reset my computer

ktate · 9 June 2017 at 12:52PM

hi hope you can help me please my computer is about 3 years old now and getting a bit glogged up so was thinking of doing a clean install
i was useing win7 and upgraded to win 10 i like the win10 so what im asking is if i reset it will i need a key or will it load up has win 10 i know im going to loose somethings has the software isnt compatable and the photos seem to keep loading up and filling the hardrive what im worried about is iv no key for win 10 any help or info please would be much appreciated k

AndyPix · 9 June 2017 at 1:43PM

Hi Ktate ..

Apologies but parts of your post are a bit difficult to decipher ..

Your main question seems to be if you will need a key for W10 if you re-install.
The answer to that is no, you wont , as long as you have activated W10 before on the same computer

Further reading here :
https://www.howtogeek.com/226510/how-to-use-your-free-windows-10-license-after-changing-your-pc%E2%80%99s-hardware/

Andy

System · 9 June 2017 at 6:17PM

OK so the easiest way to go around it is to click on the Windows Start button, then the third one up which looks like a cog that takes you to the settings. Go to Windows Update. Next go to Recovery on the left, click on it and then on the right of the window select the option to Reset the PC and then choose the option you want from there (keep files, delete files, wipe hard drive.)

Your computer has a digital license so even if you install from DVD, wipe the hard drive you don't need a key, you just select the option about not wanting to enter a key under the text box where you type in the key, select the version of Windows 10 which was installed and it'll then automatically verify you have a digital license when you next go on line.

Ainsley1 · 9 June 2017 at 8:38PM

I too, like Andypix, am a bit confused by some of your 'terminology'!
What do you mean 'a bit clogged up'. Running out of disk space, many a virus, too many progs, running slow etc.

Yes you can do a clean install, wiping your data, reformat the drive, start afresh, do you have a particular aim? If it is just to reinstall win 10 follow Andypix's instructions.....but be aware that you may well then have loads of updates to download taking time and download quantity (are you on unlimited download limits?). Is there data you want to keep and if so backup first!!!!

Not wishing to put you off at all but if it is a specific issue then you might be better off sorting that or at least understanding it so you can prevent it again.

toshi · 10 June 2017 at 2:47PM

ktate wrote: »

hi hope you can help me please my computer is about 3 years old now and getting a bit glogged up so was thinking of doing a clean install
i was useing win7 and upgraded to win 10 i like the win10 so what im asking is if i reset it will i need a key or will it load up has win 10 i know im going to loose somethings has the software isnt compatable and the photos seem to keep loading up and filling the hardrive what im worried about is iv no key for win 10 any help or info please would be much appreciated k

I have understood that your 3 years old computer became very slow, as a solution, you want to perform a Windows 10 clean installation, yes, this would be a big job. (Backup your data, reinstalling all application after windows 10 installation)

Assuming Windows itself works fine, and only slowness is the problem, there would be a better and permanent solution.

You just simply replace your slow hard disk with an SSD, Solid State Drive (flash based storage device) what you will use the cloning software, completely disk cloning from your existing hard disk to an SSD. That's all, You don't have to reinstall anything, all existing date is there. you don't have to back up your data.

I have observed that Windows update make computer significantly slow down for long term. Especially Windows10 update add a lot of features and update, your hard disk is really struggling to installing thousands files. With an SSD, you can overcome hard disk slowness forever.

If you are interested in this option, please let me know your computer exact model name. Don’t rush, do some research, or keep asking please until you exactly know what you want to do.

HDD vs SSD - What is the difference?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ykrNhI5xk

Upgrade your Windows 10 PC with an SSD and be happier with your life (How To)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Le07EjcTiE

Happy SSD computing

toshi · 11 June 2017 at 11:54AM

DavidP24 wrote: »

Getting an SSD is Good advice, see this thread for SSD advice

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5653629

but first you need to clean up your system

If you have decided to upgrade to a superfast SSD, I actually suggest to perform cleaning work AFTER installing an SSD.

All of cleaning up work is VERY disk intensive work. You would give up the most of cleanup job because the hard disk is too slow.

Please note I am not talking a freshly installed clean environment, as far as I know, upgrading from windows 7 to windows 10 give you quite a mess already.

The computer itself would have been already struggling to run an standard operation. These cleanup work would take hell of lot of time.

Some told me that you may not want to transfer virus to a new SSD, No problem, you can perform all cleanup work with an SSD.

This will be your first benefit from SSD performance. Just run Malwarebytes, ccleaner with an SSD. You never ever want to come back to a sluggish hard disk.

I often show off SSD demonstration - run Malwatebytes and ccleaner at the same time with my 7 years old Notebook lol (Faster CPU cannot help a disk intensive work itself lol)

I would suggest you would make a disk-clone from the SSD to hard disk, if you want to keep a clean backup.

Happy SSD computing:)

AndyPix · 12 June 2017 at 9:35AM

DavidP24 wrote: »

Getting <snip>.

(Post reported for containing BITLY link)

When a user is describing their computer being "glogged" up - its safe to say that they will have been dumbfounded by the majority of that huge post.
(Apologies if i read that wrong OP)

And a reset is by far and away the easiest, best and least time consuming way to go here as outlined eloquently in post #3 above

ktate · 30 June 2017 at 1:39PM

WOW A really big thank you for all your comments and instructions sorry i wasnt explaining what it was i needed but im sure your comments will put me on the right track
the hard drive is full with a lot of stuff i wanted to keep photos documents ect so i thought if i copy the photoes to disc then deleat from the hard drive that would be the end of them sadly no it keeps coming back
the other worry was i was running win7 and downloaded the free win 10 i dont have any keys or disc
at the moment im going through chemotherapy and it knocks me about a bit hence why iv not answerd
to all your great replies so please A BIG SORRY THAT I HAVENT NASWERD EARLIER MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL

grumpycrab · 30 June 2017 at 1:53PM

ktate wrote: »

the hard drive is full with a lot of stuff

Try and find out how much free space you actually have left. Lots of photos do not stop a computer from working.

ktate wrote: »

downloaded the free win 10 i dont have any keys or disc

Just to be sure - your first post STRONGLY implied you were running win 10 - so don't worry about keys. Follow post 3 but make sure you select keep data so you don't lose photos.

reset my computer

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