In the article How to take advantage of the new Windows Defender Security Middle, I showed yous around ane of the Creators Update's new features: the Windows Defender Security Centre. A dramatic update to the former Windows Defender, this tool'southward new interface offers several enhanced and repackaged tools, besides as a new component, called Device Performance & Health. As I covered the features in this new component, I only briefly touched on the Fresh Commencement feature that appears at the bottom of the Device Functioning & Health page, shown in Effigy A.

Figure A

The Fresh Start feature is found on the Device functioning & health page.

Let'southward take an in-depth look at running the Fresh Beginning procedure.

Overview

The Fresh Offset feature basically performs a make clean install of Windows 10 while leaving your data intact. More specifically, when you choose Fresh Start, it will notice and support all your information, settings, and native apps. Subsequently that, it will remove well-nigh of the applications from your organization and install a fresh copy of the most recent version of Windows 10–which the operation downloads from the Microsoft site, rather than pulling an old copy from a restore partition.

The operation will and so restore the data, settings, and the Windows Store apps that were installed with Windows 10 past Microsoft or the computer manufacturer. Chances are, about of the applications installed on your system will exist removed. When your PC restarts, log in with your same username and password and yous'll be able to detect all your data just as yous left information technology.

You lot will now accept to reinstall whatsoever applications you regularly employ. That may seem like a bit of a pain point–and it is– but all those applications y'all never used, such as third-party bloatware that came preinstalled on your arrangement by the manufacturer that was just clogging up your organization, will be gone.

Back up, maybe?

While Fresh Beginning is designed to keep all your data intact throughout the operation, y'all may want the peace of listen of having your ain fill-in. The best thing you tin practice is create a System Epitome. You tin notice stride-by-step directions in How to revive your Windows ten installation with System Prototype Recovery.

Run across: Microsoft is getting closer to completely modernizing Windows 10'due south native applications

Getting started

To begin using the Fresh First feature, launch Windows Defender Security Center and admission the Device Functioning & Health page. So, click Additional Info to open the Fresh Showtime page, shown in Figure B, and click Get started.

Figure B

When you see the Fresh Get-go page, click Get started.

Side by side, you'll run into a User Account Control dialog like the one shown in Figure C. To keep, merely click Aye.

Figure C

You lot'll have to work through a UAC.

The procedure

After you work through the UAC, the Fresh Beginning opening screen will appear, equally shown in Figure D.This screen provides a brief overview of what the Fresh Start procedure volition do. You'll also get a full general thought of how long Fresh Kickoff volition take to complete the procedure. While the message says 20 minutes or longer, my system took almost an hour to complete. Click Adjacent to keep.

Effigy D

The process could take a bit more than twenty minutes.

SEE: How to revive your Windows 10 installation with System Image Recovery

Fresh Start volition begin an analysis of the software on your system that will be removed, displaying the screen shown in Figure E.

Figure Due east

Fresh Showtime volition begin an analysis of the software on your system.

When Fresh Showtime completes the analysis, it will brandish the screen shown in Effigy F, which lists all the applications that volition be removed. On my example system, Fresh Start said it would exist removing quite a few applications. While some of these are applications I utilize all the time, a lot of them are the junk applications I never use, such equally those that came preinstalled on this laptop when I purchased it.

Figure F

You'll see a list of the applications that volition exist removed.

You may exist tempted to write down all the applications on this list, but you lot don't take to. Fresh Start will relieve this listing of apps and create a file on the desktop of your new, clean Windows 10 installation. However, y'all should take some time to go through this listing and make sure that you lot have all the installation media and license keys y'all'll need to reinstall whatever removed software once Windows restarts.

When you click Next, you may see the screen shown in Figure One thousand. If you recently upgraded your organization from a previous version of the operating system to Windows 10, this screen will appear. Information technology lets y'all know that performing a Fresh Start process will preclude you from going back to the previous version of Windows.

Figure G

If you recently upgraded your system from a previous version of the operating arrangement to Windows 10, you'll come across this screen.

You'll then run into the Let'south Get Started screen, shown in Figure H. Merely click Start and yous'll be underway.

Figure H

Click Start to brainstorm.

Now your system will brainstorm the initial stage of the refresh performance. Every bit this stage progresses, y'all'll see a percentage counter, equally shown in Figure I.

Figure I

Fresh Get-go volition begin the initial stages of the refresh operation.

Once this initial phase is consummate, your system will restart for the first fourth dimension (Figure J). Throughout the remainder of the Refresh operation, your organisation will restart several times.

Effigy J

Your system will restart several times.

SEE: Windows 10: Get ready for PCs with "across all-day" battery life

A refreshed system

After the Refresh operation restarts for the last time, it will nowadays the login screen. When you log in, Windows x volition consummate the installation procedure while displaying the familiar installation screens shown in Figure Grand.

Figure G

During this part of the operation, y'all'll see the standard Windows 10 installation screens.

Once everything is complete, you'll see the desktop on your refreshed system, which includes a Microsoft Edge icon titled Removed Apps (Figure Fifty).

Figure 50

On your desktop, y'all'll detect a Microsoft Edge icon titled Removed Apps.

Double-click that icon to view a complete list of all the applications that were removed by the refresh operation, every bit shown in Figure M. You can and then reinstall any of those applications you desire to put back on your system. All your data volition exist correct where you left it.

Figure Thou

The file will provide you lot with a detailed listing of the removed applications.

If you lot happen to lose track of the Removed Apps file on your desktop, no worries. You'll find a backup of the file on the Fresh Start page in Windows Defender Security Center, as shown in Figure N.

Figure Northward

A copy of the list can be found on the Fresh Start page.

More Windows how-to'southward

  • How to work faster by making the Windows key a habit
  • How to have advantage of the new Windows Defender Security Center
  • How to colorize Windows 10 in the Creators Update
  • How to use the new Evidence App List In Start Bill of fare feature in Windows 10 Creators Update

What'south your take?

Take you tried out the Fresh Offset characteristic? What was your experience? Share your thoughts and advice with fellow TechRepublic members.