Have you ever installed Windows or Linux from scratch on a computer that has a brand-new hard drive?

A clean OS install on a blank drive is routine. Create bootable installation media (USB/DVD/ISO), set the BIOS/UEFI boot order (and configure UEFI/Secure Boot or legacy mode as needed), boot the installer, partition and format the new drive (e.g., GPT with an EFI system partition; ext4/Btrfs for Linux or NTFS for Windows), install the OS, then install drivers and updates. Linux usually bundles most drivers; Windows may need vendor drivers (chipset, GPU, network) afterward. Finish with user accounts and applications.