Clean Installation of Windows OS help required

Didn't you upgrade to Win 10 when it was free?

ISOs downloaded directly from MS may be more up-to-date than any on Dell's support page.

You can find a Win 8.1 reinstallation guide written by one of the Dell Rockstars here.

Guess you're a glutton for punishment. Win 8(.1) is painful, unless you use something like the free Classic Shell to make it behave like Win 7.

Are you sure a Win 8.1 Reset won't work? That would be the easiest/fastest way to get back to a clean system.

Whatever you do, just be sure to back up all your personal files on external media first, make sure you have the product keys and reinstallation media for any software you installed (eg, MS Office), and download all the Win 8.1 drivers for your specific system hardware onto a USB stick so they're ready to install as soon as the WIn 8.1 reinstallation is finished.

The link I gave you has the details you need to do a clean reinstall 8.1.

Post back if you have any problems...

Hi Ron. I didn't try Windows 10 at all. I stayed with Windows 8

You might have issues with Secure Boot enabled if one of the drivers isn't 'signed' by Microsoft...

The Dell ISOs may not be fully up-to-date, so probably better off to get it from the MS site (free), regardless of which procedure you use to do the installation. If it were me, I'd follow the link I gave you. The author of that tutorial is really smart about figuring out how to install Windows. And I'm sure -sooner or later- you'll probably see him post in this tread...

Windows 8.1 should activate itself automatically because the product key is stored in BIOS on your PC.

You should Download a Windows 10 RS1 .iso, make a Bootable USB with Rufus and Clean Install Windows 10 RS1:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-windows-10-oem-and-retail-iso/ 

Ignore Microsoft's bad marketing... Windows 10 RS1 Installation Media will automatically input your Windows 8.1 UEFI BIOS SLP key and input during installation. Your system will activate as a new Windows 10 Edition Device after clean installation. 

I've been actively testing this since the amrketing period expired.

Hi Phil. I don't think that will work for me. I never tried Windows 10 even though it was offered to me. I didn't download it..I wish I had now... so im stuck with 8.1

Get an OEM windows 10

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-10-Pro-Bit/dp/B00ZSHDJ4O/

Hi Phil. I don't think that will work for me. I never tried Windows 10 even though it was offered to me. I didn't download it..I wish I had now... so im stuck with 8.1

It will still work for you. I carried out the same procedure in a number of Desktops just before Christmas. If it doesn't work you can follow the equivalent instructions for Windows 8.1. I would recommend trying with Windows 10 first though as its a better Operating System.

Hi Phil, 

You say you've done this procedure on several desktops just before Christmas ...does that apply to laptops too?

1. My Dell Inspiron laptop still has nearly two years of warranty left on it. It came preinstalled with Windows 8.1 Home edition. Will I have a Windows 10 laptop (Windows 10 Edition Device I think its called)  in exactly the same way as if Id done it before 29/7/2016 or am I likely to have any problems with Microsoft or Dell in the future because Ive installed Windows 10 after that date?

2. Also, What about the Dell website when you input your service tag to download drivers, perform diagnostics etc. Will it be listed as an 8.1 device or a Windows 10 device on the Dell Support site?

3.  Ive had a quick read through your installation guide. Bearing in mind that I have never registered for or taken up the offer to download and install the free Windows 10 upgrade and I have windows 8.1 OEM will it activate automatically as I don't have a 25 digit product key? Am I right in thinking that I shouldn't see the Insert product key/activation screen at all just the same as If I was installing my OEM Windows 8.1.The reason I ask is..looking through your guide it mentions "if you are installing Windows 10 for the first time only (i.e on a device that has never had a Windows 10 Edition installed and activated) you will need to enter the 25 digit product key" . Is that just for Windows 7 and Windows 8 retail copies and not my 8.1 OEM?

4. Id like to say Phil...what an excellent in depth guide you've produced. What is the best way to follow and implement your guide because to print it off would be a lot of pages!! lol Do people leave your guide open and skip back and forth from your guide to the Microsoft site to use the Media Creation Tool, Rufus site for the Bootable USB etc using all the site links in your guide? Or is it better to go through your guide writing down all the relevant instructions so that you can follow them in the correct order? Im a bit old school in that Im a bit uneasy leaving a document open on the net while Im doing something critical..like creating the Windows 10 Media installation disk. I want to be sure that the Media is created correctly without possibly corrupting it..or is it definitely OK to leave your guide open at the same time?

4. Just as a point of discussion Phil. Where do you think Microsoft are going with Windows 10? Do you think they might be heading towards a monthly subscription fee or something similar. It makes me wonder because they say that Windows 10 is the last Windows version. Surely that will cost them a lot in revenue if they stop making new versions of Windows!!

Thanks again Phil for all your help. Im going to follow your guide when I get some time to do it. Presumably my Windows 8.1 laptop will become a Windows 10 Home edition. Will future Windows 10 clean installations using the same Windows10 RS1.ISO automatically activate during initial setup so I wont see an input Product Key screen at all? Will my current motherboard embedded product key be automatically recognised as a Windows 10 product key from then on?

Since we've been talking about Windows 10 Ive read that you can Link your Microsoft Account to a Windows 10 Activation Digital License. That seems like a good thing if you ever come to need it. It sounds like your device and Window Activation gets tied to the Microsoft Account. However, With Windows 8.1 Ive always used a Local User Account for signing in to my laptop. Does the Windows 10 Activation Digital Licence only work if you keep signing into your PC with a Microsoft Account?

Ive always been a bit uncomfortable using the Microsoft Account to sign in even though I do have a Microsoft Account Setup. Im unsure whether to stick to a local account instead of a Microsoft Account when I install Windows 10. Id appreciate any advice you have on this Phil if its not too much trouble?

Thanks Phil for your patience.Your guide and your personal advice in this thread has helped me a lot

In your guide you talk about using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool or Rufus to make the USB drive bootable and say that your preference is to use Rufus. In my case would it be easier to use Windows Media Creation Tool and select the USB drive and let it create the Bootable USB drive for me or can there be problems with it? Would Windows Media Creation Tool format in FAT32 and would it be guaranteed to boot up on my UEFI system with Secure Boot Enabled. Ive read reports that it has formatted in NTFS etc and Secure Boot has had to be disabled and boot order changed etc in order for it to work.  I don't know if that's still the case nowadays.  I don't want to be messing around disabling Secure Boot etc. I know Rufus creates a something called GPT partition scheme for UEFI but I don't know what that means exactly.

In your guide you talk about using Windows 10 Media Creation Tool or Rufus to make the USB drive bootable and say that your preference is to use Rufus. In my case would it be easier to use Windows Media Creation Tool and select the USB drive and let it create the Bootable USB drive for me or can there be problems with it? Would Windows Media Creation Tool format in FAT32 and would it be guaranteed to boot up on my UEFI system with Secure Boot Enabled. Ive read reports that it has formatted in NTFS etc and Secure Boot has had to be disabled and boot order changed etc in order for it to work.  I don't know if that's still the case nowadays.  I don't want to be messing around disabling Secure Boot etc. I know Rufus creates a something called GPT partition scheme for UEFI but I don't know what that means exactly.

Thats the reason I recommend using Rufus. -  In my experience with the MCT if the USB flash drive is formatted as NTFS before the MCT is used it remains NTFS and hence doesn't boot properly.