How to Clean Install via Recovery Interface

 Windows 7 provides a directed clean installation interface, which walks you through the steps to reinstall Windows 7. On a PC which was purchased with Windows 7 preinstalled (OEM), you may also find options here to restore to the original configuration of the PC – an OEM version of a clean install.

To access the interface, go to Control Panel, Recovery. The clean install option is shown in theAdvanced Recovery interface as Reinstall Windows.

Re install Windows:

When you click Reinstall Windows in the Advanced Recovery Methods interface, the first step is a check for Windows installation files.

If you click No here, the reinstall cannot proceed. Note that this step also guides you to use the OEM recovery disc instructions; if that is the Windows media you have available. This Recovery path is not intended to start the OEM restore procedure.

Backup:

After you click Yes in the Windows installation disc prompt, you are taken to the User File Backupstep, shown below. This gives you a chance to make a backup of your files before this reinstall of Windows.

Clicking Back up now opens the Set up backup interface as shown below. This is the same interface as you see when you start the backup from Backup and Restore.

Once difference you will find in the backup steps is that you are not given a chance to include a system image in the backup. This is because it is assumed that the current Windows state should not be restored.

Restore:

When you have completed your backup, or if you chose Skip at the previous restore step, you are taken to the Restart prompt. Clicking Restart here initiates a reboot into WinRE.

Recover WinRE:

When WinRE starts, you will see an initial input method/language prompt. This is the same prompt shown when using Startup Repair.

Next is a confirmation step asking “Are you sure you want to reinstall Windows?”. This reiterates the consequences of the reinstall – the current installation will be moved to Windows.old, and you will need to reinstall your programs.

If the Windows installation disc is in the drive, setup proceeds. If the media is not found, you will see the prompt to insert media, as shown below.

There are no further prompts until the Windows Welcome steps. There is no need to accept the license terms, or make other install selections in this procedure. The reinstall process leaves the current file system intact and performs a clean install to the current Windows partition, leaving a Windows.old folder with the previous installation.

Completing Reinstallation:

The first Windows Welcome step is shown below. This is the next input step for this process.

Once you have completed setup, the first time you log on to Windows, you will see a prompt to restore files from backup. This is shown below.

Clicking Restore my files opens the restore interface, where you can select a backup form which to restore files.