Please be sure to follow me on Twitter @adacosta for the latest tips, tricks and updates in the world of Windows 10. -
Technical Level : Intermediate
Summary
There are multiple ways to install Windows on your PC. In this article, we take a look at the Custom Install routine, which offers multiple options during setup, these include: a clean install and partitioning your hard disk. Performing a custom install is easy whether you are using Windows 7, 8.1 or Windows 10. It offers granular options for preserving files in addition to being able to completely format the hard disk, erasing all data.
Details
This article covers performing a custom install using the following versions of Windows:
- Windows 10
- Windows 7
- Windows 8.1
Recover files and other data from the Windows.old folder.
One of the benefits of performing a Custom Install, your Windows installation can be archived. After setup is complete, you can recover personal files and application data from the Windows.old folder. Learn more about recovering your files from Windows.old:
Learn more:
For this article, we will start off with the latest version of Windows, Windows 10.
Custom install Windows 10:
Once you have your Windows installation media ready, all you need to do is boot from the disc or USB thumb drive to begin setup.
See instructions: How to download official Windows 10 ISO files
Review the following guide for instructions and details about configuring your BIOS or UEFI boot settings for DVD, CD, USB or SD Card.
Once your computer is set to boot from the DVD, you should see this option.
The Windows logo will appear on screen, this might be here for a while, as long as you see the indicater, everything should be ok.
Select your Language, Time and Keyboard method then click Next.
Click Install now
Wait while Setup starts.
Accept the license terms and click Next
Click Custom
Select the Primary Partition then click Next
You will receive the following warning:
The partition you selected might contain files from a previous Windows Installation. If it does, these files and folders will be moved to a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information in Windows.old, but you will be able to use your previous version of Windows.
Click OK
Wait while Windows installs
When this phase of setup is complete, Windows will automatically restart and reboot into setup again.
Windows is detecting and installing your hardware. After this is complete, Windows will restart one last time.
Out of Box Experience
The Out of Box Experience page is where you get to configure detailed settings in Windows, which includes creating a user account, privacy, sync PC settings and install modern applications.
Windows will check if there is an active Internet connection. If it does not find one, you will be presented with the following screen.
Create a Local Account and click Next
Wait while Windows finalizes your settings
Continue to wait while Windows installs modern applications.
When setup is complete you can retrieve any personal files from the Windows.old
Browse to C: Local Disk and open the Windows.old folder
Custom install Windows 7:
To learn how to change your BIOS options to boot from the DVD drive, see the following tutorial:
Once your computer is set to boot from the DVD, you should see this option.
Windows 7 is loading files
Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.
Click Install Now
Wait while temporary files are loaded.
Click Custom (Advanced)
When the setup menu appears, select the custom (advanced) option, select the disk partition where you would like to install Windows 7. Click Next.
You will receive the following warning:
The partition you selected might contain files from a previous Windows Installation. If it does, these files and folders will be moved to a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information in Windows.old, but you will be able to use your previous version of Windows.
Click OK
Setup will now start the installation. During the installation, your machine will be restarted several times.
You can then recover your personal files from the Windows.old folder and reinstall all your applications and drivers.
Windows 8 Custom install:
To learn how to change your BIOS options to boot from the DVD drive, the following tutorial:
The Windows 8 logo will appear on screen, this might be here for a while, as long as your see the indicator, everything should be ok.
Use the links on this page to download the latest version of USB to Ethernet Adapter drivers. All drivers available for download have been scanned by antivirus program. Windows 7 ethernet driver free download - Intel Network Adapter Driver for Windows 7, nVidia Graphics Driver (Windows 7 32-bit / Windows 8 32-bit), Realtek RTL Gigabit and Fast Ethernet NIC Driver. This download installs the LAN driver version 7.031 for Intel® Desktop Boards with the RealTek* Ethernet LAN controller. Support Home Drivers & Software. Realtek* Ethernet Network Driver for Windows 7* for Desktop Boards. The terms of the software license agreement included with any software you download will control your use of the. Aug 23, 2005 The Windows Driver Kit (WDK) Version 7.1.0 is an update to the WDK 7.0.0 release and contains the tools, code samples, documentation, compilers, headers and libraries with which software developers create drivers for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2003. Win7 ethernet driver download realtek. Legacy PROWIN32 and PROWIN64 download packages provide PROSet, driver, ANS, FCoE, and DCB support for Windows 7* and Windows Server 2008 R2*. Regular webpacks provide Intel® PROSet support for operating systems Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012*, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows® 10, Windows Server 2016*, or newer supported operating systems.
