OS clean reinstall?

[R3dAlert93]

Hi, I'm kinda confused on reinstalling windows 11 since there are many ways but what I'm trying to do is do a clean reinstall of windows 11 from my 1TB ssd to my 2TB ssd. Where do i begin? Do i select recovery?

[C2Dan88]

Create new usb installation media to reinstall windows to a different drive.
The recovery option will only reset the current windows install not allow you to move it to different drive.

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by C2Dan88:

Create new usb installation media to reinstall windows to a different drive.
The recovery option will only reset the current windows install not allow you to move it to different drive.

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

So the current C drive (1TB ssd) do i have to remove before i reinstall windows 11 to the 2TB ssd?

[C2Dan88]

Originally posted by Bring3rOfPain495:

So the current C drive (1TB ssd) do i have to remove before i reinstall windows 11 to the 2TB ssd?

Yes, I would.

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by C2Dan88:

Originally posted by Bring3rOfPain495:

So the current C drive (1TB ssd) do i have to remove before i reinstall windows 11 to the 2TB ssd?

Yes, I would.

So the left over windows 11 files on the 1TB ssd wont have issues like logins etc... when i make a clean install on the 2TB ssd?

[Overseer]

When you do a fresh Windows install it will be back to default. All your data will be gone. You will have to change every setting and install every program and driver again.

Why would you even move your OS to a much larger drive instead of just adding a new drive and use that for data storage?
Your current drive has not only Windows and your personal folders with save games, but also a boot partition and possibly backup partitions. You will have to wipe all of that clean from the outside.
If you just install Windows on the new SSD all you have to do is to unplug/remove all other devices and then boot into the USB installer. This will give you a clean, fresh OS install.
After that is done you can add the other devices again, boot into the new OS and manage the old files from within Windows.

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Rexali_:

It depends on how you want to partition your drives. Personally, I don't use that much space because I use every type of data in the cloud, like watching movies online, listening to music online, storing documents on Google Drive, etc., and only storing a couple of game data's on my internal hard. Something like 200GB at most.

If you can backup your important data to an external hard drive, do it, and then delete every partition of both hard disks in the boot menu. After that, make one partition for Windows installation(C Drive). Then, with Windows installed, go to Computer Management >> Disk Management, then make your drives online one by one and create partitions as you like.

If you can't make a backup of your current data and delete everything, send all of your files to your second hard disk and delete the first disk on the boot menu for Windows setup. To recognize which partition is for what drive, go to Computer Management >> Disk Management to be able to manage your partitions.

So do that first?

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Rexali_:

It depends on how you want to partition your drives. Personally, I don't use that much space because I use every type of data in the cloud, like watching movies online, listening to music online, storing documents on Google Drive, etc., and only storing a couple of game data's on my internal hard. Something like 200GB at most.

If you can backup your important data to an external hard drive, do it, and then delete every partition of both hard disks in the boot menu. After that, make one partition for Windows installation(C Drive). Then, with Windows installed, go to Computer Management >> Disk Management, then make your drives online one by one and create partitions as you like.

If you can't make a backup of your current data and delete everything, send all of your files to your second hard disk and delete the first disk on the boot menu for Windows setup. To recognize which partition is for what drive, go to Computer Management >> Disk Management to be able to manage your partitions.

I got mostly games stored on my 2TB ssd where i want to put a fresh install of windows 11. So if i move those games to an external hard drive or my other fast ssd for steam games that would be okay? Then have the 2TB ssd empty with no files on it so its prepared for windows 11. I have mostly backed up my saved games, pictures and videos onto my 3TB HD that is inside my computer case. I just want to clear my main C drive that currently has windows 11 on it since it is 5 years old and has gotten slower.

Here are my drives inside my computer case

1TB SSD (C:) with windows 11 installed on it

3TB HD (D:) thats mainly for backups and some software programs

2TB SSD (E:) Where steam, uplay, rockstar launcher etc... is installed but will move those to another drive when putting a fresh install of windows 11 onto that once it is empty.

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Rexali_:

Originally posted by Bring3rOfPain495:

I got mostly games stored on my 2TB ssd where i want to put a fresh install of windows 11. So if i move those games to an external hard drive or my other fast ssd for steam games that would be okay? Then have the 2TB ssd empty with no files on it so its prepared for windows 11. I have mostly backed up my saved games, pictures and videos onto my 3TB HD that is inside my computer case. I just want to clear my main C drive that currently has windows 11 on it since it is 5 years old and has gotten slower.

Here are my drives inside my computer case

1TB SSD (C:) with windows 11 installed on it

3TB HD (D:) thats mainly for backups and some software programs

2TB SSD (E:) Where steam, uplay, rockstar launcher etc... is installed but will move those to another drive when putting a fresh install of windows 11 onto that once it is empty.

Move every backup file to your 3TB HDD hard disk, then de-attach it from your case physically.

After that, go to the boot menu, delete everything, install new windows, and create partitions as you like. Finally, attach your 3TB HDD to your case again and copy your files into your new partitions.

Sorry do you mean de-attach the 1TB ssd or the 3TB HDD?

[Guydodge]

im curious to why would you not leave the 1tb for o.s only and use your other drives for storage did i miss something ?

ok just saw it.is your drive over full ? ive had ssd for years never noticed any slowdown.
you should leave 10% of your ssd empty so that would be 100gb free.

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Guydodge:

im curious to why would you not leave the 1tb for o.s only and use your other drives fore storage did i miss something ?

From what I have heard that its good to reinstall windows 11 so it can perform better instead of running sluggish. Not sure if its true... If OS has performance issues it, can decrease the life span of a computer.

[Guydodge]

Originally posted by Bring3rOfPain495:

Originally posted by Guydodge:

im curious to why would you not leave the 1tb for o.s only and use your other drives fore storage did i miss something ?

From what I have heard that its good to reinstall windows 11 when computers run sluggish so it can perform better.

your 100% correct i reinstall mine every year to year and a half.

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Guydodge:

Originally posted by Bring3rOfPain495:

From what I have heard that its good to reinstall windows 11 when computers run sluggish so it can perform better.

your 100% correct i reinstall mine every year to year and a half.

I kinda find it difficult/confusing since its my first time. Hope nothing goes wrong. That's the worry part.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Disconnect all other drives except the new blank drive you want to install OS onto and your Win11 usb flash drive. Enter the BIOS and double click on the usb drive

[R3dAlert93]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Disconnect all other drives except the new blank drive you want to install OS onto and your Win11 usb flash drive. Enter the BIOS and double click on the usb drive

Ah okay thanks

[R3dAlert93]

I think i'll will just keep windows 11 on the current SSD but make a fresh/clean reinstall. Do i go to recovery first?