How to reinstall systems on Windows 10. Creating an installation USB drive

This article is relevant for laptops and system units that come with licensed Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, updated under the free transition program to Windows 10.

Microsoft happily describes to us pros of Windows 10, but in this update utility, as in the update process itself, your new key does not show. It seems that there are no problems here, the system is updated, everything is fine, everything works. But what if something suddenly went wrong? Let's say the system has gone to hell and needs to be reinstalled. And you don’t even have the key. Looking ahead, I will say that Microsoft will give you your new key for Windows 10 during the update, and we will extract it from the system using a simple method. Below I will describe how to completely reinstall Windows 10 received for free while maintaining the key, activation and legality status.

I understand that you most likely understand more or less, since you can reinstall the system yourself, but I still remind you that reinstalling in the described way will erase ALL data from the disk on which it will be installed.

Management

It is assumed that you have Windows 10 on your computer, updated for free from older versions, which needs to be reinstalled from scratch. The installation procedure itself is omitted; you must be able to do it yourself.

1. Find out the edition of your current Windows 10 system. Open “Start”, right-click on “This PC” - “Properties”. In the window that appears at the top it says “Windows 10 Home” or “Windows 10 Home for one language” or “Windows 10 Professional” or something else. The main thing is to remember or write down which one it is;

2. Download and run a clever program to extract the key - . In the line with the name of your current system and its edition, in the “Product Key” column the key we need will be indicated. We copy it to a safe place, or better yet, to several places. There is no way you can lose this key. After reinstalling your current Windows 10, you will no longer be able to find it if you lose it. Close the program;

3. Prepare in advance the media on which we will record installation image. It is best if it is a flash drive, at least 8 GB;

4. First of all, we need to get the latest version of Windows 10 from the Microsoft website. We download not the image itself, but a program that will download it for you and write it to a flash drive for you - Media Creation Tool. Comfortable.

Important to download correct version utilities, according to the bit size of the system from which the installation flash drive will be written. If you have an x32 system, then you need to download the x32 version, if x64, then x64. Looks in the same window as in point 1;

5. Insert the flash drive, remember its drive letter (D:/ or F:/ or G:/... whatever it is). Let's launch the utility. In the first window, select “Create installation media for another computer” and click “Next”. We select Language - “Russian”, edition - select what we wrote down from step 1, Architecture - if your computer has 6 or more gigabytes of RAM, choose x64, otherwise - x86. Click “Next”. Select “USB flash memory device”. Afterwards, select the letter of your flash drive, you remember, right? “Next” again. The process of downloading the installation image of the system and writing it to the flash drive should begin. At the end of the process, the program will notify you and you can close it. The flash drive is ready to install Windows 10 from it.

6. Start installing the system as you have done before. If you haven’t done it, too bad, Google it. Procedure Windows installations 10 is practically no different from that in earlier versions.

7. At the stage when you are asked to enter the license key, enter the one you wrote down earlier.

Upon completion of the installation, provided you have access to the Internet, you will have an automatically activated licensed version of Windows 10.

10. Possible reasons, why it may be needed: desire to clean the system, damage important files, irreparable problems, virus threats and so on. There are two main ways to reinstall Windows 10: a clean reinstallation or a recovery option.

PC Recovery

This option is suitable for owners of branded computers. The point is that the manufacturer left a recovery partition on the hard drive. It contains everything necessary files systems, programs and components.

The PC must come with an installation disk that can be used to restore the OS. A special utility for this can also be downloaded from the developer’s official website. It is worth understanding that programs differ for different brands computer.

If you have such a disc, simply insert it into the DVD-ROM and reboot the system. The reinstallation procedure will begin automatically, just follow the prompts on the screen.

In addition, Windows 10 has a built-in reset function with two modes: deleting or saving user data. You can find it in PC settings. Open the Start menu and click on the gear icon. Go to the "Update and Security - Recovery" section. In the right block of the screen, click on “Start”.

When activating it, you need to understand that the computer will erase all system data and update the OS. During the installation procedure, you should not restart or turn off the computer (it may reboot itself during the process - this is normal), as this may disrupt the recovery process.

Clean reinstallation

This method should be used if there is no proprietary disk or utility for restoring the OS and reinstallation using Vin’s internal tools is not possible. It is only suitable for advanced users.

