REINSTALL WINDOWS
Make your next Windows reinstall a better experience, with the help of Nick Peers.
Long bootup times and sluggish performance are just two of the tell-tale signs that your Windows installation is in need of a complete do-over — especially if you haven’t done so for a couple of years. That was certainly the case with one of the desktop PCs in the APC office — despite having 16GB of RAM, a fast SSD boot drive and a quad-core processor on board, Windows took what seemed like an age to get going and its overall performance simply wasn’t what it was.
Unsurprising, really: Since we last wiped the drive, we’d installed three major Windows 10 updates — the Anniversary Edition, the Creators Update and the Fall Creators Update and Windows had ballooned to an immodest 90GB of drive space. It was obviously time for an overhaul, but experience has taught us a few lessons along the way. Some go back to the early days of Windows; others are peculiar to Windows 10.
And that’s where this feature comes in. We’re going to take you on the ultimate Windows reinstall tour, whether you’re installing Windows 7, 8.1, or 10. You’ll discover that the actual physical act of reinstalling is the simplest bit, so we’ll step you through everything you need to do to preserve all your data, transfer your settings across the reinstall divide, and ensure that nothing gets left behind — just in case.
We’ll show you how to prep for your reinstall by bringing all your key apps, drivers, and licenses into one place (oh, and don’t forget to uninstall apps that need deactivating prior to reinstalling). You’ll also discover how to source the latest version of your Windows install media for a cleaner, more up-to-date install out of the box. (We’ll also reveal a tool that gives you the power to craft your ultimate reinstall disc).
We’ll step you through the install process, but crucially, we’ll be on hand to guide you through the post-setup phase: Get Windows up and running again, reinstall core apps, restore links to your data folders, bring back your app settings, and — for good measure — install a snapshotting backup regimen that enables you to roll back your PC quickly when the need arises.
Long story short, everything you need is here in a guide you can keep on hand for when you need it. Enough preamble — let’s reinstall Windows!
BEFORE YOU START
Step one of the reinstall process is to make sure that your PC is fully backed up. Let’s begin by taking a fail-safe drive image of your computer in its current state. Not only does this give you something to roll back to if the reinstall process fails for any reason, but it also ensures that every scrap of your current configuration — including programs and their settings — are accessible in case you need to refer to or access them after performing the install.
There are plenty of good third-party drive-imaging tools out there, but for the purposes of your fail-safe image, let’s stick with the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool. The quickest way to launch it in any version of Windows — including Windows 10 — is to press Win-R to open the Run dialog, then type sdclt.exe and press Enter. Click ‘Create a system image’, choose your backup drive as the destination, and click Next. By default, your system partitions should be selected, so verify that there’s enough space on your target drive — the actual backup will be smaller than the size indicated — and click Next again.
With your fail-safe backup in place, it’s time to turn your attention to your data. If you’ve been diligently backing up your files using File History or the Windows Backup and Restore tool, you should be covered, although if you’re using the latter, open it, and click ‘Back up now’ to ensure it’s fully up to date.
Another option is to move your data to a different drive or partition, so it’s left untouched when you reinstall Windows. You’ll need to fix permissions after reinstalling, but we’ll cover that in due course. If you don’t have a second storage drive available (make sure it’s not your backup drive), check out the box below for details of partitioning your system drive in two. Once set up, create a user folder on the root of your new drive or partition, then open File Explorer, and start moving user folders over to the new drive by right-clicking each in turn, and choosing Properties, then the Location tab. Click Move to select the corresponding folder on your data drive, then choose Yes when prompted, and all your files are moved to the new drive. If you have cloud folders hosted on your system drive, don’t forget to move them now, too — this will save you the bother of a lengthy resync post-install. In this case, copy rather than move the files — you can link your cloud sync app to the correct folder after reinstallation.
BACK UP PROGRAM SETTINGS
This is a key part of the reinstallation process. If you want to avoid having to meticulously record all of your program settings, the best thing to do is find ways of backing them up. Start by downloading the free portable tool CloneApp from www.
mirinsoft.com (go to Download Resources > CloneApp — Portable). Right-click cloneapp.zip, and choose ‘Extract All’ — save it to your backup drive (or portable apps folder if you have one), then open the CloneApp folder, right-click ‘CloneApp. exe’, and choose ‘Run as administrator’.
