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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Last edited:
Click to expand...
jimbo45 said:
The real problem is there's (at least I haven't found any) way to install Windows 11 if you aren't connected to the internet for at least part of the setup program.

cheers
jimbo
Click to expand...
Use the official MS method.

 

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
jimbo45 said:
Hi there

The real problem is there's (at least I haven't found any) way to install Windows 11 if you aren't connected to the internet for at least part of the setup program.

cheers
jimbo
Click to expand...

cereberus said:
Use the official MS method.

Click to expand...

I agree with cereberus. I've done dozens of clean installs of Windows 11 and never connected to the internet until after the local user account was created and logged into.
 

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!
When I built my latest rig at Christmas I forgot to enable networking in bios, MSI disables it by default, so when I was installing W11 it balked at the MS sign in page as it had no networking. I had to launch task manager and launch command prompt enter the bypass instruction to get around it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 13900k, Intel UHD 770 integrated
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG Z790 ACE
    Memory
    32gb G.Skill Trident Z5 6600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
    Sound Card
    EVGA Nu Audio, Razer Kraken V3 Pro, Realtek Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 38GN950-B, Benq EX3415R nano IPS monitors
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 3440X1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro, Samsung 850 Pro, Crucial MX500, WD Black SN700, WD Black 8tb HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova G2 1300w
    Case
    Thermaltake Level 20 XT
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 ARGB in push/pull, Antec Prism X 120mm ARGB Fans x 15
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite V1
    Mouse
    Corsair Dark Core Pro SE on an Asus ROG Balteus Qi pad
    Internet Speed
    450Mbps cable primary, 6Mbps secondary vdsl
    Browser
    Chrome primary, FF-Edge-IE secondary
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 Premium
    Other Info
    I sit on a Secret Lab Titan XL 2020 chair.😍
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    2021 HP Omen
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
    Motherboard
    factory
    Memory
    16gb ddr 3200
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 3060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    onboard B&O
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 144hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Hynix 512gb nvme ssd, WD Black SN850 2TB nvme ssd
    PSU
    factory
    Case
    factory
    Cooling
    factory with ARCTIC MX-6
    Mouse
    touchpad and Logitech wireless mouse
    Keyboard
    4 zone rgb
    Internet Speed
    WiFi 6, 1gb ethernet
    Browser
    Chrome primary, FF-IE and Edge secondary
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 Premium
HRPuffnstuff said:
When I built my latest rig at Christmas I forgot to enable networking in bios, MSI disables it by default, so when I was installing W11 it balked at the MS sign in page as it had no networking. I had to launch task manager and launch command prompt enter the bypass instruction to get around it.
Click to expand...

My MSI mobo didn't have network enabled for use in / by UEFI (including during UEFI boot process), but did (and always does) have networking enabled for the OS. Weird that yours turned it off, which makes 0 sense. How is one to use the device on any sort of network if it is disabled in the BIOS / UEFI firmware settings?

Good job, MSI! Another reason I'm not building with your mobos again.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
To shorten all those unnecessary steps, use Rufus.

Only use this method if you are building Installation media for the same PC you are creating installation media for, or for PCs that have the same regional settings.

There are two check box choices: use the regional settings of this PC and to create a local user account. It will automatically create your account and sign you in automatically and then when you reboot it will ask you to reset password at the sign in screen.

Use this method if it is for someone else other than yourself.
If you are preparing installation media for someone else's machine and they live in a different region or they have certain language settings, then get the username they want to use and don't check the box that says, "copy regional settings of this PC".
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built (ASUS, Intel, Nvidia, Creative Labs, Corsair, Seasonic, Lian Li)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128GB (4x32GB) ‎CMW128GX4M4E3200C16
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 TI Founders Edition
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI Creator PS321URV 32 Inch HDR600
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (4K)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX 1000
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL ROG Edition
    Cooling
    ASUS ROG STRIX LC II 360 ARGB AIO, 10x UNI FAN SL-INFINITY Fans
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite (Silent keys)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3s
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s Down and 20 Mb/s Up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Vanatoo Transparent One Encore with a REL HT/1003 Subwoofer
jesseinsf said:
To shorten all those unnecessary steps, use Rufus.

