[SOLVED] Windows 10 "Remove everything and reinstall windows" for incompatible HDD

[kilo24]

My old PC runs extremely slowly because it has a hard drive with a Windows 8 install meant for a different PC and the original HDD is missing. If I go to recovery options and do a factory reset ("remove everything and reinstall windows") will that solve the problem?

 

[DSzymborski]

My old PC runs extremely slowly because it has a hard drive with a Windows 8 install meant for a different PC and the original HDD is missing. If I go to recovery options and do a factory reset ("remove everything and reinstall windows") will that solve the problem?

The proper way is a full fresh reinstall on bootup.

 

[kilo24]

Ah, thanks, I'll do that then.

 

[USAFRet]

Ah, thanks, I'll do that then.

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[kilo24]

How To - Windows 10 clean install tutorial

If you are looking for the Windows 11 Clean install tutorial, you can find that here: Windows 11 Clean install tutorial (Click here) Otherwise, welcome to the Windows 10 Clean install tutorial This tutorial is intended to help you, step by step, to perform a clean install of Windows...

forums.tomshardware.com

I'm on Windows 8.1 and need to create installation media for Windows 8(.1), not 10. I can't find anything on how to do that and Microsoft'site only gives one that runs on Windows 7 and below

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Hint. Make the installer for Windows 10 and install that. It will probably activate Windows 10. Supposedly the free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to 10 ended a few years ago, but the last few I've tried have activated and worked. Had a batch of decent laptops at work that were donated, which I think had Windows 8 originally. They installed and ran 10 just fine.

 

[kilo24]

Hint. Make the installer for Windows 10 and install that. It will probably activate Windows 10. Supposedly the free upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 to 10 ended a few years ago, but the last few I've tried have activated and worked. Had a batch of decent laptops at work that were donated, which I think had Windows 8 originally. They installed and ran 10 just fine.

I have zero desire to upgrade to Windows 10 like on my main PC and have file explorer take 10 years to load things, my entire install break from tweaking the tiniest thing, everything not working until I restart once a week, etc. I figured out how to get Windows 8.1 with Classic Shell on it anyway, used our backup disc (and it fixed the problem).