Does Clean Install Wipe All Drives Exclusive Better

Yes. Once the installation is finished and you boot into your new desktop, your secondary drives will be there. If they do not appear immediately:

When you perform a clean install using external media (like a USB drive), you are presented with a "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)" option. This screen lists all connected drives and partitions. does clean install wipe all drives exclusive

The "Clean Install" is a surgical scalpel, not a sledgehammer. It cuts where you aim it—make sure you aren't aiming at your photo backup. This screen lists all connected drives and partitions

A standard clean install (using Windows Media Creation Tool or a USB stick) is . It will only erase and partition the drive you explicitly select in the setup menu. It ignores all other drives connected to the computer, leaving their data intact. A standard clean install (using Windows Media Creation

Many laptop users (Dell, HP, Lenovo) use the built-in "Reset this PC" or "Recovery Manager" instead of USB media. Some OEM recovery tools are lazy. They are programmed to revert the PC to "factory state."

Once you are back at the desktop, shut down and plug your drives back in. Windows will recognize them immediately, and your files will be right where you left them.