A list of supported apps is displayed. Click ‘Select Installed’, and CloneApp automatically selects all the applications in its database that you have installed — including some handy Windows settings, such as Library and network settings. Go through the list, unchecking those you have no plans to restore along
with Windows. To see what’s being backed up, click ‘What is being backed up’, and a complete list of apps and their settings — such as Registry entries or associated folders — is displayed. If you click Start CloneApp, these settings and files are backed up. Simply uncheck an item to exclude it from the backup, and then click Update when you’re ready.
Not all your programs will be supported here, but you can still back up their settings using CloneApp if you can identify where they’re stored — either in the Registry or in a specific folder. You should start your search under the C:\User\<username>\AppData and C:\ProgramData folders, as well as the app’s own folder under C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86). Also, open the Registry Editor (type regedit into the Run dialog), and look under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE Registry key for any subkeys related to your apps.
Once you’ve identified where they are, click the Custom button in CloneApp, and click the appropriate buttons — Files, Folders, or Registry Keys — to manually add these locations. If you’re struggling to locate them, try Googling the program name, along with words such as ‘ backup’ and ‘settings’, or explore the app’s own preferences or settings for an option to ‘export settings’ to back them up manually.
Another important consideration is any saved games you have — try the free GameSave Manager tool from www.
gamesave-manager.com, where you’ll find that its database supports over 5,000 games.
Now might also be the time to consider migrating to portable apps where you can — these can be stored on your PC’s data drive, and will survive all your Windows reinstalls with their settings intact. Use the PortableApps.com platform tool ( www.portableapps.com) to manage and launch them — you can download and install apps from here, or manually add them to the PortableApps folder inside their own folder. Then open the PortableApps.com platform, and click Apps > Refresh App Icons to bring them into the program menu.
MORE REINSTALL PREP
Before going any further, make sure that you have the program media you need — install CDs and DVDs, plus any product keys. If you purchased digitally, simply make sure you have access to your online account, or check your email for the keys you need. If you’re struggling to track down product keys, a free portable tool such as License Crawler ( www.
klinzmann.name — use the ‘Mirror Server (1)’ link on the Download page — can track down the info you need.
Go through your list of programs for those that require activation — some, such as Nitro Pro, need to be deactivated or uninstalled before you reinstall Windows. Scour the Taskbar and Taskbar notification area, as well as the Start menu, for any apps that you may have forgotten about.
Also consider your drivers. Driver backup tools are available, but a neater solution is to source your own core drivers now, if required. Most drivers can be reinstalled after Windows — many even come as part of Windows itself — but it’s important that you check whether specific drivers are covered.
These include your display drivers — particularly for older AMD cards — as well as network drivers, enabling you to get back online.
If Windows was pre-installed on your PC, don’t assume your drivers are guaranteed to come back when you reinstall. Instead, visit your PC manufacturer’s website now to source drivers for the version of Windows that you plan to install. You should find most here — if your PC is self-built, the motherboard manufacturer’s website is a rich source of drivers, too.
If you can’t find supported drivers for your version of Windows, drivers for an older version — such as Windows 7 for Windows 10 — may still work if required, so long as they’re the same system type (either 32-bit or 64-bit) as your version of Windows.
Finally, if you open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc into the Run dialog), you can see what drivers are installed for your hardware — doubleclick an item and switch to the Driver tab. If the Digital Signer states ‘Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher’, it’s likely that the driver will be installed along with Windows; if the provider is Microsoft, then it’s a given.
BUILD YOUR REINSTALL MEDIA
Time to reinstall, right? Wrong. You may already have a Windows install CD — particularly if you’re rolling back to an earlier version of Windows — but it may not be the latest version. Why force yourself to install more Windows Updates than necessary — the April 2018 Update for Windows 10, or Service Pack 1 for Windows 7, for example — when you can download and create the latest version of your Windows install media, which comes with these updates preinstalled? Not only do you save yourself time, but you also ensure that your install is as clean as possible.
