Microsoft is testing a new tool that allows owners of Windows 10 PCs and mobile devices to reinstall Windows from scratch.
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In an update to the original KB page, Microsoft finally acknowledges part of the issues, explaining that it’s aware of the problems caused by KB3163018 on some Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 4 machines. The tool will make it much easier to do this as Windows 10’s existing “reset” function restores from your PC’s recovery partition, including preinstalled programs.
The Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14366 for PC, and the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14364, are still being finalised before the update but the preview builds are available now to testers who are on the Fast Ring. Microsoft has released two Windows 10 test builds this week to testers, and the company is running a “bug bash” to try and discover as many bugs as possible before it finalizes the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. It will help app developers get ready for the final release of the Anniversary Update later this summer.
For advanced users the Media Creation Tool will still be a very valuable resource for keeping the latest version of Windows 10 on a USB flash drive or DVD for future use however, the Windows 10 Refresh Tool is going to be pretty easy for less advanced users to use.
Windows users have always been able to reach the same result by downloading a clean disk image of Windows, then installing that on a crapware-filled PC.
It will be a boon to Windows 10 users who just want a clean, untouched version of the operating system minus the annoying software PC manufacturers like to sneak in. “We’ve heard from many of you that are attempting to perform a clean installation of Windows that it can sometimes be hard to get started”, said Microsoft. This tool could be good news for anyone looking to slap a fresh copy of Windows on a branded PC loaded down with bloatware when it becomes available to the general public.
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Alongside the new tool, Microsoft is also making changes to Windows 10 Mobile. “Using this tool will remove ALL applications that do not come standard with Windows, including other Microsoft applications such as Office”.