Only use this method if you are building Installation media for the same PC you are creating installation media for, or for PCs that have the same regional settings.

There are two check box choices: use the regional settings of this PC and to create a local user account. It will automatically create your account and sign you in automatically and then when you reboot it will ask you to reset password at the sign in screen.

Use this method if it is for someone else other than yourself.
If you are preparing installation media for someone else's machine and they live in a different region or they have certain language settings, then get the username they want to use and don't check the box that says, "copy regional settings of this PC".
Click to expand...
Added to this. If you wish to connect or create a Microsoft account, then you can do this in the account settings.

BTW, any nub who looks at this tutorial would be discouraged. Simplicity rules these days.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built (ASUS, Intel, Nvidia, Creative Labs, Corsair, Seasonic, Lian Li)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128GB (4x32GB) ‎CMW128GX4M4E3200C16
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 TI Founders Edition
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI Creator PS321URV 32 Inch HDR600
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (4K)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX 1000
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL ROG Edition
    Cooling
    ASUS ROG STRIX LC II 360 ARGB AIO, 10x UNI FAN SL-INFINITY Fans
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite (Silent keys)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3s
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s Down and 20 Mb/s Up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Vanatoo Transparent One Encore with a REL HT/1003 Subwoofer
jesseinsf said:
Added to this. If you wish to connect or create a Microsoft account, then you can do this in the account settings.

BTW, any nub who looks at this tutorial would be discouraged. Simplicity rules these days.
Click to expand...
Also, I would keep this tutorial as a reference and build a simplistic version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built (ASUS, Intel, Nvidia, Creative Labs, Corsair, Seasonic, Lian Li)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128GB (4x32GB) ‎CMW128GX4M4E3200C16
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 TI Founders Edition
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI Creator PS321URV 32 Inch HDR600
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (4K)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX 1000
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL ROG Edition
    Cooling
    ASUS ROG STRIX LC II 360 ARGB AIO, 10x UNI FAN SL-INFINITY Fans
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite (Silent keys)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3s
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s Down and 20 Mb/s Up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Vanatoo Transparent One Encore with a REL HT/1003 Subwoofer
I'm retiring my 10 year old motherboard, CPU & system drive running Windows 10 Pro which originally started as a Window 8 Pro installation with a retail key I bought in 2012. The current configuration is activated with a digital licence linked to my MS account. I'm installing a new motherboard, CPU and system drive then will do a clean install of Windows 11.

At step 7 the tutorial says "Enter your Windows 11 product key, and click/tap on Next." Do I enter my original Windows 8 key at this point to reuse on the new hardware or say I don't have a key then activate once Windows is installed?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender
Steve C said:
I'm retiring my 10 year old motherboard, CPU & system drive running Windows 10 Pro which originally started as a Window 8 Pro installation with a retail key I bought in 2012. The current configuration is activated with a digital licence linked to my MS account. I'm installing a new motherboard, CPU and system drive then will do a clean install of Windows 11.

At step 7 the tutorial says "Enter your Windows 11 product key, and click/tap on Next." Do I enter my original Windows 8 key at this point to reuse on the new hardware or say I don't have a key then activate once Windows is installed?
Click to expand...

Hello Steve, :alien:

Since you are wanting to do a clean install of Windows 11, you could enter either a W10 or W11 key to activate W11. I don't think a W8/8.1 key will work to activate W11.
 

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
Brink said:
Hello Steve, :alien:

Since you are wanting to do a clean install of Windows 11, you could enter either a W10 or W11 key to activate W11. I don't think a W8/8.1 key will work to activate W11.
Click to expand...
How so? I thought a valid W10 retail key would work from all I've read? If not should I then do a Windows 10 clean install using the Windows 8 key then immediately update it to Windows 11?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender
Steve C said:
How so? I thought a valid W10 retail key would work from all I've read? If not should I then do a Windows 10 clean install using the Windows 8 key then immediately update it to Windows 11?
Click to expand...

You could do that. Just not a direct clean install of W11 with a W8 key.

You can activate W11 directly with either a W10 or W11 key. They are the same.
 

