Question wiping the SSD and HDD on a pre-built PC and installing Windows 10

[Turbonium]

I'm looking to help a friend (i.e. guide them through) doing a complete/proper wipe (including all factory reset partitions etc. on any of the drives) of their pre-built PC (iBUYPOWER AM001i), and to do a clean install of Windows 10.

I'm not sure the best way to go about this, as they're not a computer expert (but not a stranger to technology either, by any means); I originally recommended DBAN, but is it still the standard go-to for this sort of thing? I basically need something that will truly wipe/zero the drives (both the SSD and HDD), including any and all factory reset partitions, etc., while also being relatively straightforward to use.

Also: using Microsoft's own installation media creator tool should work, right? That, along with them logging into their Windows install with their usual account/e-mail address as far as Windows Activation goes. Or will they run into problems with activating their copy/digital license, given it was a pre-built PC and the partitions will have been wiped?

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you care about your Windows Activation status at all, I would initially boot the system and set it up using the factory OEM parititions / OS installation, and VERIFY that it shows "Activated" under Windows Activation under Settings.

You might also use another USB stick, and copy the \Windows\DriverStore directory to the USB.

Only then do you want to wipe the partitions.

You can do so easily using a Win10 USB install stick made with the MS Tool.

Copy the DriverStore directory to your installer USB stick.

Simply boot the tool, go through the prompts, and at the screen showing the disks, hit LSHIFT+F10, type DISKPART into the COMMAND prompt window that pops up, and use LIST DISK, SELECT DISK #, and CLEAN commands to erase both the SSD and HDD.

Then select REFRESH on the disks screen, and then go through the prompts to partition and install on the SSD only.

 

[Turbonium]

If you care about your Windows Activation status at all, I would initially boot the system and set it up using the factory OEM parititions / OS installation, and VERIFY that it shows "Activated" under Windows Activation under Settings.

Please clarify: what would this accomplish?

Like, you're asking me to basically do a factory reset of sorts with it before zeroing the drives? How would this confirm anything if I'm going to be zeroing the drives anyway?

I'm not quite sure I understand.

 

[mikeymikec]

Please clarify: what would this accomplish?

Like, you're asking me to basically do a factory reset of sorts with it before zeroing the drives? How would this confirm anything if I'm going to be zeroing the drives anyway?

I'm not quite sure I understand.

He's not asking you to reset it then wipe it, he asked you to boot it, make sure that Windows is activated with MS, then blow away the partition structures of the drives.

If Windows isn't activated or won't activate, then there's a bigger problem to deal with first.

 

[Turbonium]

He's not asking you to reset it then wipe it, he asked you to boot it, make sure that Windows is activated with MS, then blow away the partition structures of the drives.

If Windows isn't activated or won't activate, then there's a bigger problem to deal with first.

I think I get it now, but why can I not just check to see if there is a "digital license" from within the OS itself? Wouldn't that accomplish the same thing?

Sorry if these are basic questions, but I've truly been out of the tech scene for years, so I'm rusty at best.

EDIT: Wait, I think this is exactly what he's asking me to do. But why reformat with built-in partitions and stuff first? That's the logical/rationale I'm not getting. I mean, if it's already activated with the current install...

 

[mikeymikec]

I think I get it now, but why can I not just check to see if there is a "digital license" from within the OS itself? Wouldn't that accomplish the same thing?

What you just said is what's being recommended you do.

EDIT: Wait, I think this is exactly what he's asking me to do. But why reformat with built-in partitions and stuff first? That's the logical/rationale I'm not getting. I mean, if it's already activated with the current install...

He didn't suggest you should wipe first.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I mean, if it's already activated with the current install...

That's all that I wanted you to verify. From your OP, I gleaned that this was a fresh, new, never-before booted system, that you wanted to wipe and re-install Windows due to fear of "bloatware" as a precautionary measure.

I'm saying, that builders such as I BuyPower and CyberPower, may use "normal" DIY mobos, which means that they WON'T be "tattooed" with an OS license key, which means that it's just on the pre-installed software. If you then wiped that software off of a new system without ever booting it and verifying the activation, NO MORE KEY for you! (Ask me how I know.)

 

[Turbonium]

That's all that I wanted you to verify. From your OP, I gleaned that this was a fresh, new, never-before booted system, that you wanted to wipe and re-install Windows due to fear of "bloatware" as a precautionary measure.

I'm saying, that builders such as I BuyPower and CyberPower, may use "normal" DIY mobos, which means that they WON'T be "tattooed" with an OS license key, which means that it's just on the pre-installed software. If you then wiped that software off of a new system without ever booting it and verifying the activation, NO MORE KEY for you! (Ask me how I know.)

The motherboard in the system in question is indeed a "normal" motherboard.

Quite honestly, I sort of forget how Windows even verifies that it's the same system when reinstalling Windows.

One other question: when installing Windows, you can skip the initial request to enter a product key, correct? After which (during post-install setup) the user can enter the e-mail address associated with their Windows install (if they have an account), and that should suffice. Am I missing something?

 

[mikeymikec]

One other question: when installing Windows, you can skip the initial request to enter a product key, correct? After which (during post-install setup) the user can enter the e-mail address associated with their Windows install (if they have an account), and that should suffice. Am I missing something?

Question 1 - correct. If Windows 10 has been activated before on that PC, then as soon as it's connected to the Internet, it'll automatically re-activate. User doesn't even have to sign in with a Microsoft account.

 

[Zoozuu]

I dont mean to inject weirdness..I've never had any version of windows ask for a account in place of a cdkey or had it automatically activate unless the hardware had a built in cdkey in the hardware. I have a document of all of my keys are you sure you guys arent going to have him wipe his key and then need a new one? does your account have the key?

