Installation and Upgrade Clean Install Windows 11


  • Staff
Windows.png

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account.

Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes with new tools, sounds, and apps. Every detail has been considered. All of it comes together to bring you a refreshing experience on your PC.

A clean install of Windows 11 will wipe out everything on the drive you select to install Windows 11 on giving you a completely new default installation of Windows 11.

References:
docs.microsoft.com

Windows 11 overview for administrators - What's new in Windows

Learn more about Windows 11. Read about the features IT professionals and administrators should know about Windows 11, including security, apps, the new desktop, and deploying and servicing PCs.
docs.microsoft.com
www.microsoft.com

Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements | Microsoft

Find an overview of Windows 11 specs and features from Microsoft. Learn about the device specifications, versions and languages available for Windows 11
www.microsoft.com

If you’d like to see if your current PC meets the minimum requirements, download and run the PC Health Check app.


It is required to be connected to the Internet if you want to set up a Microsoft account during Windows Setup.

It is not required to be connected to the Internet if you want to set up a local account during Windows Setup.


If you set up a Microsoft account during Windows Setup, it will get linked to OneDrive to backup and sync your files by default. You can either set up a local account instead to avoid this, or stop the backup and sync your files to OneDrive when the installation is complete.

If you set up a Microsoft account during Windows Setup, your user profile folder in the "C:\Users" folder will be named with the first 5 characters of the email address used for your Microsoft account. If you want to specify the name of your user profile folder in the "C:\Users" folder, then you will need to set up a local account during Windows Setup instead of a Microsoft account so your user profile folder will have the same name you enter as the local account name. When Windows 11 has finished installing, you can switch to a Microsoft account from the local account (if wanted) without the user profile folder name getting changed.




Here's How:

1 If you have not already, you will need to create a bootable Windows 11 installation USB that supports UEFI mode.

2 It is recommended to temporarily disconnect all non OS hard drives until Windows installation has finished for the following reasons:
  • To avoid you mistakenly deleting or formatting the wrong disk or drive.
  • To prevent Windows Setup from installing the boot configuration files (bootloader) to a different connected hard drive instead of on the disk Windows will be installed on.
3 Boot to the UEFI firmware settings for your motherboard, and enable UEFI or disable Legacy BIOS (CSM) mode.

Usually it will be set to UEFI mode by default if supported. You may need to read your PC's or motherboard's manual for its specific instructions on how to change this setting.


4 Boot from the Windows 11 installation USB flash drive on your computer.

5 Select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method preferences, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-1.jpg

6 Perform an available action below: (see screenshots below)
  • Click/tap on the Install Now button to start Windows Setup for the installation.
  • Select (dot) Install Windows 11, check I agree everything will be deleted including files, apps, an settings, and click/tap on Next.

Starting with Windows 11 build 26040 (Canary), Microsoft is refreshing Windows OS Media Setup with a much cleaner and more modern design. All of the same features will continue to be supported in the bare-metal (clean) OS installation experience, including unattended support, but will now be consistent with the current upgrade and installation experience available for the devices already running the Windows OS.

winsetup-before-after-1024x493.png


Clean_install_Windows_11-2.jpg

7 Enter your Windows 11 product key, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

The product key you enter will determine which edition of Windows 11 gets installed, and is required to activate Windows 11 unless you activate with a digital license instead. If you don't enter a product key and click/tap on I don't have a product key, you will be able to select the Windows 11 edition you want to install at step 8 below, but Windows 11 will not be activated.

You can enter an official Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 retail product key (OEM keys will not work) not currently used to activate Windows on another PC, and click/tap on Next to activate Windows 11.

⚠️ Free Activation from Windows 7/8 key or upgrade to Windows 10/11 Ends

If you do not have a product key available right now, click/tap on the I don't have a product key link, select the Windows 11 edition you want to install at step 8. You will be able to manually activate Windows 11 with your product key when you want later after the Windows 11 installation has finished.

If you want to activate with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account, click/tap on the I don't have a product key link, select the Windows 11 edition you want to install at step 8, and add your linked Microsoft account at step 20 .

You will not be asked to enter a product key if installing Windows 11 Enterprise. You will need to manually activate later after installation has finished.

