[SOLVED] Windows 11 clean install

[Denis885]

Hi,
I'm building Adler lake system and I have windows 10 USB and product key
I have heard somewhere that it's best to clean install 11 instead of upgrading for performance reasons.
My understanding is that if I install 11 on a new system without OS, Win 10 product key can not be used

Question: If I clean install Win 10 and then upgrade to Win 11 straight away, will that be ""clean install" of Win 11? OR I have to purchase Win 11 product key and do bare metal install?
Thanks

 

[velocityg4]

No, you'll still have to clean install Windows 11 after the upgrade install. For a clean install.

If your Alder Lake system is using an NVMe SSD and you have a good flash drive for this. Such as the Samsung Fit. This really won't take very long to do everything.

I haven't updated to 11 yet. It took me about fifteen minutes to go from booting into my USB installer to having a complete Windows 10 install and logged into my user account on my i5-11400 with a Samsung 980 SSD. If you have two flash drives ready. I wouldn't be surprised if you got everything done in an hour or less.

The point is moot though. Just from a quick web search. The first two articles (one from MS) say you can install Windows 11 with a Windows 10 key and activate. Just remember to choose the right version (home/pro or whatever MS calls them now). In fact I think you can activate using a 7, 8, 8.1 or 10 product key. I've done this tons of times with 7/8 keys for Windows 10 installs.

If this is an OEM key. There may be unrelated activation issues that can be sorted out. But you'd probably hit the same issues with Windows 10. I had to use some MS virtual assistant to sort out my Windows 10 activation issue. That was a Windows 10 install with a Windows 10 key. I forget the details but it was a pretty minor fix.

 

[Denis885]

""" No, you'll still have to clean install Windows 11 after the upgrade install. For a clean install """

So I install 10> activate it>upgrade install to 11>then clean install 11 right?

Just trying to find out if I need to purchase 11 separately or i can do the above and have actual "clean install"

 

[SkyNetRising]

So I install 10> activate it>upgrade install to 11>then clean install 11 right?

Just do clean install of windows 11. Then activate with windows 10 key.
Note - to activate windows 11 Pro, you'll need windows 10 Pro key (will not activate with non-pro key).

 

[Denis885]

Yes confirmed
Windows 10 Home product key works for clean Windows 11 Home install.
So I installed Win11 on clean SSD and used Win10 product key

Thanks