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
Brink said:
You could do that. Just not a direct clean install of W11 with a W8 key.

You can activate W11 directly with either a W10 or W11 key. They are the same.
Click to expand...
That is completely illogical but nothing surprises me concerning MS. Dr Google advises many have had success using a Windows 8 key.

ChatGPT says:
No, you cannot use a Windows 8 retail key to perform a clean install of Windows 11. Windows 11 requires a valid Windows 10 license to upgrade from, and retail keys for Windows 8 cannot be used to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11. If you have a retail key for Windows 8, you can upgrade to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer that was available until July 29, 2016. Once you have upgraded to Windows 10, you can then perform a clean install of Windows 11 using a valid Windows 10 license key.

Will my Windows 8 retail key activate a clean install of Windows 10 from where I can the upgrade to Windows 11?

I guess I'll just experiment when I do the installation. I do have spare supposedly valid Windows 10 key I acquired at a knock down price. Is it advisable in this situation to say I have no key at the start of the installation then try to activate from within Windows?
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender
Steve C said:
That is completely illogical but nothing surprises me concerning MS. Dr Google advises many have had success using a Windows 8 key.

ChatGPT says:
No, you cannot use a Windows 8 retail key to perform a clean install of Windows 11. Windows 11 requires a valid Windows 10 license to upgrade from, and retail keys for Windows 8 cannot be used to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11. If you have a retail key for Windows 8, you can upgrade to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer that was available until July 29, 2016. Once you have upgraded to Windows 10, you can then perform a clean install of Windows 11 using a valid Windows 10 license key.

Will my Windows 8 retail key activate a clean install of Windows 10 from where I can the upgrade to Windows 11?

I guess I'll just experiment when I do the installation. I do have spare supposedly valid Windows 10 key I acquired at a knock down price. Is it advisable in this situation to say I have no key at the start of the installation then try to activate from within Windows?
Click to expand...

You can try it to see. Hopefully, you'll get lucky.
 

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
Steve C said:
That is completely illogical but nothing surprises me concerning MS. Dr Google advises many have had success using a Windows 8 key.

ChatGPT says:
No, you cannot use a Windows 8 retail key to perform a clean install of Windows 11. Windows 11 requires a valid Windows 10 license to upgrade from, and retail keys for Windows 8 cannot be used to activate Windows 10 or Windows 11. If you have a retail key for Windows 8, you can upgrade to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer that was available until July 29, 2016. Once you have upgraded to Windows 10, you can then perform a clean install of Windows 11 using a valid Windows 10 license key.

Will my Windows 8 retail key activate a clean install of Windows 10 from where I can the upgrade to Windows 11?

I guess I'll just experiment when I do the installation. I do have spare supposedly valid Windows 10 key I acquired at a knock down price. Is it advisable in this situation to say I have no key at the start of the installation then try to activate from within Windows?
Click to expand...
Since you are going to upgrade it anyway install 8 first then use the upgrade to W11 so the hardware is registered then if it doesn't work right do a clean install so the server will recognize it without issue.

On my laptop I had to use my 7 ultimate key after I installed W11 home to get it to go back to pro after a clean install.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 13900k, Intel UHD 770 integrated
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG Z790 ACE
    Memory
    32gb G.Skill Trident Z5 6600
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
    Sound Card
    EVGA Nu Audio, Razer Kraken V3 Pro, Realtek Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 38GN950-B, Benq EX3415R nano IPS monitors
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1600, 3440X1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro, Samsung 850 Pro, Crucial MX500, WD Black SN700, WD Black 8tb HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova G2 1300w
    Case
    Thermaltake Level 20 XT
    Cooling
    ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 ARGB in push/pull, Antec Prism X 120mm ARGB Fans x 15
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite V1
    Mouse
    Corsair Dark Core Pro SE on an Asus ROG Balteus Qi pad
    Internet Speed
    450Mbps cable primary, 6Mbps secondary vdsl
    Browser
    Chrome primary, FF-Edge-IE secondary
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 Premium
    Other Info
    I sit on a Secret Lab Titan XL 2020 chair.😍
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    2021 HP Omen
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
    Motherboard
    factory
    Memory
    16gb ddr 3200
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 3060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    onboard B&O
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" 144hz IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Hynix 512gb nvme ssd, WD Black SN850 2TB nvme ssd
    PSU
    factory
    Case
    factory
    Cooling
    factory with ARCTIC MX-6
    Mouse
    touchpad and Logitech wireless mouse
    Keyboard
    4 zone rgb
    Internet Speed
    WiFi 6, 1gb ethernet
    Browser
    Chrome primary, FF-IE and Edge secondary
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 Premium
HRPuffnstuff said:
Since you are going to upgrade it anyway install 8 first then use the upgrade to W11 so the hardware is registered then if it doesn't work right do a clean install so the server will recognize it without issue.