If this is an OEM PC that has a valid product key embedded in its UEFI firmware chip, then you will not be prompted to enter a product key. Windows 11 will automatically use the embedded product key if its valid for the edition being installed. If needed, you can change the product key after installation has finished.


Clean_install_Windows_11-3.jpg

8 If you clicked on I don't have a product key in step 7 above, then select the Windows 11 edition you want to install, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-4.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-5.jpg

9 Check the I accept the Microsoft Software License Terms box, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

If you only have the keyboard available, you can press the Space + + keys to check the box.


Clean_install_Windows_11-6.jpg

10 Click/tap on the Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-7.jpg

11 Perform one of the following actions to select a drive or disk to install Windows 11 on: (see screenshots below)

learn.microsoft.com

UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions

UEFI/GPT-based hard drive partitions
learn.microsoft.com

If RAID is enabled in UEFI/BIOS, Windows Setup may not see any drive(s) available to select to install on.

In this situation, you could either disable RAID in BIOS/UEFI or select to "Add driver" to install the RAID driver from your OEM/motherboard manufacturer's chipset.

AMD Quick Start Guide- Chapter 5: Install AMD-RAID Drivers (PDF)

Intel Support - Installing the Operating System onto a RAID Volume—F6 Install Method

If no drives can be found during Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation (Intel 11th Generation processors)


  • Delete all partitions on the Drive # (ex: Drive 0) you want to install Windows 11 until that Drive # shows only as one Unallocated Space, select the unallocated space, and click/tap on Next.
  • Select a Primary or unallocated partition on a drive you want to install Windows 11, Delete the partition/volume if not already unallocated, click/tap on OK to confirm, and click/tap on Next.
Clean_install_Windows_11-8.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-8B.jpg

12 The installation of Windows 11 will now begin. (see screenshots below)

During the installation process, your screen may flash and the computer will restart a few times.


Clean_install_Windows_11-9.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-10.jpg

13 Select your country or region (ex: "United States"), and click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)

If you would like to set up this PC to have an OOBE (Out-of-box Experience) so another user/owner can pick up at this step to finish setting up Windows on the PC with their own account and preferences the next time the PC it turned on, then:

1. Press the Shift + F10 keys when you see the screenshot below to open a command prompt.
2. Type C:\Windows\System32\shutdown -s -t 0 -f into the command prompt, and press Enter to shut down Windows.



Clean_install_Windows_11-11.jpg

14 Select the keyboard layout (ex: "US") you want, and click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-12.jpg

15 Select Add layout or Skip depending on if you want to add a second keyboard layout or not. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-13.jpg

16 Windows Setup will now check for an Internet connection. If an Internet connection is not detected, it will prompt you to connect and select an Ethernet network and/or setup and connect to a Wi-Fi network (if available), and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)

Starting with a Windows 11 build 25987 (Canary) ISO, when you need to connect to a network and there is no Wi-Fi drivers, you will be given an option to press an Install Drivers button to install drivers you have previously downloaded.


It is required to have an Internet connection if you want to set up a Microsoft account, or work or school account.

Whether you have an Internet connection or not, you will still be able to set up a local account (if wanted) when you get to step 21.

If installing a Windows 11 Pro or Education edition and you currently do not have an Internet connection available, click/tap on I don't have Internet, and go to step 21D to set up a local account. I don't have Internet is not available by default for the Home edition unless you use either command below first. (see bottom screenshot)

If you don't have an Internet connection and none of the above worked for you, then press the Shift + F10 keys to open a command prompt. Copy and paste the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command into the command prompt, and press Enter. This will restart the computer, and take you back to step 13. You should then be able to click/tap on I don't have internet when you get back to this step, and go to step 21D to set up a local account. (see bottom screenshot)

If the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command doesn't work for you, then copy and paste the MSOOBE\BYPASSNRO command into the command prompt, and press Enter. This will restart the computer, and take you back to step 13. You should then be able to click/tap on I don't have internet when you get back to this step, and go to step 21D to set up a local account. (see bottom screenshot)


Clean_install_Windows_11-13b.jpg
Internet_required.png
W11_PRO_no_Internet-1.jpg

17 Type a name you want for the PC, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

You can always rename the PC at anytime if needed.

