Microsoft exec: You can clean-reinstall Windows 10 after upgrading

People who avail of the free upgrade to Windows 10 starting this July can do a clean reinstall of the OS on their devices without too much trouble, a Microsoft official said.

Microsoft operating systems group engineering general manager Gabriel Aul said as much in posts on Twitter this week.

"Once you upgrade (to Windows 10 with) the free upgrade offer you will able to clean reinstall Windows 10 on (the) same device (at) any time," he said.

He said there will be no need for the user to hang on to his or her Windows 7 or 8.1 key, as the upgraded device will reactivate.

"You will not need your 8.1 key, the same device will reactivate once it has been successfully upgraded to 10," he said.

Aul added that once a user upgrades to Windows 10 on the machine, "the license will allow you to reinstall at no cost."

PC World said this should be good news for upgraders "who are concerned about what will happen to their devices a year after its July 29 launch."

It said this is due to a Windows 10 feature that will allow people to reinstall the operating system "and hold onto their files—or delete the files entirely and start fresh."

"All of that is good news for users, since performing a clean installation can sometimes help alleviate problems with a troubled computer," it added.

But PC World also advised people planning to make major hardware upgrades to do so before the Windows 10 release.

It said it is still not quite clear whether the same activation will apply to a major upgrade like a new motherboard. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News