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IT Support & Hardware · Foundational

Clean Install

Installing an operating system on a freshly formatted drive without preserving existing apps or settings.

Definition

A clean install removes accumulated problems and is used for new drives, major corruption, or malware remediation. User data must be backed up and restored separately. Drivers and apps are reinstalled afterward.

Example

Boot from Windows 11 USB media, delete all partitions, and install to unallocated space.

Exam tip

Clean install = no data/apps kept; in-place upgrade = keeps them.

Related terms