Installing Windows 10
If you have purchased your new computer without an operating system, we install a trial for Windows 10 in order to conduct testing on the system. If you are looking to activate a copy of Windows 10 that you have purchased elsewhere, just add in your Windows 10 product key into this trial version and Windows 10 will be fully activated. The instructions below can also be used if you ever have to re-install Windows 10 onto your computer.
We recommend that you use a Windows 10 bootable USB stick to perform a Windows reinstall. Through a USB, this can be performed in UEFI mode and is much quicker than a disc installation. To create a bootable USB, you will need a blank stick of at least 8 GB in size and you can download a copy through the following link:
1. With the Windows 10 USB inserted, power on the system and start tapping the F7 key if you are using a laptop, or the F8 key on a desktop, (if your system uses a GIGABYTE motherboard, please tap F12 rather than F8). This will bring up the boot menu. Select the UEFI version of the USB stick.
2. After the Windows 10 Install files are loaded into memory, you’ll see the Windows 10 splash screen, indicating that the setup process is about to begin. You don’t need to do anything at this point.
3. Choose the preferences for Language, Time, Currency & Keyboard or Input method that you’d like to use in your new Windows 10 installation. It is important to select English (United Kingdom) at this point.
4. Click on the Install now button in the centre of the screen, under the Windows 10 logo. This will officially begin the Windows 10 clean install process.
Important: If you’re performing a clean install of Windows 10 as a solution to a major problem but have not yet tried a Start-up Repair, do that first. It could save you the trouble of completing this clean install process.
5. The Windows 10 setup process is now beginning. No need to press any keys.
6. Enter the Windows 10 Product Key here if you have not ordered Windows through ourselves. Please note this will not show if your PC has been injected with a digital product key.
7. The next screen that appears is a text box containing the Windows 10 Software License. Read through the agreement, check the ‘I accept the license terms’ checkbox under the agreement text and then click ‘Next’ to confirm that you agree with the terms.
8. In the ‘Which type of installation do you want?’ window that appears next, you’re offered the choice of Upgrade and Custom (advanced) Click on the Custom (advanced) button.
9. In this screen, you’ll see each HDD & partition that Windows 10 recognizes. You can now delete any operating system related partitions from your existing hard drive(s). Highlight the partition you want to delete and then click the Delete link. If you are unsure of which partitions to delete, please get in touch
Once you have deleted all the old partitions you will most likely be left with a single unallocated drive (unless you have more than one HDD). Select the unallocated space to install Windows 10 on and click ‘Next.
10. Windows 10 Setup will now install a clean copy of Windows 10 to the location you chose in the previous step. You don’t need to do anything here but wait. This is the most time consuming of any of the steps. Depending on the speed of your computer, this process could take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. The installation may restart during this process. This is quite normal.
11. At the end of the Windows 10 installation, it will automatically restart your PC/laptop. There is no need to press any buttons at this stage. The Windows 10 setup process is now beginning. No need to press any keys.
12. At this screen, we strongly advise you ‘Customise Settings’ and change the standard Windows privacy settings to your liking. Otherwise, you can choose the ‘Express Settings’, which will automatically configure Windows 10 update and security settings for you.
13. A few further screens will require you to setup a User Account. If you do not wish to create a Microsoft account, simply click ‘Sign in without a Microsoft account’. Windows 10 is now installed.
14. Once Windows has been installed, the next step is to install the drivers for your hardware.
Before installing your programs, it is recommended that you run the Windows Update program several times, restarting when requested. These should automatically install through Windows Update (Start Button > Settings > Update and Security > Check for Updates). If some are missing, these should be sourced directly from the hardware manufacture’s website.
Once your system is ready, the following message will appear when your click ‘Check for updates
All of your drivers are now installed and the copy of Windows is fully up-to-date. |