How to wipe and reload windows

₪CAUTION: Following these steps will guide you to erase the data on the drive you are reinstalling windows on, if you wish to keep the data on the computer you will need to backup the data first.
This guide assumes you only have one drive installed.

WARNING: If you have any secondary drives installed, disconnect them until windows setup has been successfully completed.

NOTICE: This procedure does not erase previous data beyond recovery if you have a HDD.

If you have a SSD then erase is not required to destroy the data. `Read More`

The TRIM feature on SSDs makes it impossible to recover deleted data because the data is immediately and permanently overwritten.

This is because the TRIM command enables the operating system to tell the SSD which data pages can be erased which must be done before the space can be used again.

This allows the SSD’s controller to more efficiently manage the storage space available for data.

TRIM works with Active Garbage Collection to clean up and organize your solid state drive.

Although TRIM enhances the speed of your SSD, it results in permanent data deletion.

Additionally, even if TRIM is not functioning, SSDs have native garbage management that will still carry out the same functions, and still automatically render all old data unrecoverable in the same manner.

To erase data beyond recovery, first visit How to erase any computer – Mr. Robot

If you have a build or fresh install of windows from Mr. Robot `Read More`

A recovery partition was included with your service and this guide is not necessary.

How to use the Mr. Robot Custom System Recovery Partition:

To wipe all user data and reset the system enter the boot menu before Windows loads and choose OneKey Recovery

Boot menu key varies depending on brand, see below:

`Boot Menu Key Asus: F8 ASRock: F11 Gigabyte: F12 MSi: F11 Dell: F12 HP: Esc, then F9 or F10 Lenovo: Novo Button/Pinhole or Enter then F12`

Some systems may not respond to the boot menu key in which case enter the BIOS instead and make the OneKey Recovery boot option the first boot device. If you need help using the recovery partition or entering the BIOS, submit a ticket.

For a complete list of potential boot menu keys visit:
https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=58779

Stage Ⅰ: Prepare Installer

Insert a 8GB or larger USB 3.0 thumb drive with nothing important saved on it as it will be erased.
For Windows 10: Windows 10 Media Creation Tool
For Windows 11: Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

Intel 7th Gen and Earlier/AMD Zen 1: Windows 10
Intel 8th Gen and Later/AMD Zen 2/3: Windows 11

If you are unsure if your system can
run windows 11, submit a ticket.
Run the tool and accept the license agreement.
“What do you want to do?”

Select Create installation media (usb flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click next.
“Select language, architecture, and edition”

Just leave the checkbox ticked and click next.
“Choose which media to use“

Choose ISO file.
Save the ISO file in any location.
When the tool finishes, click finish.
Download Rufus
Launch Rufus and click SELECT button.
Choose the ISO file saved in step 7.
Ensure partition scheme drop down menu is set to GPT.
Click START button.
You will receive a Windows User Experience Prompt.

For Windows 10: check bottom 3 boxes then click OK
^{_{If you want the user to automatically be created, tick the 1st box and enter name}}

For Windows 11: check 2nd box, bottom 3 boxes then click OK
^{_{If you want the user to automatically be created, tick the 3rd box and enter name}}
You will receive a warning prompt that ALL DATA ON DEVICE WILL BE DESTROYED, confirm the correct USB drive is selected and click OK.
When Rufus notifies that it’s finished, exit Rufus and eject the USB drive from the “SAFELY REMOVE HARDWARE AND EJECT MEDIA” panel in the system tray, then remove it.

Stage Ⅱ: Boot & Install

Insert USB drive prepared in Stage Ⅰ in the computer you wish to install windows on.
Enter the BIOS (hotkeys listed below)

^{_{ASRock: F2 or DEL
ASUS: F2 for all PCs, F2 or DEL for Motherboards
Acer: F2 or DEL
Dell: F2 or F12
ECS: DEL
Gigabyte / Aorus: F2 or DEL
HP: F10
Lenovo (Consumer Laptops): Enter or Novo button or Novo Pinhole, then F2 or Fn + F2
Lenovo (Desktops): F1
Lenovo (ThinkPads): Enter then F1
MSI: DEL for motherboards and PCs
Microsoft Surface Tablets: Press and hold volume up button.
Origin PC: F2
Samsung: F2
Toshiba: F2
Zotac: DEL}}
- Once in the BIOS:
  - Change your boot mode from LEGACY/CSM to UEFI if it is not already set to UEFI
  - Enable secure boot if it is not already set to enabled
  - Set your first boot device to the USB drive
  - Save / Apply and Exit (usually F10)
Your system should boot up to the windows installer.

