How to format and reinstall windows 10?

[P3ders3N]

My computer is a mess and I've got new parts coming and want to format all drives before that. I have windows 7 home premium on cd with key. In addition to SSD with the OS, I have two HDD disks that I want formatted aswell.

How do I get windows 10 back? Can I make a copy or something on a flash drive and install only windows 10 without having to upgrade from win7? Maybe it's possible to do a clean install of windows 10. I read something about a factory reset function, will this clean the drives and leave me with nothing but the OS? Thats what I want to achieve in the end.

If I have to format, OS is currently on a SSD drive(Kingston v300, 120gb). Is the best option to format an SSD through the OS installation? Given that it's booted from a flash drive/CD.

Would love some sort of step-by-step guide on how to do this. I have backed up everything I want to keep of course and uninstallled a lot of stuff to clean things up a bit and take care of all my local game files and such.

 

[gilbadon]

Is your windows version OEM or retail?

 

[USAFRet]

What 'new parts' are you getting?
If the motherboard, you'll have to go back to Win 7 first, then upgrade again.
IF the Win 7 activation works on the new hardware, which is a maybe, depending on the license associated with that.

But....we'd need to know what you are changing for a better suggestion as to the way ahead.

 

[P3ders3N]

Is your windows version OEM or retail?

Current version installed is win10. Windows 7 came with my PC, so retail I guess? Anyway, got a note with the computer with the CD-key and some other info on it.

 

[smorizio]

on your hard drives before you wipe window 10 off the cd go into windows disk managment and format the drive that are not os drives there. use the windows media creation tool from microsoft web page and a 8g usb stick. it make the newest version of windows 10 bootable usb stick for you. make sure you have your windows 7 oem number in case whe nyou do the clean install windows 10 does not registered right. when windows 10 installer ask for your windows code click spip for now. on the 2-3 reboot after windows updates it self your clean version of windows 10 should be re activated wiht your old oem code.

 

[P3ders3N]

What 'new parts' are you getting?
If the motherboard, you'll have to go back to Win 7 first, then upgrade again.
IF the Win 7 activation works on the new hardware, which is a maybe, depending on the license associated with that.

But....we'd need to know what you are changing for a better suggestion as to the way ahead.

No major components, just RAM and redoing all the wiring inside the case.

EDIT: Should have specified, sounds confusing I realize. But it was just in the occasion of getting the new parts that I decided to clean up the drives.

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

This is pretty much it. If you already have windows 10 installed and activated. You can skip the part of the install it wants a CD key. Windows will pull your cd key from the amazing interwebs when it goes to activate on the new install.

 

[USAFRet]

What 'new parts' are you getting?
If the motherboard, you'll have to go back to Win 7 first, then upgrade again.
IF the Win 7 activation works on the new hardware, which is a maybe, depending on the license associated with that.

But....we'd need to know what you are changing for a better suggestion as to the way ahead.

No major components, just RAM and redoing all the wiring inside the case.

EDIT: Should have specified, sounds confusing I realize. But it was just in the occasion of getting the new parts that I decided to clean up the drives.

OK then...no problem.
Create your USB or DVD install media for Win 10, and go for it.

 

[P3ders3N]

What 'new parts' are you getting?
If the motherboard, you'll have to go back to Win 7 first, then upgrade again.
IF the Win 7 activation works on the new hardware, which is a maybe, depending on the license associated with that.

But....we'd need to know what you are changing for a better suggestion as to the way ahead.

No major components, just RAM and redoing all the wiring inside the case.

EDIT: Should have specified, sounds confusing I realize. But it was just in the occasion of getting the new parts that I decided to clean up the drives.

OK then...no problem.
Create your USB or DVD install media for Win 10, and go for it.

Sounds good, formatting the SSD in the windows installation process then?

 

[USAFRet]

What 'new parts' are you getting?
If the motherboard, you'll have to go back to Win 7 first, then upgrade again.
IF the Win 7 activation works on the new hardware, which is a maybe, depending on the license associated with that.

But....we'd need to know what you are changing for a better suggestion as to the way ahead.

No major components, just RAM and redoing all the wiring inside the case.

EDIT: Should have specified, sounds confusing I realize. But it was just in the occasion of getting the new parts that I decided to clean up the drives.

OK then...no problem.
Create your USB or DVD install media for Win 10, and go for it.

Sounds good, formatting the SSD in the windows installation process then?

Right.

IF you want to do a full reinstall:
Boot from your install media
Wipe ALL partitions on the drive in the Windows installer
Install