Where will my WIndows Install be?

[NoddyPirate]

Just a quick one for you all.....

I have ordered a terribly pathetic and modest build to fit my budget (actually it broke my budget - damn Amend Order button! ).

I have a Retail Digital Licence for W10, so I have selected the No OS required option. However I know that PCS will install W10 anyway to test the setup before they ship....

My order includes two M.2 Drives - one 512 intended for my OS and programs and one 256 GB one for Photoshop and Lightroom Catalogs and Scratch Disk - and a HDD also for long term larger storage. (Don't judge me on the HDD! 🥲 I just could not afford a decent size SSD as an alternative. It will be an easy upgrade for me later on anyway when I have a few more shillings saved.)

So, of these three drives, where will PCS install W10? I did ask them via the Account Messaging function, but their answer was - "our protocol is to install it on the Primary Drive" - but it doesn't say 'Primary Drive' anywhere on my order!

🤔

 

[AgentCooper]

By default they will install it on the fastest drive you’ve ordered for your system. If you wished to change that you’d have to contact them via live chat, they’ll then leave a note for your PC builder 🙂👍

 

[NoddyPirate]

By default they will install it on the fastest drive you’ve ordered for your system. If you wished to change that you’d have to contact them via live chat, they’ll then leave a note for your PC builder 🙂👍

That's what I was hoping AgentC thanks! I don't mind a full Windows install myself but would be happy to avoid it....

Thanks for giving me good news for the second time today!

 

[Rakk]

Do remember that the OS PCS will have put on will have just be a test version, and may not have everything you need anyway, it'll be better to do a full install if you can - the Windows media creation toolkit includes all updates anyways so may be quicker than adding the relevant updates than the clean install anyway

 

[NoddyPirate]

Do remember that the OS PCS will have put on will have just be a test version, and may not have everything you need anyway, it'll be better to do a full install if you can - the Windows media creation toolkit includes all updates anyways so may be quicker than adding the relevant updates than the clean install anyway

Ah OK thanks Rakk. I assumed they would do a full but unlicenced install - no big deal either way I guess. I'll just make sure I have my USB Boot disk ready!

 

[Martinr36]

Yeah you'll need a full install, and would recommend a clean one as detailed below, this will ensure any remnants of the test system are gone:

Download a new copy of Windows using the Media Creation Tool to an 8GB (min) USB.
Boot that USB and choose a Custom Install.
Delete all UEFI partitions on the system drive (EFI System, Recovery, MSR Reserved, Primary).
Select the unallocated space that results and click the Next button. The installer will create the correct partitions and install Windows.
Run Windows Update repeatedly, even across reboots, until no more updates are found.
You may need/want to download and install the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia website (they change so regularly the latest version isn't always in the Windows libraries).

 

[NoddyPirate]

Yeah you'll need a full install, and would recommend a clean one as detailed below, this will ensure any remnants of the test system are gone:

Download a new copy of Windows using the Media Creation Tool to an 8GB (min) USB.
Boot that USB and choose a Custom Install.
Delete all UEFI partitions on the system drive (EFI System, Recovery, MSR Reserved, Primary).
Select the unallocated space that results and click the Next button. The installer will create the correct partitions and install Windows.
Run Windows Update repeatedly, even across reboots, until no more updates are found.
You may need/want to download and install the latest graphics driver from the Nvidia website (they change so regularly the latest version isn't always in the Windows libraries).

Fantabulous Martin - thank you so much.

Yes a fully clean install is the only way to go.

I'm glad I asked the Q now!!