You know how a new PC from a vendor usually comes with a plethora of OEM-specific software (aka bloatware). Well, Microsoft aren’t big fans of them either, that is why the company is including a new tool for Windows 10 that would allow you to do a fresh install of Windows without requiring an actually copy of the Windows 10 disk yourself.
Currently available on the Windows Insider program, this new tool works by fetching a copy of Windows online and performs a clean installation. This process isn’t exactly a complete reformat as the tool does give you the option to preserve your personal data. Anything other than that, such as third-party software, will be deleted during the installation process, so backing up your hard drives before using the tool seems like a good decision.
As the tool is currently in its preview stage, the tool has its own quirks. One problem that has been identified is that tool may occasionally install a version of Windows 10 older than the one that is currently installed. When this version mismatch occurs, the option to preserve your files is removed, meaning that you’ll have to manually backup your data or risk losing it during the installation process.
While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, this refresh tool may be coming to all Windows 10 users once Microsoft rolls out the Anniversary Update. Seeing as the update should be out next month, you need only wait a little longer until you can finally bid all bloatware goodbye.
Source: Ars Technica
