Follow these steps to guarantee your exclusive data (games, videos, work) survives.

Remove all USB thumb drives, SD cards, and external HDDs.

In this exclusive deep-dive, we will separate fact from fiction. We will explain exactly what a clean install targets, which drives are safe, which are at risk, and how to perform a true "full wipe" if that is your goal.

However, accidents happen. Here is a comprehensive guide on how a clean install works and how to ensure you only wipe the specific drive you want.

If this is toggled to "Yes," Windows will wipe every secondary hard drive and SSD connected to the machine. How to Ensure Other Drives are Safe