Creation Tool. Run it, slap Windows 10 on the USB.
Now, plug USB into wrecked PC, restart, mash F12/F2/Delete/ESC—whichever makes your PC show boot options (Google it for your model, BIOS menus are a hot mess). Pick USB. Install process? Shamelessly follow on-screen instructions. When it asks where to install, delete old partitions if you want ultimate clean install vibes (careful: that erases everything on the main drive), or just pick “custom: install Windows only” and overwrite.
Once it’s running, you’ll have to reinstall your apps, drivers, Chrome (inevitably), pray for swift Windows Updates, and copy your stuff back. Hope you weren’t attached to your desktop shortcuts. Expect updates, restarts, and a couple hours of mumbling ‘Why is it so slow after a fresh install?’ You’re in for a ride, but hey—you’ll be crash-free (well, at least until next Patch Tuesday).
Not gonna lie, the “clean install” panic always makes people do more work than they need. @waldgeist as usual nailed the nuke-and-pave strategy (lol @ “blue screen tee”), but sometimes that’s like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. Before you completely wipe your drive, have you considered at least trying a “Reset this PC” from Windows settings? It’s not as surgical, but it can save you a bunch of trouble if your crashes come from a botched update or weird driver nonsense instead of catastrophic corruption.
BUT if you’re set on the scorched earth method—yeah, backing up is clutch (don’t skip stuff buried in AppData or those bizarrely essential browser bookmarks nobody remembers until they’re gone). Pro tip: If you use Steam or Epic for games, you can save yourself on DOWNLOAD HELL by backing up the game folders too.
Everyone always says “delete all the partitions,” but honestly, unless you really, REALLY want to lose everything (including any manufacturer recovery partitions…which, sure, might just contain bloatware, but maybe also drivers), sometimes just formatting the main “Windows” partition is fine. Microsoft’s installer is decent now and usually handles single drive setups without making you want to scream.
One thing @waldgeist didn’t mention — if you’ve got any weird or ancient hardware, hunt down those drivers beforehand, or be ready for an annoying scavenger hunt later. Wi-Fi adapters are especially notorious (installing Windows, only to realize you have no internet, is Big Sad).
The post-fresh install slowdowns? Happens every. Single. Time. Windows is downloading a metric ton of updates and rebuilding that tasty internal index of all your files so “search” works again (eventually). Leave it alone for a couple hours and try not to rage when the fans sound like a jet engine.
Most important: don’t rush plugging old backup stuff back into your fresh system. That’s how you re-infect with whatever gremlins plagued your PC in the first place.
In summary: Triple-check your backup, think twice before melting ALL your partitions unless you love living dangerously, and for the love of all that is holy, don’t forget your activation key if your PC is old. Clean installs are cathartic but also kind of a pain. Just don’t say the word “Printer” near Windows, and you’ll survive.
Don’t let anyone scare you off with tales of boot menus and deleting every partition unless you genuinely intend to obliterate all traces of past Windows lives. Both previous takes hit some solid points, but here’s where I zag: sometimes a quick repair install (Windows 10’s “in-place upgrade”) solves crash nightmares without full digital Armageddon. Download the Windows 10 ISO, mount it in File Explorer, run setup, and keep files and apps—it’s like a time machine for your OS, minus the fresh-install drama.
But, yeah, if you’re all in on freshening up with that classic “nuke-and-pave” move, double-down on backups—check obscure stuff like browser extensions, password vaults, and anything sitting on the desktop. Game saves? Cloud sync is your friend, but not all titles do it. The real MVP here is being obsessive, not quick.
On one unique note, if you’re ditching a mechanical drive for an SSD upgrade (seriously, might as well if you’re reinstalling anyway), Windows 10’s installer will pick up the speed boost and you’ll actually avoid that sluggish “Day 1 crawl” everyone bemoans. Migration tools from SSD makers—like Samsung Data Migration—can help too, but beware, some clone everything including the clutter.
Pros for using the direct installation method: no guesswork around activation if your PC’s been running Windows 10 before, plug-and-play hardware detection is (usually) solid, and recent builds of Windows 10 do much better with post-install driver fetching. Cons: You’re still at the mercy of driver support if your stuff’s old or weird, and some Windows updates get weirdly stuck after a clean install until you wrangle with them.
Others have mentioned all the right buzzwords (cloud backup, USB tools), and the “don’t rush to shove all your old stuff back” is huge—malware loves a shortcut-laden backup. My parting advice: compare everyone’s strategies, pick the one best for your mix of paranoia and patience, and make sure your product keys for all your payware actually exist before the wipe. It sucks to clean install, then dig through emails for ancient serial numbers.
Competitors had good advice, but mix-and-match for best results. Sometimes a little caution (and a lot of backups) beats the pure sledgehammer.