How to Upgrade to Windows 10 - Information on Obtaining a Clean Install

Initial Upgrade - Making your Device a Windows 10 Device

Your device will be registered as a Windows 10 Device during the initial upgrade from Windows Update. Essentially its hardware profile will be submitted to a Microsoft Product Activation Server.*

Failure to perform this step and attempted direct Clean Reinstall will lead to an unactivated install.*

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool is Available here:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 

I demonstrate the initial upgrade via the Windows Insider branch here. Windows Insiders got the RTM release build 10240 (10×1024) 2 weeks in advance of mainstream users:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-10-rtm/windows-insiders-%e2%86%92-getting-windows-10-rtm/  

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Create a Recovery Drive

Windows 10 has an inbuilt feature to make a Recovery Drive.

I then demonstrate the procedure of making a Recovery Drive:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-10-rtm/creating-a-recovery-drive-and-using-it-in-windows-10/ 

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Clean Reinstall with a Windows 10 Recovery Drive

This Recovery Drive can be used to Clean Reinstall. I have tested the following.

• Changing HDD/SSD, RAM changes, video card changes will also work
• Making the Recovery Drive from another system
• Signing in with a different/local account

The Recovery Drive is therefore architecture and edition locked but not system locked or account locked. During Reinstallation the hardware profile is scanned and resubmitted to the Microsoft Product Activation Server. The server will recall the hardware and automatically reactivate the device.

I then demonstrate Clean Reinstallation with a Recovery Drive after change of SSD here:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/windows-10-rtm/creating-a-recovery-drive-and-using-it-in-windows-10/ 

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Note how I do not use a Microsoft Account and that I use the Recovery Drive from another device.

* Failure to perform this step and attempted direct Clean Install will lead to an unactivated install because the system isn't verified as a Windows 10 Device. You will need to Reinstall your Base Windows License, update it and perform the Upgrade via Windows Update. In other words direct Clean Installation of Windows 10 won't work but theInitial Upgrade via Windows Update and a Clean Reinstallation of Windows 10 will work. Initially I named my website DellWindowsReinstallationGuide as it was based on a Dell Windows Reinstallation DVD but the name is well suited to the procedure necessary to get a Clean Reinstallation for Windows 10. Clean Reinstallation = Clean Installation with Product Activation. The Recovery Drive is Vanilla Flavoured Reinstallation Media and not a System Image.