Your PC name cannot have more then 15 characters.

Your PC name cannot have spaces or any of the following special characters: " /\ [] : | <> + + ; , ?


ComputerName.jpg

18 Perform an action below for which type of account you want to set up: (see screenshot below)

You will not see this step if installing a Windows 11 Home edition. You will see step 19 instead.


  • Click/tap on Set up for personal use, click/tap on Next, and go to step 19 to set up a Microsoft account or local account on your personal PC.
  • Click/tap on Set up for work or school, click/tap on Next, and go to step 22 to set up a work or school account on your PC to join a domain.
Clean_install_Windows_11-14.jpg

19 Click/tap on Sign in, and go to the step below depending on if your want to set up a local account or Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with. (see screenshot below)

This account will be an administrator account on the PC.


MSA_required.jpg

20 Set Up Windows 11 with a Microsoft Account

For more details about a Microsoft account, see: Microsoft account | Microsoft Docs


A) Type in the email address for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

If you do not have a Microsoft account and would like to use one, click/tap on the Create one link to create a new Microsoft account.


Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-1.jpg

B) Type in the password for your Microsoft account, and click/tap on Sign in. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-3.jpg

C) If you have two-step verification turned on for your Microsoft account, select how (ex: email or text) you would like to get a code sent to you. (see screenshots below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-4.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-5.jpg

D) Provide any other required information based on how you selected to get a code, and click/tap on Send code. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-6.jpg

E) Enter the code you received from Microsoft, and click/tap on Verify. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-7.jpg

F) Select Set up as new device, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshots below)​

You may need to click/tap on a View more options link first to see the Set up as new device option.

You can select to restore your settings, preferences, Microsoft Store apps, and synced OneDrive files from another device instead of setting up as a new device.


Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-10A.png
Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-10.jpg


G) Click/tap on Create PIN. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-8.jpg

H) Enter a PIN you want to use to sign in with, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-9.jpg

I) Turn On (default) or Off the privacy settings you want, and click/tap on Accept when finished. (see screenshots below)​

You will be able to change these privacy settings at anytime in Windows 11.


Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-1.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-4.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-2.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-5.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-3.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-6.jpg

J) Check all the ways you plan to use this device, and click/tap on Accept. (see screenshot below)​

Click/tap on Skip instead if you do not want to select (check) any device usages.

You can change your device usage options at any time in Windows 11.


Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-11.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-12.jpg

K) Scan the QR code with your Android phone to link it if wanted, and click/tap on Continue. (see screenshot below)​

www.elevenforum.com

Link Samsung Android Phone to Windows 11 PC Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to link a Samsung Android phone to the Phone Link app on your Windows 11 PC with your Microsoft account. The Phone Link app on your Windows PC let's you get instant access to everything you love on your phone, right from your PC. Link your Android phone and PC to...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Click/tap on Skip instead if you do not want to link an Android phone.

This option is only available starting with Windows 11 build 22567.


Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-14.jpg

L) If prompted (no longer asked), click/tap on the Only save files to this PC (recommended) link or Next depending on if you want to use OneDrive or not. (see screenshot below)​

This is for backing up and syncing your account's personal Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, and/or Videos folders to your online (cloud) OneDrive.

When you back up a folder its contents get moved to your account's OneDrive folder on the PC to then be synced with your online OneDrive.

⚠️ If you set up a Microsoft account during Windows Setup, it will get linked to OneDrive to backup and sync your files by default. You can either set up a local account instead to avoid this, or stop the backup and sync your files to OneDrive when the installation is complete.


www.elevenforum.com

Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off OneDrive folder sync for your Microsoft account across all your Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices you sign in with the same Microsoft account. You can use OneDrive to sync files and folders between your computer and the cloud, so you can get to...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-13.jpg

M) If prompted to "Try premium Office apps for free with Microsoft 365", click/tap on Decline or Continue for what you want. (see screenshot below)​

Microsoft_365.png

N) If prompted to "Get 100 GB more cloud storage" for OneDrive, click/tap on Decline or Continue for what you want. (see screenshot below)​