For execution this method will require creation boot disk or flash drives. Therefore, you initially need to find and download the system image, and then mount it on the media.

Microsoft has a special utility for this - Media Creation Tool. You can download it on the official website www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/software-download/windows10. Select the second launch option by first inserting the disk or flash drive into the computer. The media must have at least 5 GB of space; it must first be formatted.

When the image is mounted, restart your computer and enter the BIOS (click Delete on your keyboard when the image appears on the monitor). There you need to find the boot option (boot priority), usually it is in the advanced settings (advanced). Its location varies in different BIOSes. For more details, see the instructions for the motherboard. Set the parameters to run from the drive and save the settings. Then restart your computer, after a while the system installation will begin. In the process, you need to completely clean the system disk, otherwise the PC will have 2 versions of the OS.

Actions after the first system startup

Doing one of the methods Windows cleaning will format all system data. This will be followed by the first start of the computer, during which time it will configure various parameters. This will take some time, wait for it to finish.

Actions to take when restoring your PC:

• Clear Win from unnecessary programs. The fact is that the system will contain original software from the computer developer, a certain part of which will be unnecessary for the user, but will hang in startup, taking up RAM and space on the system disk.
• Updating drivers to latest versions. When restoring the system special utility All necessary drivers are installed by default. But their version will be outdated, so an update is required. The latest drivers can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website.

Actions to be taken in case of clean install Windows:

• Download all the programs you use, configure the system at your discretion.
• Put latest drivers equipment.

Every Windows user At least once I was faced with the need to reinstall the system on my computer. There are different reasons: critical failure system files, PC infection with viruses, reduced performance, switching to a new OS version, and so on. But in any case, it is important to carefully prepare for the reinstallation process and decide on the method of its implementation.

Preparatory stage

If you decide to install “clean” Windows, then first of all you need to create bootable media from which the OS will be installed. You also need to save important user data first, since the reinstallation process will format the disk and delete all existing files.

Creating bootable Windows media

This step is necessary if you do not have a licensed Windows installation disc. In addition, not all modern PCs have a CD/ DVD disc gadfly, in this case you need to first create Bootable USB media. To do this, you will need to follow several steps.

1. Go to the official Microsoft website and download special utility called Media Creation Tool. By clicking on the round icons with pluses inside, you can get additional information By downloading Windows and creating bootable media
2. Launch the Media Creation Tool program and, after accepting the license agreement, select “Create installation media for another computer.”
   Using this utility, you can also, if necessary, update an already installed system
3. In the settings window that appears, check the box next to “Use recommended settings.”
   Select recommended (default) Windows boot options or set them manually
4. The program will offer two options for creating bootable media: burning to a USB flash drive or burning a bootable CD image as an ISO file. We choose the first option.
   Before clicking Next, be sure to connect the USB device to your computer
5. Wait for the Windows 10 system boot process and bootable media creation to finish, after which you can exit the Media Creation Tool.
   The bootable media recording process time depends on the speed of the PC and the speed of the Internet connection
6. Ready. You can begin installing Windows using a bootable USB media.

Video: How to create a bootable USB drive with Windows 10 operating system

Saving data before installing Windows

• documents, photo and video materials from the “My Documents”, “Video” and “Images” folders;
• bookmarks of Internet browsers, which are stored on disk in the following path: “C:\Users\User_Name\AppData\Browser Name” (it is better to save the entire folder);
• files downloaded from the Internet (sometimes these files remain in the “Downloads” folder);
• saves for video games (located in the path “C:\Users\User_Name\Documents”).

The easiest way is to copy all the data to another HDD. If you only have one hard drive, you can save the files to a USB flash drive, CD or DVD, or to cloud storage(for example, on Yandex.Disk).

Options for reinstalling Windows 10

So, the preparatory stage has been completed, now you can proceed directly to installing Windows 10. The choice of installation method depends on several factors: whether your current system is in a working or non-working state, and whether you want to keep the current license and the files on the disk. Let's consider the possible options.

Reinstalling Windows 10 from the desktop

This is the easiest way to reinstall the system, in which you can start the installation immediately after loading the OS, directly from the desktop. To do this, you will need to insert a bootable USB drive and wait for it to autostart, and then run step-by-step installation"clean" version of Windows 10.