 

[mikeymikec]

I dont mean to inject weirdness..I've never had any version of windows ask for a account in place of a cdkey or had it automatically activate unless the hardware had a built in cdkey in the hardware. I have a document of all of my keys are you sure you guys arent going to have him wipe his key and then need a new one? does your account have the key?

Yep, you're unnecessarily injecting weirdness

I've probably done about a hundred, maybe more => Win8x clean installs, and never once lost a product key.

Any machine that has had an activated => Win8x product key used on it (embedded or not) will automatically re-activate with that key (with the same version of Windows*) unless the user takes steps to ensure otherwise. Neither VirtualLarry or I have suggested taking any steps to ensure otherwise. Even if the user doesn't sign in with a Microsoft account, Windows will still auto-activate.

* - embedded licences of Win8x will allow a Win10 install to auto activate too.

Not particularly related side note - I document all my CD keys too (I only do self-builds) because I don't 100% trust MS with this job forever. I've never heard of the company the OP's PC before so I don't know if they do embedded licences or whether there's a CD key sticker on the side of the PC.

 

[Zoozuu]

Kay. Jus making a note. I guess I'll try it your guys way next time. Makes it a little easier having one less step to do.

 

[mikeymikec]

Kay. Jus making a note. I guess I'll try it your guys way next time. Makes it a little easier having one less step to do.

What do you do then, out of curiosity? Run an app like keyfinder to make a note of the product key?

 

[Zoozuu]

Nopes. I would only do that if I didn't already have the key(s). I just manually put it in from my text doc of keys like a savage.

note: you can also get it by typing wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

 

[Turbonium]

Simply boot the tool, go through the prompts, and at the screen showing the disks, hit LSHIFT+F10, type DISKPART into the COMMAND prompt window that pops up, and use LIST DISK, SELECT DISK #, and CLEAN commands to erase both the SSD and HDD.

Then select REFRESH on the disks screen, and then go through the prompts to partition and install on the SSD only.

What I ended up doing was using the repair option on the Windows setup screen, getting into diskpart that way, and manually deleting all partitions on the SSD (delete partition x), then using the clean command for good measure.

Then refreshed, created a new partition (max size), etc.

However, question: upon installation of Windows 10 (Home), there seems to be a recovery partition that has been created on the SSD again. Is this normal?

Furthermore, it seems to have saved/remembered the user's wallpaper. Is this simply OneDrive doing it's thing when entering the user's Microsoft account details during Windows setup?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Furthermore, it seems to have saved/remembered the uses wallpaper. Is this simply OneDrive doing it's thing when entering the user's Microsoft account details during Windows setup?

Could be.

 

[Turbonium]

Could be.

Let's hope so.

Any idea on a recovery partition being present though? Again, I did do a full/proper partition deletion and drive wipe prior to install, using diskpart. It seems as though Windows created this recovery partition, though I am unsure.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Any idea on the recovery partition being present though?

Retail Win10 creates a recovery partition of around half a GB.

 

[Turbonium]

Retail Win10 creates a recovery partition of around half a GB.

This is a pre-built PC though. Are you saying pre-builts come with retail, not OEM?

 

[VirtualLarry]

No, I'm saying, that if you used the Win10 install USB, it creates that recovery partition.

Are you using OEM recovery media to re-install? If so, it may be creating a larger OEM recovery partition, capable of initiating a factory restore.

 

[Turbonium]

No, I'm saying, that if you used the Win10 install USB, it creates that recovery partition.

Are you using OEM recovery media to re-install? If so, it may be creating a larger OEM recovery partition, capable of initiating a factory restore.

An installation USB was created using Microsoft's own media creation tool, acquired from the Microsoft website, and a brand new (formatted) USB drive.

So the recovery partition was done by Windows itself, then? That helps clear things up.

 

[Zoozuu]

To format a SSD/HDD Completely sometimes I needed to use gparted. Windows for some reason leaves behind recovery partitions. It's happened to me at least 4 times.I literally had a windows recovery partition on Ubuntu because of this. It would steal a around 500mb to a 1gb. It would just show up as healthy(recovery partition). I have gparted in a VM now just for easier formats. Pop in the hdd using a USB adapter start up VM of gparted then format. "Ghost" Recovery partition gone. I tried to delete the entire ssd and get it to join the partitions as unpartition or whatever but it just wouldnt because of being flagged. Lol I've also had a windows installaltion with like 5 recovery partitions.

 

[mikeymikec]

To format a SSD/HDD Completely sometimes I needed to use gparted. Windows for some reason leaves behind recovery partitions. It's happened to me at least 4 times.I literally had a windows recovery partition on Ubuntu because of this. It would steal a around 500mb to a 1gb. It would just show up as healthy(recovery partition). I have gparted in a VM now just for easier formats. Pop in the hdd using a USB adapter start up VM of gparted then format. "Ghost" Recovery partition gone. I tried to delete the entire ssd and get it to join the partitions as unpartition or whatever but it just wouldnt because of being flagged. Lol I've also had a windows installaltion with like 5 recovery partitions.

diskpart clean erases all partitions regardless of partition type in my experience.

 

[Zoozuu]

yep gparted has a gui though. I need a gui. also I mainly started using it as I use ubuntu and pi os a lot and its a native application for them. so its like opening micro paint.

 

[mikeymikec]

yep gparted has a gui though. I need a gui. also I mainly started using it as I use ubuntu and pi os a lot and its a native application for them. so its like opening micro paint.

I have to say, "I use Linux instead of Windows because I need a GUI" is one of the oddest reasons I've ever heard PS: I'm primarily a Linux user these days too.