When booting from your installation media (USB/DVD), choose the option. Look at the list of drives.
However, human error during the setup process is common. Understanding how the process works is the best way to keep your secondary data safe. 💾 How a Clean Install Targets Data
These are additional internal hard drives, secondary SSDs, or external USB drives used for storage. A clean install will not touch these unless you manually tell it to during the setup process. The Critical "Partition" Step
There is a pervasive myth in the tech community that performing a "clean install" of an operating system (like Windows 11 or macOS) is akin to a nuclear option—one that erases every digital footprint on your computer.
Applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, or web browsers located on secondary drives will usually refuse to run and must be reinstalled.
To clarify:
Short answer: No — a clean install typically only formats or overwrites the drive/partition you choose, not every drive attached to the system. However, whether other drives are affected depends on the installer, your actions, and the operating system. Read the rest for specifics and safe procedures.
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