Link to a manual for the desktop shown below...

[Paul_Tikkanen]

The installation media isn't going to make any warnings that I know of.

It will ask to either install W10 as an upgrade (which you don't want), or a custom (clean) install, which you do want.

If you install it over the current Windows installation, it will create a windows.old folder.

That is kind of good if you want to explore the Windows.old folder, find your old user profile and copy any files you may have forgotten to your new user profile after Windows has completed installing.

Otherwise you delete all partitions and reinstall W10 on a blank drive.

[shu-hi]

GREAT NEWS 😎

The Hard Drive activity led light is no longer staying on.  Yesterday, I did a complete Disk Clean-up (all items marked for deletion), so everything was cleaned out there as you recommended I do. Next I did a defrag.  I then rebooted the computer and still didn't see any change and the HD activity light was still on all the time. 

So, I left the computer on all night and woke this morning and no more steady activity light. It flashes when it's suppose to like when I open my browser or open my email it flashes a few times and then goes off just like it should. I have no idea why or what happened but it works perfectly just like it use to. Must have been something running in the background because things had slowed down so much, even just to open a web page took a long time. Now when I click on to open the browser or web page they open very fast - it's like a new machine. Looks like the old mechanical hard drive will last a bit longer.  Once again your advice has solved a very annoying and nagging problem. Can't thank you enough - you made my day 😁

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Glad the issue seems to be resolved.

You can disable many unnecessary programs from starting up and using system resources by running the msconfig utility.

Click on the Startup tab.  Then click on the open task manager link in the window.

The only app I have running is the Windows defender one.

I disabled everything else.

[shu-hi]

Another good suggestion!

I opened the Task Manager and clicked the Startup tab and disabled everything. Rebooted and everything appears to be still working fine - Hard Drive activity light still staying off unless I am working with something or on the Internet.

Sure nice to have everything working like it should again 😎

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Glad to have been of assistance!

[shu-hi]

Hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm looking for a good monitor screen cleaner - I have tried to cloth ones but they are all dried out and tend to scratch the screen.  

What do you use?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I use eyeglass lens cleaning wipes.

If I have to clean a real greasy monitor, I use Windex and a soft paper towel, spraying the Windex on the towel.