Reinstalling Windows 10

[Antoine]

I dont know if this is teh right place but heres the rundown. So Im getting a PC that has Windows 11 Preinstalled and itll have two SSDs a 1tb and a 4tb, I have the Windows 10 installation disc, Lets say the new PC has Windows 11 installed on the 4tb drive and that 4tb drive is set as the main/default/C: drive whereas the 1tb drive is set as my extra storage D: drive (I dunno why anyone would do that, But Im not the one building it so just in case).

What I want to do is get rid of Windows 11 entirely and install Windows 10 on the PC, but I want Windows 10 and onl Windows 10 to be on the 1tb drive and make that the C: drive and I wanna get rid of EVERYTHING on the 4TB drive (if theres anything on it) and change that to my extra storage D: drive which will be used to install all my stuff too (minus teh stuff that cant be installed on any drive other than C that is, which is very few things). Whats the best way to ensure that happens?

[jmarket]

Hi Antoine,

You would want to do a fresh install of Windows 10, and in the installer, you would want to delete all partitions and then create one partition for Windows 10 (it’ll auto create ESD and Data partitions), then on your D: drive, erase all partitions on it (assuming all that’s on it is data and no OS).

This way C: is used only for Windows 10, and D: is used for everything else.

[Antoine]

Hi Antoine,

You would want to do a fresh install of Windows 10, and in the installer, you would want to delete all partitions and then create one partition for Windows 10 (it’ll auto create ESD and Data partitions), then on your D: drive, erase all partitions on it (assuming all that’s on it is data and no OS).

This way C: is used only for Windows 10, and D: is used for everything else.

but what if D DOES have an OS on it? (also will the Windows 10 installation walk me through erasing all partitions on the other drive that Windows ISNT being installed on?)

[jmarket]

What you could do is go through the installer, Install Windows 10 on C:, then when booted into Windows, format D:

[Antoine]

that what i thought. I just wanted to make sur ethat would work. So I guess teh last question then is what if the C drive which has Windows 11 on it is the 4tb drive and when Im installing Windowws 11 I wanna make sure the 1tb Drive is the C drive instead of the 4tb. How would I do that?

Lets say I accomplish that, so now I have the 1tb C Dive with Windows 10 on it but the D drive (which is 4tb) has Windows 11 on it still.. would I still be able to format the D drive with Windows 11 still on it after booting up ith C drive with Windows 10?

[jmarket]

You would just install Windows 10 to the 1 TB drive

I would recommend in setup you run:

[ICODE]diskpart list disk select disk <disk number> clean convert gpt[/ICODE]

for disk number you would select the 1TB drive.

I would run this in Command Prompt and then proceed with install. You can also run this and clean the 4TB drive.

[Antoine]

so just to verify, lets say everything is in order out of the box, and teh 4tb Drive is already the Di drive and the 1tb Drive is the C: drive and has Windows 11 on it. In order to install windows 10 to the C drive (which 11 is already on) I just turn off the pc, [put in the windows disk and install it ro C right over Windows 11? I dont hav eto like del;ete windows 11/uninstall it or format the drive first before I can replace it with widows 10?

[jmarket]

Hi Antoine,

Been busy with work and backend stuff.

You would want to start from a clean slate.

You would boot to Windows 10 Installation Media, bring up Command Prompt in the installer, run the above commands, format C:, then install to C:

You would want to run the above commands to ensure the Windows 11 partitions are removed so no weird booting happens.

[hackerballs]

Got to ask where you got your Windows 10 from? It does not seem to have come with your new PC. If you are planning on installing Windows 10 on a new PC, you would need a virgin copy and not one that was use on your old PC. Windows is tied to your Motherboard.

Fresh install is easy. Set your BIOS to read disk first so it will boot to fresh install. Put windows where you like after you delete everything on both C and D. Then just install on which one your want and it will become C.

I would make a bootable USB copy of windows 11 from MS’s Media Creation FIRST. You would own this. This would let you format your PC and put the OS (W11) on your 1T and wipe your 4T for everything else. You would not really need to partition anything. No real need

BUT for the life of me, WHY do you not want Windows 11 as Windows 10 is only good till 2025, and then you will install windows 11 anyways. I use Windows 11 on my main PC and no issues, much snappier. Games well

[Antoine]

Got to ask where you got your Windows 10 from? It does not seem to have come with your new PC. If you are planning on installing Windows 10 on a new PC, you would need a virgin copy and not one that was use on your old PC. Windows is tied to your Motherboard.

Fresh install is easy. Set your BIOS to read disk first so it will boot to fresh install. Put windows where you like after you delete everything on both C and D. Then just install on which one your want and it will become C.

I would make a bootable USB copy of windows 11 from MS’s Media Creation FIRST. You would own this. This would let you format your PC and put the OS (W11) on your 1T and wipe your 4T for everything else. You would not really need to partition anything. No real need

BUT for the life of me, WHY do you not want Windows 11 as Windows 10 is only good till 2025, and then you will install windows 11 anyways. I use Windows 11 on my main PC and no issues, much snappier. Games well

So the plan is this.. the pc comes with windows 11. and I bought a new copy of Windows 10 (havent received it yet) I went to the Microsoft site and made a Windows 10 USB drive using their tool. Ill install Windows 10 to the Windows 11 pc using that usb and not register a product key… when I finally DO get my copy of Windows 10 disc that I bought, Ill register the version of Windows 10 I already installed using the product key that comes with that CD.

As for why Im going to 10 from 11. Because everyone tells me (and articles Ive read) playiv PCVR on an Ocululs Quest 2 using Windows 11 has a myriad of issues including sub 30 frame rate caps, and stuttering, and issues that didnt exist on Windows 10, and also ceasedd to exist when the ppl who had Windows 11 with those issues downgraded back to Windows 10. Oculus doesnt currently suport Windows 11 either, so when they finally do support it and the issues all get fixed THEN Ill upgrade to 11 (and if the free upgrade is over by then then I have teh Windows 11 installation disc that orignally came with the PC and I can just resintall it with that hopefully (hopefully i wont need a new product key)

[Bruce]

@Antoine, do you still need help?
(I realise some posts have gone missing with the recent forum crash)

[Antoine]

Nope its been handled

[jmarket]

I’m glad you got it resolved @Antoine

Marking this thread “Solved”