You need one of two things for your install media: either a blank DVD — or possibly two — or a large enough USB flash drive (typically 8GB or larger). The latter is preferable, because installing from this is much quicker than via DVD, but check that your PC can boot from USB drives before proceeding — any PC worth its salt from the last decade should be able to, but check with your PC’s manufacturer before proceeding.
Windows 7 users who want to create reinstall media with Service Pack 1 slipstreamed into it should head to www. microsoft.com/software-download/
windows7 — you need to provide your Windows product key, and you’re pointed toward one of two ISO downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit. Unless your PC is incredibly old, 64-bit is the preferred choice. It enables you to use more than 4GB of RAM, and offers better performance.
One key consideration may be older hardware — check that you can source 64-bit drivers, or you may have to replace the hardware or stick with the 32-bit version instead.
Once you’ve downloaded the ISO file, grab the Windows USB/DVD Download Tool from https://wudt.codeplex.com — this enables you to create your Windows 7 install media from the ISO file.
Things are simpler if you want to reinstall Windows 8.1 (go to www. microsoft.com/software-download/ windows8) or Windows 10 ( www.
microsoft.com/software-download/
windows10). Both versions of the Media Creation Tool enable you to download the latest version of the installer files — the April 2018 Update, for example — and burn a DVD or create a bootable USB flash drive.
TIME TO REINSTALL
Now it’s finally time to ditch your underperforming, glitchy Windows for a brand new install. You’re all backed up, your data has been moved to a new partition or drive, and you’ve sourced any key drivers you might need.
First, insert the install media and restart your PC. If it’s set to look for a bootable DVD or USB drive, you’ll see a message inviting you to press any key to boot from a CD or DVD — press it and jump to the next paragraph. If not, look for a message inviting you to enter the boot menu. When the menu appears, select your DVD drive or USB flash drive from the list, and press Enter on your keyboard; if two entries exist, try the one marked UEFI first.
If you’re using Windows 8 or Windows 10, you may find no options appear on startup — this is down to your PC’s ultra-fast boot setting. If this is the case, boot back into Windows, then navigate to Settings > ‘Update & Security > Recovery, and click ‘Restart now’. When the ‘Advanced start-up’ menu appears, click ‘Use a Device’ to select your boot device.
If you’re downgrading from Windows 8.1 or 10 to Windows 7, you need to tweak some UEFI settings — from the ‘Advanced start-up’ menu, choose ‘Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings’. Now look for the ‘Fast Boot’ and ‘Secure Boot’ settings, disabling both. If there’s a CSM (Compatibility Support Module) setting, make sure it’s enabled. Once done, save your settings and exit, then start the reinstall process.
INSTALLATION STEP-BY-STEP
The install process is practically identical across Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. When the Windows Setup wizard starts, verify that the language, time, and currency, and keyboard are all set to your chosen language. Click Next, followed by Install Now. If you’re using Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, you’ll be prompted for your product key. If you’re using Windows 10 you can skip this step if you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8.1, because your license is digital and is tied to your computer; Windows will activate automatically after the install has completed.
If prompted to choose a Windows edition, select the one you’re currently running — typically Home. Click Next, agree to the license agreement, and then click Next again. Now select ‘Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)’ by clicking it.
A list of available drives appears — your current Windows partition should be selected by default, but check that the size, type (Primary), and free space match what you expect. Click Format to wipe the drive, then click OK to confirm the warning. With the drive selected, click Next.
There are two distinct phases to the installation process. First, files are copied and prepared for installation. Then Windows starts installing features
and updates. It then informs you that it needs to restart — this should happen automatically, or you can click Restart Now to do so manually.
If prompted to boot from CD or DVD, don’t press anything. You’ll see the Windows logo appear, then a series of messages pop up about ‘preparing devices’ and ‘getting ready’. Windows may restart several times.
SET UP WINDOWS
This stage of the process is simple enough if you’re using Windows 7: Simply enter your product key when prompted, and follow the prompts to set up a user account, and get going. The same is true for Windows 8.1, although its Express Settings option isn’t as pervasive as Windows 10’s.
