Question Clean Windows 10 install with Dell OEM key

[RuanAPC]

Hi All,

I recently purchased a Dell Inspiron 3580 i5 and I've replaced the HDD with a SSD and added another 8GB of memory. My original plan was to just clone the HDD to the SSD, but I don't want all the Dell software that came with the laptop.

The laptop came with Windows 10 Home pre-installed, so if I do a clean install will it automatically activate Windows 10 again with the Dell OEM key? If I understand it correctly, the key is stored on the ACPI table in the UEFI firmware, so it should activate automatically.

Also, will Windows 10 automatically detect and download the drivers I need or do you recommend that I download it from Dell support to a USB drive?

Thank you in advance for any feedback!!

 

[Emerald]

Windows should automatically be reactivated

As for the drivers, I would recommend downloading them, like WIFI, NC, Video, while you can still see which once are installed

 

[USAFRet]

Reinstall on the same basic system should be no problem, and not incur any activation issues. Even on a different drive, in that same system.

The new OS install will install at the very least the basic drivers to get up and running. You may need to install any hardware specific ones.

 

[Abhinav2005]

If you are signed with your Microsoft account with preinstalled windows then it will automatically activate your new windows with digital license linked with your Microsoft account. You only need to sign to your Microsoft account after clean install.

 

[Guy_Simonian]

I wouldn't do that. Some of that Dell software you will want to keep as there are important hardware driver and bios updates that come out on a regular basis. That's a lot of work you are making for yourself just to remove some bloatware. It would be far simpler to just remove the few items of bloatware you don't want to run. I would uninstall Dell SupportAssist and Dell Digital Delivery Services for starters. You want to keep Dell Command Update and run it on a regular basis. Use Task Manager or a free process monitor to show you what is consuming your resources. Besides, once the SSD is installed, your Inspiron will be screaming fast!

 

[USAFRet]

I wouldn't do that. Some of that Dell software you will want to keep as there are important hardware driver and bios updates that come out on a regular basis. That's a lot of work you are making for yourself just to remove some bloatware. It would be far simpler to just remove the few items of bloatware you don't want to run. I would uninstall Dell SupportAssist and Dell Digital Delivery Services for starters. You want to keep Dell Command Update and run it on a regular basis. Use Task Manager or a free process monitor to show you what is consuming your resources. Besides, once the SSD is installed, your Inspiron will be screaming fast!

"Dell Command Update "
Why? It serves no real purpose.

Beyond the basic OS, there is little on a new laptop that is 'needed'.
OS, then the hardware specific drivers. Dell/Lenovo/HP 'updaters' are rarely useful, and often hazardous.

 

[Guy_Simonian]

Because Dell messes up all the time. What comes on the machine when you purchase it is typically buggy and outdated. Command update allows the vendor to keep your purchase up to date by fixing their problems after they release them.

You don't have to run their update software, just visit their site and plug in your service tag to query for updates. Either way you can still choose which updates to install or ignore.

 

[John Chesterfield]

You don't have to run any of their software, just reading the Internet will tell you of any updates.

What you're advising is totally pointless.

 

[Guy_Simonian]

You don't need Dell's software, it just makes it easier to keep up to date. You buy from a commercial vendor like that because you want the added benefits they offer, right? When it's one PC (your own) you are managing you can take the time to go online and visit their site to plug in your service tag to query for updates. If you are managing dozens of PC's, that becomes very time consuming so being able to launch an update program like the Command Update is very efficient. Speaking of efficiency, use a program like task manager, or any of the free process monitoring apps. I happen to like Process Explorer made by Mark Russinovich. He also has built background monitoring software useful for logging security incidents for cyber-security detection called Sysmon I would like to look at.

The amount of overhead of memory working sets, cpu usage, and disk i/o is practically zero for the Command Update software. The bloatware you really want to target and get rid of consists of processes that launch themselves frequently, find these in your scheduled tasks app. Also those that appear at the top of the process monitoring column listings should be evaluated. We see lots of bloatware from the printer companies too. Apple, Google and even Adobe by the way are some of the worst offenders in the category of jobs that launch themselves daily, even hourly.

-Guy Simonian

 

[Deleted member 14196]

You don’t need any garbage software that they ship on their laptops. Despite what this guy is saying

 

[Guy_Simonian]

I agree the vendor software is not necessary.
You do want to keep your bios and device drivers up to date though, don't you?

-gs

 

[USAFRet]

I agree the vendor software is not necessary.
You do want to keep your bios and device drivers up to date though, don't you?

-gs

BIOS should only be updated is there an issue, and a later BIOS update addresses that.
Shouldn't be done blindly or every single time a new one is released.

 

[Guy_Simonian]

Your bios and device drivers optimize performance. There could also be security holes discovered in the older drivers that need correction.

Your are doing the same thing when you let Microsoft update their operating system constantly to improve performance and plug security holes.

 

[USAFRet]

A BIOS update is much more invasive than a drive update.

Virtually every motherboard manufacturer has a warning like this regarding a BIOS update:
(this from my current ASRock)
-----------------------------
Please read the information below before downloading or updating your BIOS
We don't recommend users to update the BIOS if their system is already running normally. ASRock assumes no responsibility for any damages caused by improper operations of downloading or updating the BIOS. Before you download or update the BIOS, please read " (How to Update)" below carefully. After updating BIOS, all the settings will be reset to the default.
------------------------------

We can go round and round with differing opinions on this. I'll choose when to do it, rather than having it pushed when the updater software thinks I should.

 

[Guy_Simonian]

You could brick your device if your bios update is interrupted or fails prematurely.
Once this happens, there is no recourse.

At least with device drivers, you could often back them out or apply different versions.