Cloud_storage.png

O) Go to step 23.​


21 Set Up Windows 11 with a Local Account

For more details about a local account, see: Local account | Microsoft Docs:


A) Enter this specific fake email address ("fake@fake.com"), and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Fake_email_for_local_account-1.jpg

B) Enter a fake password, and click/tap on Sign in. (see screenshot below)​

Fake_email_for_local_account-2.jpg

C) Click/tap on Next when you see Oops, something went wrong. (see screenshot below)​

Local_account-Internet-1.jpg


D) Enter a user name you want for this local account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-4.jpg

E) Enter a password you want for this local account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

If you do not want this local account to have a password, leave the password field empty, click/tap on Next, and go to step J below.


Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-5.jpg

F) Enter the password again to confirm, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-6.jpg

G) Select a security question (1 of 3) you want from the drop menu, type your answer, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-7.jpg

H) Select a security question (2 of 3) you want from the drop menu, type your answer, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-8.jpg

I) Select a security question (3 of 3) you want from the drop menu, type your answer, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11-_local_account-9.jpg

J) Turn On (default) or Off the privacy settings you want, and click/tap on Accept when finished. (see screenshots below)​

You will be able to change these privacy settings at anytime in Windows 11.


Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-1.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-4.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-2.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-5.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-3.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-6.jpg

O) Go to step 23.​


22 Set Up Windows 11 with a Work or School Account

A) Type in the email address for your work or school account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

W11_clean_install_work_or_school_account-1.png

B) Type in the password for your work or school account, and click/tap on Sign in. (see screenshot below)​

W11_clean_install_work_or_school_account-2.png

C) Turn On (default) or Off the privacy settings you want, and click/tap on Accept when finished. (see screenshots below)​

You will be able to change these privacy settings at anytime in Windows 11.


Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-1.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-4.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-2.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-5.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-3.jpg
Clean_install_Windows_11-_privacy_settings-6.jpg

D) Windows Setup will check for updates. (see screenshot below)​

W11_clean_install_work_or_school_account-4.png

E) If prompted to use Windows Hello with your account, click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)​

W11_clean_install_work_or_school_account-5.png

F) If your organization requires additional security information, click/tap on Next, and follow any other given instructions to verify. (see screenshot below)​

W11_clean_install_work_or_school_account-6.png

G) When finished, go to step 23.​


23 When the clean install has finished, you will be on your desktop in Windows 11 with the Start menu open. (see screenshot below)

Desktop.png

24 Make sure the correct time zone, date, and time is set.

25 Check for and install any available Windows Updates.

26 Install any needed drivers for your devices.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

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Click to expand...
Thank you, so that means when removed from the MB the M.2 retains all the data just like any other SSD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ME Hemi
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    Crucial 32GB DDR4 3200mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1220A 7.1 DTS:X Ultra
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 32in 4K Asus 27in 1K
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 144Hz 1920x1080 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    10TB Nvme's & SSD's
    PSU
    EVGA 220G3750
    Case
    Antec 1200 w/8 fans
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A
    Keyboard
    EVGA Z12
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder v2
    Internet Speed
    GFiber 2GIG
    Browser
    MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    Linksys WRT1900ACS, SONY WH-XB910N,
    7 Altec Lansing speakers

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
:cool: Thank you!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ME Hemi
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    Crucial 32GB DDR4 3200mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1220A 7.1 DTS:X Ultra
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 32in 4K Asus 27in 1K
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 144Hz 1920x1080 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    10TB Nvme's & SSD's
    PSU
    EVGA 220G3750
    Case
    Antec 1200 w/8 fans
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A
    Keyboard
    EVGA Z12
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder v2
    Internet Speed
    GFiber 2GIG
    Browser
    MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    Linksys WRT1900ACS, SONY WH-XB910N,
    7 Altec Lansing speakers
:shawn:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Hi Shawn, just wanted to say how much I appreciate your superb tutorial. The OOBE switch made the install flawless!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ME Hemi
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    Crucial 32GB DDR4 3200mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1220A 7.1 DTS:X Ultra
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 32in 4K Asus 27in 1K
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 144Hz 1920x1080 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    10TB Nvme's & SSD's
    PSU
    EVGA 220G3750
    Case
    Antec 1200 w/8 fans
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A
    Keyboard
    EVGA Z12
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder v2
    Internet Speed
    GFiber 2GIG
    Browser
    MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    Linksys WRT1900ACS, SONY WH-XB910N,
    7 Altec Lansing speakers

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
On my Lenovo laptop that I bought a year ago with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, I did a 'Reset this PC' with 'Remove everything', 'Fully clean disk', 'Download fresh copy of OS'.