1. After selecting the language and keyboard layout of the OS to be installed, click on the “Install” button.
   Using bootable media, you can also restore your existing Windows system
2. Next, you will be prompted to activate the installed version of Windows and accept license agreement Microsoft.
   If you do not have an activation key, you can skip this step and activate Windows later, within 30 days after installation
3. The installer will then ask you to choose how to install the system. There are two options:
   
4. After selecting the installation method, the installer will ask you to indicate the location where the OS will be installed.
   Section "Disk" system reserved» is created automatically and is necessary for creating backups installation files Windows
5. After clicking the “Next” button, the multi-step Windows 10 installation process will begin.
   The update installation process can only be started when there is an Internet connection.
6. Once the installation is complete, the user will see standard set system settings (account, launch options, etc.), which can be changed if desired.
   For optimal performance installed system, it is enough to use standard parameters
7. After completing the setup procedure, the installed Windows system ready to use.
   If the Windows installation did not complete automatic update system components, including drivers, then upon first boot all standard components (sound, network, etc.) will be marked on the taskbar with a “cross” icon

The author of this article, based on personal experience, wants to warn you that when you select the “Update” installation type, the installer will save not only files and settings, but also the folder with old version Windows, which will “lie like a dead weight” on the hard drive, taking up an impressive amount of space. Therefore, if you want to save the data, but at the same time carry out a complete replacement of the system, then it is better to make a copy of all necessary files to spare media (as described in the “preparatory stage”). In addition, you can use alternative option installing Windows by performing not an installation, but a system recovery. This method will save all settings and files, but will “roll back” the OS to its original state, removing all third-party applications.

To perform a system restore, you must:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel and select the Recovery section.
   The Recovery settings window can also be opened using search bar Windows
2. In the window that opens, click on the “Start” button in the “Return the computer to its original state” option.
   If you previously had previous version Windows, then during the recovery process you can return to it
3. Next, the system will offer a choice of two options for starting the recovery. You need to select “Keep my files”.
   When you select “Delete everything,” you will perform a complete system rollback, deleting not only applications, but also all data
4. After the recovery process is completed, the PC will automatically restart.

Video: How to return your PC to its original state using the Restore function

Reinstalling Windows 10 through BIOS settings

It may happen that your system has stopped booting and you cannot reinstall it from the desktop. In this case, installation of the system is possible only through BIOS settings(a set of built-in firmware in any PC). Such an installation can be divided into two stages: connecting bootable media through the BIOS and the OS installation process itself. To connect bootable media, you must:

1. Insert the bootable USB drive into the USB connector. After starting the PC, press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS settings (usually information about which key to press to enter the BIOS settings is displayed at the bottom of the screen).
   The BIOS settings key depends on the PC motherboard model
2. In the BIOS settings window that appears, select the Boot category.
   Navigation through the BIOS settings menu is carried out using the arrow keys.
3. On the menu hard drives (Hard Disk Drives) select the line 1st Drive, press Enter and select in the context menu that appears USB device. Then press the F10 key to save the settings and restart the PC.
   If boot device is not a USB drive, but a CD or DVD, then you need to highlight the corresponding drive
4. When the computer boots, a message like: Press any key to boot from USB will appear. Press Enter.
5. Will begin standard process Windows installations.
   The process of installing WIndows through the BIOS settings is no different from installing the system from the desktop

If, after installing Windows, when the system boots, the message Press any key to boot from USB appears again, then you need to go back to the BIOS settings and set the hard drive with the installed system in the Boot/1st Device section.

IN Lately The author of this article has repeatedly heard complaints that some users cannot enter the BIOS settings: required key is not displayed on the PC startup screen. The whole point is that in the latest models motherboards increasingly began to be used own settings launch BIOS. Therefore, in order to open the PC hardware settings without interference, you need to know the motherboard model.

