Clean installation of Windows 10

[EdwardW5]

I originally purchased and installed Windows 8 when I purchased VMWare Fusion in 2013. I have the license key. When Windows 10 came out, I upgraded to this but either never received a license key or I can't find it. But it runs fine and is activated. It is a digital license linked to my Microsoft account. A few months ago I purchased Parallels for Mac Desktop and migrated my VMWare VM to Parallels. Everything worked well for a while.

Things began to go awry when an update to Sophos Home Pro Anti-Virus automatically downloaded. Upon a required reboot, Windows would never boot. It was stuck with the spinning dots. (I even waited 48 hours, as Parallels support suggested.)

I have a snapshot of the VM before the Sophos update which I loaded and removed Sophos. But I cannot get MS Security to work because, I believe, it still sees remaining folders/files from Sophos. I cannot remove these folders/files despite my best efforts and google searches for approaches. It has something to do with permissions, even though I am logged in as administrator.

I don't have time to keep doing this and I need a functioning copy of Windows.

Is there a way that I can create a new VM in Parallels and install/transfer Windows 10 from the activated VM?

Ed

 

[BarryL3]

If your Windows10 is activated with your Microsoft account, you can just do a clean install by attaching a Windows Install ISO to your VM and then doing the install. When it asks for a serial number, just skip. When you get further into the install process it will ask you to log in with your Microsoft account. When you do - it will activate that new clean install of Win10. Just did exactly the same thing this afternoon. Just search for Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. Will let you download the ~6g ISO.