Hey everyone! I'm planning to move my computer components into a new case this weekend, and I want to do a clean install of Windows for that fresh start. However, the last time I tried this back in January 2023, my files didn't get deleted; they just ended up in a 'windows.old' folder that I can't remove, even though I'm the admin. It seems like I missed a step last time. Does anyone have any tips or video links that could help me achieve a true clean slate this time?
1 Answer
Make sure you have a Windows Installation Media USB ready. If you had a previous Windows installation, it might have detected it during the last install, which is why you got a 'windows.old' folder. Just verify that your copy of Windows is linked to your Microsoft account for activation. You can check this in the Activation settings. After that, use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB for the clean install.
Got it! I had that issue too. Just remember to check the activation status first.