Table: list of hotkeys for launching BIOS settings for different motherboard models

Motherboard brand/model	Hotkeys for launching BIOS settings
ABIT	Delete
Acer (Aspire, Altos, Extensa, Ferrari, Power, Veriton, TravelMate)	F2/Delete
Acer (older models)	F1 / Ctrl + Alt + Esc
ASRock	F2/Delete
Asus	Delete
Biostar	Delete
Chaintech	Delete
Compaq (Deskpro, Portable, Presario, Prolinea, Systempro)	F10
Compaq (older models)	F1/F2/F10/Delete
Dell (Dimension, Inspiron, Latitude, OptiPlex, Precision, Vostro, XPS)	F2
Dell (older or different models)	Ctrl + Alt + Enter / Fn + Esc / Fn + F1 / Delete / Reset twice
ESC	Del/F1
eMachines (eMonster, eTower, eOne, S-Series, T-Series)	Tab/Delete
eMachines (older models)	F2
Foxconn	Delete
Fujitsu	F2
Gigabyte	Delete
HP (Alternative, Tablet PC)	Esc / F2 / F10 / F12
HP (OmniBook, Pavilion, Tablet, TouchSmart, Vectra)	F1
Intel	F2
Lenovo (3000 Series, IdeaPad, ThinkCentre, ThinkPad, ThinkStation)	F1/F2
Lenovo (older models)	Ctrl + Alt + F3 / Ctrl + Alt + Ins / Fn + F1
MSI	Delete
Pegatron	F2/F10/Delete
Samsung	F2
Sony	F1/F2/F3
Toshiba	F1/Esc

Video: How to install Windows 10 using an external boot device

How to keep your activation license after reinstalling Windows 10

Microsoft Corporation in latest version I made sure that my OS ensured that after reinstalling the system, the license would be activated automatically. To do this, the user needs to link their system license to a Microsoft account. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and click on the Settings tab. You can also open the Settings settings by pressing the hot keys WIN+I
2. Going to the "Update and Security" section, select the "Activation" setting. Then click on the “Add account” line.
   By clicking the "Learn More" link, you can get Microsoft help on activating Windows
3. By filling out the user registration form and activating your account via email, you will link Windows license to the created Microsoft records.
   After clicking the “Next” button you will be prompted email You will receive an email notifying you that your Microsoft account has been activated.
4. After reinstalling Windows 10, log into your Microsoft account and your OS will be activated automatically (this will also be written in the “Activation” settings).
   After creating a Microsoft account and logging into it, an entry will appear in the OS activation field stating that Windows is activated

Reinstalling Windows Usually it is planned in advance, but sometimes an unexpected combination of circumstances leads to it. In any case, before you begin reinstallation, you should carefully prepare for it. Connect boot media and backup hardware to copy and save user data from system disk. Even if reinstalling Windows is caused by a critical failure that causes the computer to stop booting, you can get out of this situation using the BIOS hardware settings.

Since Windows release 10, almost 2 years have passed, but many users categorically do not accept the new system, remaining faithful to the old Windows 7. If you have “ten” installed on your computer, and for some reason you want to return to “seven,” this article is for you.

You can roll back the operating system to a previous copy only when the latest one is saved on your hard drive. If the car originally had a “ten” or old system has been removed, switching to Windows 7 is only possible through a clean installation. Today we’ll talk about how to install Windows 7 instead of Windows 10 in two common cases:

• You updated Windows 7 to Windows 10, and less than 10 days have passed since this event. Required condition: The Windows.old folder is saved in the system partition, where all the files from the previous system installation are located.
• Previous copy of Windows 7 was not saved, but you are ready to install it again.

Ability to return to a previous copy of the system while saving user files, programs and settings, exists, we repeat, only 10 days from the date of update (previously 30 days were allotted for reflection, but now for some reason this period has been reduced by 3 times). If you missed the deadline, skip to the clean installation instructions section.

When canceling the update, programs and settings installed and made in Windows 10 will be deleted. You will receive a computer in exactly the same condition as it was before installing the “tens”.

Before proceeding with the rollback procedure, Microsoft also recommends backup copy important files in case of a possible failure.

Downgrading from the current version of Windows 10

• Boot the operating system into normal mode. Open the Start menu and launch the Settings app.

• Go to the "Update and Security" section.

• Open the “Recovery” subsection and next to the “Return to Windows 7” item, click “Start”.

• Check any of the reasons why you decided not to upgrade and click Next.

• In the warning window, click Next again.