I thought I did a clean install of the OS, but lo and behold, McAfee was installed as was Lenovo Vantage and other Lenovo bloatware.

What am I doing wrong?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
'Reset this PC' means reset to how it got out to the stores.
It does not mean a clean slate.
For that, you need a vanilla non-OEM Windows 11 install.

BTW, what is 'fresh copy of OS'? What version from where?
'Fully clean disk' Did you reformat your drive first?

Your laptop might not work with a non-OEM install anyway as each laptop has specifics on how
display, laptop lid, sound ports etc behave - not without unnecessary extra work anyway.
But you can remove some of the bloatware.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 All /Debian/Arch
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF Gaming FX705GM
    CPU
    2.20 gigahertz Intel i7-8750H Hyper-threaded 12 cores
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. FX705GM 1.0
    Memory
    24428 Megabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) Display Audio / Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (17.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD SATA/NVM Express 1.3
    WDS500G2B0A-00SM50 500.1 GB
    WDCSDAPNUW-1002 256 GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & ADSL Bouygues -fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    VMs of Windows 11 stable/Beta/Dev/Canary
    VM of XeroLinux- Arch based & Debian 12
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Insider Canary
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS X751BP
    CPU
    AMD Dual Core A6-9220
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5 M420
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600X900 16:9
    Hard Drives
    1TB 5400RPM
I just select the options provided when going through the 'Reset this PC' steps.

There was an option 'Use local copy of OS' or 'Download copy of OS'. I selected the latter.

There was an option 'Clean disk' Yes or No. I selected Yes. The info given was that selecting Yes takes much longer than selecting No, but it makes it much more difficult to retrieve any data from the disk (in case the laptop was being prepared for recycling or donation) That was the option provided which may involve wiping of the disk in some way, but there was no option provided to reformat as such.

I removed McAfee immediately, because I want Windows Defender, but I have not yet begun removing bloatware <sigh> I miss the 'Microsoft Signature Edition PCs' :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
  • Like
Reactions: OAT
Sadly, bloatware is now the norm unless you build your own machine, and then you have to deal with OS unnecessary extra(s).
Look at it on the bright side, you got your machine going and that's all that matters.:-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 All /Debian/Arch
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF Gaming FX705GM
    CPU
    2.20 gigahertz Intel i7-8750H Hyper-threaded 12 cores
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. FX705GM 1.0
    Memory
    24428 Megabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) Display Audio / Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (17.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD SATA/NVM Express 1.3
    WDS500G2B0A-00SM50 500.1 GB
    WDCSDAPNUW-1002 256 GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & ADSL Bouygues -fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    VMs of Windows 11 stable/Beta/Dev/Canary
    VM of XeroLinux- Arch based & Debian 12
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Insider Canary
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS X751BP
    CPU
    AMD Dual Core A6-9220
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5 M420
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600X900 16:9
    Hard Drives
    1TB 5400RPM
OAT said:
'Reset this PC' means reset to how it got out to the stores.
It does not mean a clean slate.
For that, you need a vanilla non-OEM Windows 11 install.

BTW, what is 'fresh copy of OS'? What version from where?
'Fully clean disk' Did you reformat your drive first?

Your laptop might not work with a non-OEM install anyway as each laptop has specifics on how
display, laptop lid, sound ports etc behave - not without unnecessary extra work anyway.
But you can remove some of the bloatware.
Click to expand...
This is not true. Reset My PC just resets it to whatever version you have currently installed either with all apps and data removed, or ability to retain data in user folders. Programs are still removed.

