[SOLVED] Clean Installation of Windows 10

[RIFATZX]

Recently my laptop is facing a lot of problems. So I decided to clean install Windows 10 but I don't have any external hard drive on which I can backup my data. so I have to keep all my data on my computer and install Windows 10. I have three more local drives besides the local drive C. So if I choose to remove all my files during the installation process, will it only delete the apps and files installed or associated with the local drive C or will it wipe out all the files in the other drives too? Will the device drivers be removed too?

 

[Colif]

will it only delete the apps and files installed or associated with the local drive C or will it wipe out all the files in the other drives too? Will the device drivers be removed too?

What i would suggest you do is follow this guide as is a custom install
when you get to the part about which drive, only delete the partitions on your main hdd and the installer will ignore the remaining 2 drives
follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

clean install wipes everything on C, all drivers, all data, all files. So copy everything to other 2 that you want to keep.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Move your important files to one of your other drives and then DISCONNECT EVERY drive except the drive you are installing TO and the drive you are installing FROM. Typically, that means leaving the main drive you plan to install Windows on and a flash drive or optical drive, depending on how you are installing it.

Even though installing Windows should not touch anything on the other drives, it is STILL a necessary step so that there is nothing to confuse the installer about where to put the EFI boot partition or if one needs to be created at all, in the even it finds one hidden on one of the other drives from a past Windows installation.

So, disconnect all drives except the target and the source, and then follow my guide that Colif already linked you to.

 

[RIFATZX]

What i would suggest you do is follow this guide as is a custom install
when you get to the part about which drive, only delete the partitions on your main hdd and the installer will ignore the remaining 2 drives
follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

clean install wipes everything on C, all drivers, all data, all files. So copy everything to other 2 that you want to keep.

Just to be clear, so when I choose "Remove all files", it actually does not remove the files that are in my Local disk E, F or G but only the files in C?

 

[RIFATZX]

Move your important files to one of your other drives and then DISCONNECT EVERY drive except the drive you are installing TO and the drive you are installing FROM. Typically, that means leaving the main drive you plan to install Windows on and a flash drive or optical drive, depending on how you are installing it.

Even though installing Windows should not touch anything on the other drives, it is STILL a necessary step so that there is nothing to confuse the installer about where to put the EFI boot partition or if one needs to be created at all, in the even it finds one hidden on one of the other drives from a past Windows installation.

So, disconnect all drives except the target and the source, and then follow my guide that Colif already linked you to.

It's a laptop and the only drive I got in there is the HDD. Am I getting you wrong somehow?

 

[Colif]

It's a laptop and the only drive I got in there is the HDD

if you only have 1 drive, the clean install will wipe everything. That includes the 3 partitions you asked me about.

So what are the problems you are having as maybe we can help fix them?

 

[RIFATZX]

if you only have 1 drive, the clean install will wipe everything. That includes the 3 partitions you asked me about.

So what are the problems you are having as maybe we can help fix them?

Check this one : https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/device-manager-showing-wrong-gpu.3606992/

I somehow managed to fix the issue. It was good for some time.

From last night whenever I try to open a game that is set to use my AMD, does not actually open (Either the process crashes or the window opens but doesn't respond). But when I switch it to my Intel, it does. So I did some research and figured that it's my same old GPU and it's drives screwing with me again. So I thought a clean install might solve some issues if not the whole. What do you think?

 

[Colif]

It is an interesting problem, reinstalling might fix it. Its also possible the card is just getting old and is dropping hints.

I am silly, I should have suggested a reset
Instead of a clean install, you can do a reset which only touches C drive. It removes all the info off C and replaces it with a clean install of win 10 but all other info on the other 3 partitions will still be there.
Go to settings/Security & update/Recovery
click reset this PC
choose keep files/settings (Files = library folders. Library folders = Documents, pictures, movies, music (the default folders that come with windows). Settings = logins and desktop)
that will force windows to reinstall all your drivers.

 

[RIFATZX]

It is an interesting problem, reinstalling might fix it. Its also possible the card is just getting old and is dropping hints.

I am silly, I should have suggested a reset
Instead of a clean install, you can do a reset which only touches C drive. It removes all the info off C and replaces it with a clean install of win 10 but all other info on the other 3 partitions will still be there.
Go to settings/Security & update/Recovery
click reset this PC
choose keep files/settings (Files = library folders. Library folders = Documents, pictures, movies, music (the default folders that come with windows). Settings = logins and desktop)
that will force windows to reinstall all your drivers.

I did just that without seeing your reply lol. And it actually worked. Thanks a bunch!

 

[RIFATZX]

It is an interesting problem, reinstalling might fix it. Its also possible the card is just getting old and is dropping hints.

I am silly, I should have suggested a reset
Instead of a clean install, you can do a reset which only touches C drive. It removes all the info off C and replaces it with a clean install of win 10 but all other info on the other 3 partitions will still be there.
Go to settings/Security & update/Recovery
click reset this PC
choose keep files/settings (Files = library folders. Library folders = Documents, pictures, movies, music (the default folders that come with windows). Settings = logins and desktop)
that will force windows to reinstall all your drivers.

No it still has that problem. If I keep the laptop on for some time the GPU disappears from the task manager and in the device manager it gets changed into AMD Firepro W9000.

 

[Colif]

the unusual continues

What laptop is this?

