Windows 10 Clean install

I am currently running 8.1 with three user accounts.

As the backups are user specific, if I do a clean install of windows 10 and  re-instate the same user accounts will the smartware recognise the users and make the files available for restore?

If not.

If I restore each user to a file  on their account prior to the install and then drop those on the passport using windows, I assume I could then copy them back onto the new accounts.

Would that work?

I see from the posts that there is a problem re-installing the drivers for the removeable drive as windows thinks it already has them (if I understand the comments correctly).

Would a clean instal remove this problem or do I need to reformat the partition to be sure?

Thanks in advance.

Hello and welcome to the WD Community.

Please note that the WD Smartware is not officially supported on Windows 10 since it just came out. 

Being that said, if you do a clean install of a new OS, the software wont recognize the new users even though they have the same name. 

Thanks for the answer,

I did copy the users to the drive just in case.

I downloaded Windows 10 and burnt it to disc and installed from that. There was an option to keep users and apps which I took.

The users were of course recognised by the smartware and I have the original backup files.

I also have the user files I transferred using Windows.

The files were still on my PC as well.

Sort of belt, bracers and gaffer tape :smiley:

The only hiccough is that when I tick the check box for automatic updates it advises me the class is not registered.

I may need to remove the software and reinstall it to enable me to re register.

ianwa