You would only reset to factory state if the pc still had a working oem recovery partition and you still had means to access it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
Reset My PC just resets it to whatever version you have currently installed.

Yes that is what I meant, thank you for the correction.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 All /Debian/Arch
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF Gaming FX705GM
    CPU
    2.20 gigahertz Intel i7-8750H Hyper-threaded 12 cores
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. FX705GM 1.0
    Memory
    24428 Megabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) Display Audio / Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (17.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD SATA/NVM Express 1.3
    WDS500G2B0A-00SM50 500.1 GB
    WDCSDAPNUW-1002 256 GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & ADSL Bouygues -fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    VMs of Windows 11 stable/Beta/Dev/Canary
    VM of XeroLinux- Arch based & Debian 12
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Insider Canary
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS X751BP
    CPU
    AMD Dual Core A6-9220
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5 M420
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600X900 16:9
    Hard Drives
    1TB 5400RPM
There used to be a fresh start option in Windows 10 to remove bloatware, even factory installed bloatware. I don't know if that carried over to Windows 11 or not. I'm not at my computer, I will have to look later.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Folks, I am puzzled at what I found (after going through the 'Reset this PC' steps as described in the previous posts) I expected 4 partitions, and I did not expect the recovery partition to be empty. What is going on?

Screenshot_20221119_074321.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
Windows shows you what it wants to show you but as you can see, on Disk 1, I also have 3 partitions, no wait PA says 4.

Screenshot 2022-11-19 141929.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 All /Debian/Arch
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. TUF Gaming FX705GM
    CPU
    2.20 gigahertz Intel i7-8750H Hyper-threaded 12 cores
    Motherboard
    ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. FX705GM 1.0
    Memory
    24428 Megabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) Display Audio / Realtek(R) Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Integrated Monitor (17.3"vis)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD 1920X1080 16:9
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD SATA/NVM Express 1.3
    WDS500G2B0A-00SM50 500.1 GB
    WDCSDAPNUW-1002 256 GB
    PSU
    19V DC 6.32 A 120 W
    Cooling
    Dual Fans
    Mouse
    MS Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    Fiber 1GB Cox -us & ADSL Bouygues -fr
    Browser
    Edge Canary- Firefox Nightly
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    VMs of Windows 11 stable/Beta/Dev/Canary
    VM of XeroLinux- Arch based & Debian 12
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Insider Canary
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS X751BP
    CPU
    AMD Dual Core A6-9220
    Motherboard
    ASUS
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R5 M420
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600X900 16:9
    Hard Drives
    1TB 5400RPM
Haydon said:
Folks, I am puzzled at what I found (after going through the 'Reset this PC' steps as described in the previous posts) I expected 4 partitions, and I did not expect the recovery partition to be empty. What is going on?

View attachment 45651
Click to expand...
It is not empty. It's contents are just hidden.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
  • Helpful
Reactions: OAT
My goodness, I now remember falling for this peekaboo trap before (n)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
Can the instructions/tutorial include a link (or instructions) on how to get out of the "trap" Microsoft created and have your system remove OneDrive and in particular, move Desktop, My Documents, Pictures, etc. away from OneDrive and back to C: \Users\UserNAME ?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
NavyLCDR said:
There used to be a fresh start option in Windows 10 to remove bloatware, even factory installed bloatware. I don't know if that carried over to Windows 11 or not. I'm not at my computer, I will have to look later.
Click to expand...
I would be very interested in the bloatware removing fresh start option, for both W10 and W11 (y)(y)

Sammy888 said:
Can the instructions/tutorial include a link (or instructions) on how to get out of the "trap" Microsoft created and have your system remove OneDrive and in particular, move Desktop, My Documents, Pictures, etc. away from OneDrive and back to C: \Users\UserNAME ?
Click to expand...
Can't you just uninstall OneDrive via Control Panel or with RevoUninstaller?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
Sammy888 said:
Can the instructions/tutorial include a link (or instructions) on how to get out of the "trap" Microsoft created and have your system remove OneDrive and in particular, move Desktop, My Documents, Pictures, etc. away from OneDrive and back to C: \Users\UserNAME ?
Click to expand...

Hello mate, :-)

It's there at step 20L.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
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