You should now arrive at this screen, select your time and currency format then click Next.
Click Install Now
Wait while setup starts up
Enter your product key when prompted
Accept the End User License agreement and click Next
Click Custom install Windows only (advanced)
Select the system drive where Windows 8 is installed.
You will receive the following warning:
The partition you selected might contain files from a previous Windows Installation. If it does, these files and folders will be moved to a folder named Windows.old. You will be able to access the information in Windows.old, but you will be able to use your previous version of Windows.
(At all cost, do NOT click anything named Format or Delete or Partition. So even doing a custom install, your personal files are still preserved. Click OK
Setup will now start the installation. During the installation, your machine will be restarted several times.
When the installation is complete, you can complete the Out of Box experience such as selecting your computer, create a username, password, your time zone. You can then proceed to download the latest updates for Windows and reinstall your applications and drivers.
Windows 8 Out of Box Experience page
You can then recover your personal files from the Windows.old folder and reinstall all your applications and drivers. Or you can use Windows Easy Transfer to restore your backup.
How to retrieve your files from the Windows.old folder – Microsoft
Related:
- How to: upgrade from previous versions of Windows using Windows 10 ISO file
- How to: Perform a clean install of Windows 10
- How to: Switch from 32 bit versions of Windows to Windows 10 64 bit
Some of us might be dealing with a second hand or a hand me down laptop or a brand new purchased laptop with no OS on it. How do you go forward? This tutorial will show you how to install Windows on a laptop without an operating system.
1. You will need a functional computer in order to create a bootable USB installer for Windows. You can follow through this tutorial on how to make a bootable USB installer for Windows.
2. Armed with your bootable USB installer for Windows, plug it into an available USB 2.0 port. If you have no USB 2.0 ports on your laptop, a USB3.0 will do.
3. Power up your laptop.
4. While powering up, depending on your laptop, you should tap either the ESC or F2 or F8 or F10 or Del key in order to get into BIOS. You can skip to step 8 if you know which key brings up the boot order for your laptop instead of having to sift through BIOS. If you do find the key to select your boot device order/options, selecting the device you want as primary boot will remain that option until the next boot up.
5. Upon entering BIOS you will need to look through your bootable device options and the order in which they’re in. This should be found in the advanced or Boot section towards the end of the listed tabs. You may even need to enable an option whereby BIOS will see your USB drive as a removable disk/CD.
6. Choose to have your USB drive as the primary booting device.
7. Move to Exit, save settings and then wait for the laptop to reboot with the new settings.
8. You should be greeted with a screen allowing to choose your language of installation, the time and currency format as well as the keyboard or input method. This is known as the Setup Screen.
9. Click on Next.
10. Click on Install Now.
11. Input your activation key in the space next to the keyboard icon. If you don’t own an activation key, you can click on I don’t have a product key.
12. Choose “Custom: Install Windows Only” to perform a clean install. Please be forewarned that this action will tell the installer to remove everything on the drive you wish to install (following up).
13. Choose the partition/drive you want to install your OS. You should be able to identify the drive you want to install on after you inspect the Total size of the drive in question.
14. Click on Next.
15. You should now see a screen whereby the OS has begun installation. This process should take about a few minutes to about an hour depending on if you’ve got an SSD or and HDD or an SSHD on your laptop.
16. When the installation initiates a reboot for your laptop, go back into BIOS and check to see what the primary boot device is. Ideally it should be Windows Boot Manager.
You should see this screen after your installation is complete.
And with that, happy computing with your new Windows installation on your laptop.