help! i need someone...

also my ehd still has files on it from my old pc, does that matter?

just now i opened cp and typed diskpart and was asked what file in flashdrive did i want opened or something like that…sorry i'm just not real pc savy.

Has to be an Administrator Command Prompt.

Click the Start button, type cmd then right click on cmd.exe at the top left and select Run as Administrator.

Please don't post "something like that". Need exact message text. Take the time to write it down.

Take your time and follow the directions exactly.

Did you get a flash drive? It will need to be 4GB or larger though you may get away with a 2GB flash drive.

 

also my ehd still has files on it from my old pc, does that matter?

Depends on how much free space there is. As long as there is enough free to hold the backup image then you can leave it alone.

How big is the external HDD and how much free space does it have?

ok, sorry to be so slow here as there is a lot going on. i'll be more precise from now on. the command prompt did have cp administrator in the top left corner. the seagate has 306 GB remaing.. i'm not sure what files are on it. i'd like to see if the pics and music are good. the rest are hard disk image files which wont open. i no longer have the pc they came off of, do i run disk clean in the properties?

I'd recommend saving the pics and music somewhere else for now, then format the external hard drive. Then copy the pics and music back if they are still good.

That drive should be fine to place the image backup on.

Once Macrium completes and you have a good backup then it's time to decide how you want to proceed. You have 3 choices as I see it.

1. Do a reset keeping files. This is basically a Repair Install and just replaces the operating system, keeping everything else though you will lose some installed software.

2. Do a reset deleting all files. This is ALMOST a clean install as it removes everything and replaces the OS but does not wipe the hard drive there "could" be lingering stuff.

3. Clean Install. This wipes the hard drive complete, removing all partitions, leaving a raw, unallocated drive that the Windows 10 installer than partitions as needed. This is the preferred method of reinstalling but it will require the most work on your part. Once the install completes, you will need to do one or two Windows Updates then reinstall your software and restore your data.

This is why having the Macrium Image Backup is so important. You install Macrium Reflect Free then you can mount the image and copy anything you want from the image back to your hard drive.

Get the external drive cleaned up and the Macrium image made then you can decide what you want to do.

guys this all came about in the near middle of me having to move which i am now in the process of doing. i know this will be complicated to me as i've never done it so to be able to focus let me get moved and you guys wont be held up. if you would like me to use this thread when ready let me know. thanks, sorry for any delays.

Yes, once you are moved and setup again, continue here.