Windows Installation Types

An enumeration of the different ways a user can install Microsoft-Windows onto their system.

There are three different ways someone can install Windows. The first decision to take when installing it is to pick the installation type.

Clean Installation

Assumes that the user wants to start from a clean, empty slate. A clean installation of Windows overwrites all the data and configurations existing on the system and installs a fresh instance of Windows with default settings.

Upgrade/In-Place Installation

Assumes that there is already a version of Windows installed on the system. Simply upgrades the version of Windows while keeping all the data saved on the system.

There are cases where a clean installation is needed even with a version of Windows already installed. Check Microsoft's documentation to find out which versions of Windows are allowed to upgrade to which.

Repair Installation

Also assumes that there is already a version of Windows installed on the system. Either the user has run into performance issues or the OS files have been damaged somehow. This installation type installs a fresh build of Windows over the current one. In this case, the user will have the choice to either keep or erase their saved files and settings. Making a backup of your files before performing a repair installation is recommended.

Pre-Installation Recommendations

• Verify system compatibility
• Backup saved data that might be lost during the installation process
• Obtain (and backup?) installation files for programs you want after the system has successfully installed the new OS

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