Windows 10 first asks you about your location and keyboard, sorts out your network connection (including any Wi-Fi configuration), then asks you whether you’re setting up for personal use or for an organisation. Personal is the choice for most. You’re then prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account — if you want to stick with an old-school local user account for now, click ‘Offline account’, followed by ‘Maybe later’.
If signing into your Microsoft account, you go through the usual procedure, including any additional verification or authentication you may have set up. You’re prompted to set up a PIN, then asked to set up Cortana. This is the point where your privacy comes into play, so review all the options carefully, flicking the slider to Off for any you don’t need or use.
That’s the end of the setup process — Windows now configures itself based on your choices, and you’ll see a series of messages appear on the screen, and there is nothing more to do but sit back and enjoy the show. Eventually — when all is ready — you’ll find yourself back at the familiar Windows 10 desktop.
POST-INSTALL SETUP
Now that the Windows desktop is back, you should notice things are much quicker. They won’t remain this fast, though — not once you’ve reinstalled your core apps and settings — but you’ll still end up with a much quicker computer than before once you’re done.
Let’s start by bringing your Windows install fully up to date. Windows Update should already be operating in the background, but you can move things along by opening it — via Settings > Update & Security if you’re using Windows 10 — and performing a manual scan. Let all updates install themselves, then reboot.
Now is a good time to reinstall any third-party security software you have, then it’s time to restore your personal data — or link it back into Windows if you’ve moved it to another partition or drive. If you’ve backed it up previously, you need to open File History or Backup and Restore, and choose the Restore option. Locate your backup, and choose the option to restore it to its original location.
If you’ve partitioned your main drive and hived off your data folders to another drive, open your user folder, and repeat the process for pointing your user folders to their new locations (again, choose Yes when prompted to move any existing data — this doesn’t affect your data). Next, go through Settings and the Control Panel, setting things up as you
remember. For example, type sysdm.
cpl into the Run dialog box to set up your Workgroup, rename your PC, switch System Restore on — Windows 10 now disables it by default — and make various other system tweaks. If you have any Windows tweaking apps, such as the Ultimate Windows Tweaker from The Windows Club ( www.thewindowsclub. com/?p=106674) — which, among other things, enables you to use Windows Photo Viewer as your default image viewing app — now’s the time to run them.
RESTORE PROGRAMS
Now might be a good time to take your first post-Windows install drive image — a nice clean image that you can roll back to if your next round of post-setup actions goes awry.
Once that’s done, start reinstalling all your core apps, making sure you run them to reactivate or register any license keys. Once done, run CloneApp from your backup drive. If you click Restore, every single setting you’ve backed up is restored; if this doesn’t appeal, open the CloneApp\Backup folder, and move out any program folders to exclude them from the process.
If prompted to overwrite files when restoring, choose Yes to replace new files with your backed-up versions. If all goes well, you should find — when you next open your programs — that they’ve got your old settings intact.
If you find you’ve forgotten to back up a file or program setting, what then? This is where your fail-safe drive image comes into play. Step one is to mount the drive image as a virtual drive in Windows. Type diskmgmt.msc into the Run dialog, and choose ‘Action > Attach VHD’. Click Browse, and go to ‘WindowsImageBackup\<Computer Name>\Date’ on your backup drive, where you’ll find several VHDX files. Select the largest one, and click Open > OK. The partition is highlighted, so right-click it, and choose ‘Change Drive Letter and Paths’. Click ‘Add’ to allocate it a drive letter, and you can browse its contents in File Explorer, enabling you to copy off any files that you need.
If you need to locate and extract Registry settings from your old installation, open the Registry Editor, and select ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE’ from the list. Then choose ‘File > Load Hive’. You can then browse to the drive you’ve just mounted, and load the following files from the locations listed, depending on which Registry hive you need (typically HKEY_CURRENT_USER or HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE\SOFTWARE).
Browse these keys for missing data, export it to your main drive as .REG files, and then reimport them to Windows’ Registry. Congratulations, you now have a fresh new Windows install.