What’s a “Clean Install”?

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A clean install erases the hard drive and installs a new operating system, which can fix problems like viruses and slow performance. Back up data before doing this. It can be done with installation discs or by hiring a technician.

A clean install is an installation of an operating system onto a hard drive that has been completely erased. Clean installs are used to put an operating system on a brand new computer and to completely replace or upgrade an operating system on an older computer. While the process might seem a little scary for people who aren’t comfortable with installing their own operating system, it’s actually relatively simple and can be far superior to an upgrade or install over an existing operating system .

There are several reasons to opt for a clean install of an operating system on an older computer. One of the first is viruses. By performing a clean install, the user can completely get rid of all viruses when the hard drive is wiped. Corrupted registry entries and other problems will be eliminated. Even if a computer doesn’t seem to have specific problems, reinstalling the operating system can fix problems like a computer that runs slowly or crashes frequently.

The main disadvantage is that the user’s settings, files, etc. are lost. For this reason, it is important to fully back up your data before reinstalling an operating system or installing a new operating system. Some users don’t like to do this, because they spend a lot of time fine-tuning their settings to make their computers work ideally, but many settings can be kept and re-applied with backup programs designed for just that purpose. For example, a user can save their personal web browser information and install it once the new operating system is up and running.

While many people think of a clean install when referring to Windows, any operating system can be installed this way, including various Apple operating systems, Linux, and so on. When switching operating systems, users sometimes like to do a clean install so they can start fresh and make sure that nothing on the hard drive conflicts or interferes with the new operating system.

People can do a clean, clean install with the installation discs provided for that purpose, if they want to reinstall or install a new operating system at home. You can also hire a computer technician to handle the installation, a good option for people who are uncomfortable with computer work at this level. An expert technician can also save and reload documents, settings and other personal data to get the user up and running as soon as possible.




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