You can now reload windows.
Click next/accept as prompted. If prompted for a product key, enter it if you have it or click “I don’t have a product key”
- IMPORTANT: A Product Key is not required. All laptops and desktop computers that have had windows installed previously with secure boot enabled have the product key embedded in the BIOS and will automatically activate windows upon connection to internet.
When prompted for custom or upgrade install, choose custom.
Delete any partitions on the drive you are reinstalling windows on at the partition screen by selecting each partition and clicking delete and yes to each confirmation until the only thing left listed is:

Drive 0 unallocated space

Then click Next and windows will automatically create the system, reserved, and primary partitions and install Windows.
Once the installer says it will reboot your computer in 15 seconds, click reboot now and remove the USB drive.
Enter the BIOS again and set your 1st boot device to:
- Windows Boot Manager
  - Disable ALL other entries or options, including USB, network, or PXE boot options.
  - Save and exit. (usually F10)
Once you get booted up, follow the prompts to setup your system:
- To avoid having to use a Microsoft account to login to the computer, do not connect to the internet yet and select I don’t have internet when prompted.
- Continue to not connect to the internet until you have completed the user creation process and have reached the desktop.
- You may be prompted to provide a password, if you leave it blank, you won’t have to use one.

Stage Ⅲ: Drivers + BIOS Update

Now that you have circumvented being forced to use a Microsoft account, proceed to connect to the internet.
Go to windows update and click pause updates.
Proceed to install the appropriate drivers for your system according to it’s brand as followed:

Acer: Read More
Visit Acer support, enter serial number or SNID, download Acer Care Center, run and use the update feature, install all offered drivers and reboot as prompted.

ASUS: Read More
Download Armoury crate app when prompted (should be prompted after connect to internet), use live update feature, install all offered drivers only, avoid any app offerings such as Norton.
_{^{If you do not get this prompt, download the app manually here: ArmouryCrateInstallTool.zip}}

Alienware / Dell: Read More
Visit dell support, enter service tag, click drivers and downloads, find and download Dell Update, run and use the driver restore feature, reboot as prompted.

HP: Read More
Visit HP support, enter product or serial number, select operating system, choose Detect my Drivers, follow prompts to install framework, uncheck option to install HP Support Assistant, install all offered drivers and reboot as prompted.

Lenovo: Read More
Visit Lenovo support, enter product or serial number, choose Drivers & Software, choose Automatic update, install all offered drivers and reboot as prompted.

Custom computers only: Read More
Visit your motherboard manufacturer’s support page for your motherboard and download all the drivers offered except AMD chipset, graphics, or Intel WiFi/Bluetooth. Any apps offered are not required and are bloatware that should be avoided.

To determine your motherboard make/model, run the System Information app from Windows start menu, copy the line “BaseBoard Product” and paste it in google search. The correct result is the first non-sponsored result from the domain of the manufacturer.

Once there, you can find the drivers located under the support section. Only get the drivers that are not listed below.

AMD Chipset drivers should always be downloaded from the AMD website, not from the motherboard manufacturer.

Graphics drivers should always be downloaded from their respective manufacturer website, such as Intel, AMD, or nVidia, not from the motherboard manufacturer.

Intel Wi-Fi/Bluetooth drivers should always be downloaded from Intel, not from the motherboard manufacturer.
Once all drivers have been installed, open device manager
- To open device manager: Press Win+X then M
- Confirm there are no exclamation marks or unknown devices listed
  - If there aren’t any, proceed to next step.
  - If there are any: Read More
    - Right-click device > Click Details Tab > Click Property drop-down menu, Hardware Ids > Copy top entry > Search google to find name of device
    - Download missing driver from the appropriate driver resource as listed in the previous step ONLY.
Resume windows update and install all updates offered. Reboot and run windows update again until no more updates are offered.
Run disk cleanup to cleanup all the windows update temp files.
- Start Menu > Type disk cleanup > Right-click Run as administrator
Update the BIOS by manually downloading it using the appropriate resource for your system determined previously in stage Ⅲ, step 3.
- For those with custom computers, you will need to save the BIOS update to USB and update it from within the BIOS.
  - For custom PCs ONLY: Recommend to enable XMP or DOCP in the BIOS afterwards for enhanced performance.