I thought maybe the two cards were related in families but One is Mars & other is Tahiti, they both released within a year of each other and my knowledge of old AMD GPU is non existent

The FirePro W9000 was an enthusiast-class professional graphics card by AMD, launched in June 2012. Built on the 28 nm process, and based on the Tahiti graphics processor, in its Tahiti XT GL variant

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/firepro-w9000.c585

The Radeon HD 8670M was a mobile graphics chip by AMD, launched in March 2013. Built on the 28 nm process, and based on the Mars graphics processor, in its Mars XT variant,

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-hd-8670m.c2391

your card suddenly thinks its much better than it actually is, or at least, that is what it is telling windows.
I wonder what Ubuntu reports - run off the USB and see what GPU's it can see

 

[RIFATZX]

the unusual continues

What laptop is this?

I thought maybe the two cards were related in families but One is Mars & other is Tahiti, they both released within a year of each other and my knowledge of old AMD GPU is non existent


https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/firepro-w9000.c585

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-hd-8670m.c2391

your card suddenly thinks its much better than it actually is, or at least, that is what it is telling windows.
I wonder what Ubuntu reports - run off the USB and see what GPU's it can see

The unusual seems pretty usual now

The laptop is an HP Pavilion 14-e036tx Notebook PC

This GPU thing is getting in my nerves. I can't even do anything about this because of the whole lockdown thing. Do you have any idea what to do?

 

[Colif]

Always handy when the driver site for notebook says none here.

GPU is built onto the motherboard of laptop so only way to replace is via HP. Have to start to wonder if repair cost is less than price of a new one.

But before we go there, try running the ubuntu live USB on PC and see if it has similar problems with card, as that would tell us if its hardware or windows. I can tell you windows doesn't normally change its mind as to what card is installed, so i have my doubts.

 

[Darkbreeze]

There are MANY laptops where multiple graphics adapters are present and the higher end adapter only gets kicked in normally when there is a significant gaming load. I would look through the advanced adapter options, as there might be a setting to stop it from switching. Might look in the BIOS as well to see if there is an option for X, Y or both.

 

[onespeedbiker]

You haven't mentioned if you have installed the most recent GPU driver. Windows 10 does not natively support the Radeon HD 8670M so you have to download and install the driver from AMD. https://www.amd.com/en/support/prev...d-8000m-series/amd-radeon-hd-8670m-series-gpu

 

[Colif]

I know that many use Intel HD graphics for everything other than adv graphics, his lists this as GPU - AMD Radeon HD 8670M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated)
https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c03879585

Not the other one Windows thinks it is seeing.
Wrong driver is possible.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It's equally possible that he needs BOTH drivers installed. I've seen this quite a few times on multiple GPU enabled machines.

 

[onespeedbiker]

According to the specs, the OP laptop has Intel HD 4700 / AMD Radeon HD 8670M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) . The switching of the AMD driver is probably because Windows 10 does not have an OEM driver the AMD Radeon HD 8670M. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ble-with/6229a679-63c8-4aaa-927a-5eda8a94ff78

 

[RIFATZX]

There are MANY laptops where multiple graphics adapters are present and the higher end adapter only gets kicked in normally when there is a significant gaming load. I would look through the advanced adapter options, as there might be a setting to stop it from switching. Might look in the BIOS as well to see if there is an option for X, Y or both.

No it's not switching. It literally disappears and changes into something else.

 

[Colif]

Its why i suggested Ubuntu as at least it would confirm if its a software problem or card.

Only answer, if it is win 10 lacking a driver, would be to install win 7 or 8 and use it.

 

[onespeedbiker]

Its why i suggested Ubuntu as at least it would confirm if its a software problem or card.

Only answer, if it is win 10 lacking a driver, would be to install win 7 or 8 and use it.

I posted an AMD Windows 10 driver for the GPU chip

 

[Darkbreeze]

No it's not switching. It literally disappears and changes into something else.

Yes, it is switching. It's switching to the Intel adapter that is ALSO onboard. As mentioned, if you don't have both drivers installed, and specifically the required driver for your Radeon HD adapter, you're going to have problems because it is unlikely that Windows has a native driver for it.

 

[RIFATZX]

You haven't mentioned if you have installed the most recent GPU driver. Windows 10 does not natively support the Radeon HD 8670M so you have to download and install the driver from AMD. https://www.amd.com/en/support/prev...d-8000m-series/amd-radeon-hd-8670m-series-gpu

Yes I have the recommended driver installed but even when the AMD one is functional, I can't open the RADEON Settings. The option only appears when it has disappeared and changed into something else. But yes,only the option comes up. The driver settings doesn't actually open.
Rather it shows this:

https://imgur.com/2yiaJO7

View: https://imgur.com/2yiaJO7

 

[Darkbreeze]

Make sure that the AMD adapter is set as the primary graphics adapter in the BIOS, or, if there is no setting there, look in the Intel graphics utility for a related setting. I've seen this a bunch of times before, I just can't remember exactly what the fix was.

I know in comparable Nvidia equipped dual GPU configurations there is a setting to set the Nvidia adapter as the primary one in the Nvidia control panel, but I can't remember how we fixed this on the AMD based models.

 

[onespeedbiker]

Try a clean install of the AMD driver. https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq...n-install-of-your-video-card-drivers.2402269/