If the rollback is successful, after 30-40 minutes you will again see a working Windows table 7 with all the shortcuts, folders, files and everything else that was on it.

If the system does not boot after the update

Even if the update failed and Windows 10 stopped loading, you can still roll back your computer to Windows 7. To do this, you will need a disk or flash drive with Windows distribution 10 to enter the recovery environment.

• Connect installation flash drive or place a DVD in the drive. Restart your computer, go to the BIOS settings and designate the drive with the distribution kit as the first boot device. How to do this, read the article about.
• Once the Install window appears, click System Restore. This will take you to the recovery environment.

• On the Select Action screen in the recovery environment, click on Diagnostics.

• Select "Advanced Options"

• From the list additional parameters select "Return to previous build".

• Click yours to continue account in the current version of Windows.

• Enter your account login password and click Continue.

After this, the system will check for the presence of a previously installed copy (Windows.old folder in root partition drive C) and, if there is one, will begin the rollback procedure.

Clean installation of Windows 7 instead of Windows 10

By clean installation of Windows 7 we mean removing the previous one copies of Windows 10 with or without formatting system partition. In essence, it is no different from installing Windows on new computer: You will need bootable media with the distribution and a key to activate the OS, since the “tens” license is not retroactive. And yet there is a small chance to do without buying new license you have if 2 conditions are met:

• was previously installed on this computer licensed Windows 7, which you subsequently upgraded to Windows 10;
• the partition in which the licensed system was located was not formatted.

It is important to observe the same conditions when installing a new “seven”: it must certainly be the same version and bit depth as the old one (if the old one was 32 bit, and you install 64 bit, the license will be invalid). In addition, during installation you must save all data on the system partition hard drive.

If maintaining the license is not critical for you, the edition of the newly installed system can be any.

Preparation

We talked about how to create media with a Windows distribution and how to boot a computer from it in the article about methods for a clean installation of Windows 10. For the record bootable flash drive“sevens” can use the same utilities, except for Media Creation Tools, since it is intended only for working with “ten”.

To create an installation DVD, simply burn the one you downloaded from the Internet onto it. Windows ISO image 7, using any suitable program (Nero, UltraISO, Alcohol 120%) or your own Windows tools. If you choose the second option, place a blank disc in the drive, open context menu ISO file and click on “Burn image”.

Installation progress

Starting the installation process for the “seven”, like others Windows versions, is possible in two ways:

• If your computer has Windows 10, which boots and works normally, just open the distribution package and double-click on the Setup.exe file.
• If the “ten” does not load or the installation program in it does not start for some reason, you should turn off the computer and boot it from the distribution media.

Further actions for both options are the same. Let's take a closer look at them.

• In the first window that the installation program opens, you have to select the main system language, date and time formats, currency units and keyboard layout.

• This is followed by the launch of the installation process itself. Click the "Install" button.

• Agree to the license terms.

• Select your installation type. The “Update” option (with saving user files, programs and settings), unfortunately, will not work. This is only possible when the computer already has a working copy of Windows 7, so choose the full installation.

• Next comes the most important part: choice. hard section disk where it will be located new system. If you hope to keep the license, put the system on the same partition as Windows 10 and do not format it. If not, you can not only format, but also resize the partition. Click Disk Setup.

• To change the capacity of a partition, click the “Create” button and indicate its new size in the appropriate field. Apply the setting and click “Next”.

• When the installer prompts you to create additional section for system files, click OK. If such a section exists (and if reinstallation it should be), this window will not appear.

• Now you can format the disk partitions. If you skip formatting the system partition, files old copy Windows and all other data will remain in place, but will be moved to the C:\Windows.old folder. By the way, there are cases when, without Windows formatting not installed. The reason is lack free space in the system partition.

• When you click the Format button, the installer will warn you that all data on the drive will be destroyed. If you agree, click OK.

• Then you can rest a little: copying and unpacking files of the new OS, installing components and updates does not require user participation. This stage lasts on average 20-40 minutes.

• After several reboots, you will see a window asking you to enter the names of the first user and computer. The account that is created during installation has system administrator rights.

• Next you will be asked to protect your account with a password. If you do not plan to use a password to log into Windows, leave these fields blank.

