Hey everyone! So, I recently had a hiccup while streaming sports on my PC. I accidentally clicked on a file that looked like it was an Opera GX installer, and although I quickly closed it, I got worried about possible malware infection. I've run extensive scans with Malwarebytes and Windows Defender, and uploaded the suspicious file to VirusTotal – everything seems okay now. Better safe than sorry, though! I want to do a factory reset to make sure my PC is clean. I plan to use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a USB recovery drive using my work PC. I have a few questions before I proceed:
A) Is the process really as simple as entering the BIOS, changing the boot order to prioritize USB, and then booting from it?
B) Do I need to do a factory reset beforehand, or will that be handled through the USB boot?
C) If my Windows 11 is linked to my account, will I need to purchase a new key?
D) I have both SSDs and HDDs – will the reset affect both drives, or just the one with the OS?
Sorry if this sounds confusing! I tried to include all the necessary details. Thanks for any help!
1 Answer
1. Yes, you got it! Just enter the BIOS and change it to boot from the USB drive first.
2. You don’t need to reset your PC before doing this. The USB will let you install Windows fresh, so just go ahead with the boot.
3. As long as you have a valid license linked to your Microsoft account, no need to buy again. If it’s an OEM version, your key is probably stored in the BIOS, and it should activate automatically when you go online after the installation.
4. It's best to leave only the drive with Windows plugged in during setup. That way, you avoid any issues with formatting the wrong drive or creating EFI partitions on the incorrect drive.
Also, don’t forget to do a clean install. You’ll need to delete all partitions on the system disk during the setup from the USB.
Thanks for the quick response! So just to clarify:
1. Got it, seems easy enough!
2. So I'll reset my PC using Windows first and then tweak the BIOS for the USB setup.
3. Sounds reassuring about the license!
4. If I delete all partitions of the drives when setting up from the USB and choose the right drive for the OS, I shouldn't encounter any issues later, right?