On my laptop I had to use my 7 ultimate key after I installed W11 home to get it to go back to pro after a clean install.
Click to expand...
Or install W10 using the W8 key then upgrade to W11?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Core i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Plus WiFi Z790
    Memory
    64 GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming OC 8G
    Sound Card
    Realtek S1200A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VP2770
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 2TB NVME SSD & SATA HDDs & SSD
    PSU
    EVGA SuperNova G2 850W
    Case
    Nanoxia Deep Silence 1
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Digital Media Pro
    Mouse
    Logitech Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50 Mb / s
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender
Install the correct edition of Windows 11 using the option of selecting "I don't have a product key". After it is installed, then use your Windows 8 product key to activate it.
 

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!
I have an old non-compliant pc, but I have been wondering what happens if I were to buy a new compliant pc and the maker sends it out bitlocked? I think I’ve read where this might be a possibility, but I’ve read so many things about getting locked out, that I am left somewhat confused. Is there a warning during the OOBE process somewhere that would appear and remind one that they need to stop and go get the key and enter it? Or is it more likely thait it would happen after OOBE completes and some update then decides to cause a ‘bitlocker on’ situation and then ask that you go find it and enter it. This has been on my mind lately as I contemplate that one day I will be faced with making the decision.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11/Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 960
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00 GHz x 2
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP x22LED
    Hard Drives
    Crucial 250 GB SSD, HD 1Tb
Brink said:
You can try it to see. Hopefully, you'll get lucky.
Click to expand...
NavyLCDR said:
Install the correct edition of Windows 11 using the option of selecting "I don't have a product key". After it is installed, then use your Windows 8 product key to activate it.
Click to expand...
I got the error with my W7 key during my last clean install and I was unable to use it afterwards. My W7 key was on a disc and previously used on another machine. I found this:
You will be asked to input a product key during Windows 11 installation. Kindly enter the same key to activate a Windows 11 copy. However, you have to deactivate the license key first before using it to activate Windows 11 with a clean install.
Click to expand...
I didn't think to deactivate it before I clean installed so SOL. I'd need to reinstall W10, etc.
williamhartz.medium.com

Different Ways to Activate Windows 11

Windows 11 has been a buzz topic since the official launch on Oct 5. We have seen a large portion of old Windows users are preparing for un…
williamhartz.medium.com williamhartz.medium.com
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo IdeaPad L340
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-8145U
    Memory
    8GB
    Internet Speed
    45MB
    Browser
    Firefox | Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender | Block unknown executables | Various ASR rules enabled

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
Steve C said:
I'm retiring my 10 year old motherboard, CPU & system drive running Windows 10 Pro which originally started as a Window 8 Pro installation with a retail key I bought in 2012. The current configuration is activated with a digital licence linked to my MS account. I'm installing a new motherboard, CPU and system drive then will do a clean install of Windows 11.

At step 7 the tutorial says "Enter your Windows 11 product key, and click/tap on Next." Do I enter my original Windows 8 key at this point to reuse on the new hardware or say I don't have a key then activate once Windows is installed?
Click to expand...
Either you have a lot of patience, have bought a really high-end PC, or things changed considerably in a few years. I have the same motherboard and system as Brink had back in 2010: Asus P658D-E, i7930, and 6GB RAM.

I installed W10 when given the opportunity for a free upgrade and it was ridiculously so to me. I wish I could've used W10 but now it's just being used to run tax software and spreadsheets which continue to be supported in W7.
 

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
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