• The next window is for entering the product key. If you have one (usually found on a company label glued to the bottom of the laptop), fill out this field. If not, or if you plan to enter it later, click Skip. Also don't forget to uncheck the box next to the offer automatic activation systems when connected to the Internet.

• After entering the key, the setup program will offer to download and install Windows updates 7. Selecting the “Use recommended settings” option may delay the installation process for several hours - it all depends on the Internet speed and the size of the downloaded files. If you want to finish the installation faster, click “Delay decision”.

• Set up system time and time zone.

• Specify your computer's current network location. You can choose any, but for safety reasons it is better to choose “Public”. Later, when you install an antivirus and firewall, you can change this setting.

• That's almost all. It remains to wait until the “seven” finishes applying the parameters.

• Preparing your desktop takes just a couple of minutes.

And here, finally, is what you were looking for: the Windows 7 desktop. So far, it is completely empty. There is no trace left of what was in Windows 10, because you reinstalled the system completely. All you have to do is install programs in it - and you can start using it.

I have a Recovery partition with Windows 7 on my laptop. Is it possible to reset the system to its factory state (factory reset)?

You probably know that the factory reset function is present on all laptops and branded PCs where the operating system is preinstalled by the manufacturer. Just press a button and the car is as pristine as fresh from the store.

Factory reset - indeed useful feature, but... exactly until you install another one on your computer Windows version, different from the seventh. The location and structure of the factory recovery subsystem of each new OS is radically different from the previous one, therefore Windows rollback 10 k pre-installed Windows 7 becomes impossible.

So, a number of questions arise when the system starts to slow down or freeze. Common reasons behavior like this:

• Irrational installation huge amount programs.
• Lack of regular registry cleaning.
• Action of malicious software.
• Installation operating system for hardware with unsatisfactory parameters.

This state of affairs can be corrected. If everything is very neglected, and there is neither the energy, nor the time, nor the desire to clear away a great deal of information junk, then reinstalling Windows 10 will help. Such a reinstallation is no different from reinstalling Windows 8. You should not be afraid of problems that arise, since there is a way to reinstall Windows 10 possibility even in a running system. You can also cope with the situation if the operating system refuses to boot.

Preparation

First you need to create bootable usb card or installation disk. This is done quite simply. We need to download from the Internet special program, which creates bootable media. So for USB creation- This Rufus program. And for DVDs– ImgBurn. It is also important to download the installation image of the operating system. It's easy to find on the official website. Next in Rufus, if we create a USB, we simply select virtual image installation disk, which was previously downloaded online. This is the item called ISO Image. And in the Device item, select the media on which recording will be carried out. Click Start and wait for the end of recording to USB.

And for creating an installation physical disk it will be suitable ImgBurn program. Here we just follow simple tips. Select in the Source item the virtual image of the installation Windows disk 10, and in the Destination item we select the physical DVD disk on which we are going to record.

Click on the picture where the disk depicted on paper turns into a disk that exists on its own, and wait for the recording to finish. That's it, the preliminary work is completed, now you can safely insert USB card or DVD into your computer and reinstall.

While the system is working

So, if you want to do the reinstallation as quickly as possible, then we start doing it right in the operating mode:

• Click on Start and select the Settings menu.

• Next, click on Update and Security.

• Then select the Recovery and Start button.

• Many are afraid that personal files will be deleted from the computer. In fact, it is possible to leave them unchanged. If you click Save my files in the next menu, everything will remain as it is. If you want to put an end to this terrible mess on your computer once and for all, you can click Delete everything. The system will show you which programs should be removed. After that, click on the Next and Reset button.

The computer will begin to restart and return to a clean and updated system state. In most cases, everything will go without force majeure, but if an error occurs, you can try reinstalling without any Windows boot 10, which will be described below.

Reinstall without downloading

So, if certain problems arise and Windows 10 simply won’t boot, then you should try another method. Take it and boot from installation media. To do this, go to the BIOS and set the priority there to boot from USB or DVD. Exit to this mode it is possible at system startup, manufacturers indicate during boot which button needs to be pressed for everything to work. You can select the boot priority in the Boot section.

Then the following menu will open, in which you need to select Diagnostics, then open the item Reset the computer to its original state and click on Delete everything.