[SOLVED] Windows 10 clean install question

[Kalik212]

when doing a re-install of Windows 10 (or Windows 11) on my NVMe drive what is the proper way to do it with Diskpart?...I load up my USB stick with the Windows install and when I get to the Language/Time and Currency screen I press Shift + F10 to enter Diskpart...do I use the Clean command or the Format Quick command?...I've always used format quick in the past but I'm guessing that's not the right way to do it for SSD's and NVMe's?...is the way I listed below the proper way to do it?

diskpart
list disk
select disk [whatever disk you want it to be installed on]
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
exit

 

[Lutfij]

I've always used the custom install option;

from there I'd delete all partitions pertaining to the older OS install and then click on next, let the installer do it's thing and then get to OS GUI.

 

[Lafong]

In normal situations, you should not have to use Diskpart at all.

Instead....boot from the USB installer with only the drive to receive Windows connected.

You will see an option early in that process to delete partitions. Do so. Delete them all. Continue following the prompts. Windows will do the necessary formatting.

 

[Kalik212]

I've always used the custom install option;

from there I'd delete all partitions pertaining to the older OS install and then click on next, let the installer do it's thing and then get to OS GUI.

for me I always did Diskpart first and then started the Windows install procedure...are you saying there's no need to use Diskpart and simply doing a Custom install and deleting the partitions until all that's left is unallocated space does the same thing as the Diskpart Clean command?...when the Format Quick command it always deleted everything so when I got to the part in the installer it already shows as Unallocated space

 

[Kalik212]

In normal situations, you should not have to use Diskpart at all.

Instead....boot from the USB installer with only the drive to receive Windows connected.

You will see an option early in that process to delete partitions. Do so. Delete them all. Continue following the prompts. Windows will do the necessary formatting.

why is it important to boot with only the main drive connected?...just in case you accidentally delete/format the wrong drive?...but if the drives are 2 different sizes (example 1TB bs 2TB) it should be easy to tell which is which...or is there another reason?

 

[Lafong]

why is it important to boot with only the main drive connected?...just in case you accidentally delete/format the wrong drive?...but if the drives are 2 different sizes (example 1TB bs 2GB) it should be easy to tell which is which

No.

It's because Windows will often put some of the boot files on the wrong drive....and then your PC would NOT boot unless both drives were connected.

 

[Kalik212]

No.

It's because Windows will often put some of the boot files on the wrong drive....and then your PC would NOT boot unless both drives were connected.

oh...I didn't know that...but what if I have 1 NVMe and 1 SSD and I want to do a clean install of the SSD...it's a pain to have to go inside the system and remove the NVMe...is there a way I can disable the NVMe through the BIOS?

 

[Lafong]

oh...I didn't know that...but what if I have 1 NVMe and 1 SSD and I want to do a clean install of the SSD...it's a pain to have to go inside the system and remove the NVMe...is there a way I can disable the NVMe through the BIOS?

I think that is possible.

I've never done it.

You can certainly try.

The important thing is that AFTER the install, you would need to confirm that the PC does NOT need the NVMe to boot. You don't want necessary Windows files on 2 drives.

You can of course not disable anything and see what happens. You might have to do the install again if boot files end up on the NVMe.