Question-Can I do a Rufus install instead of preloaded?

I have a brand new desktop ordered, it comes with Windows 11. Can I just make a Windows 11 USB with Rufus to bypass MS account rather than use the disconnect internet method. Will I loose anything I should not loose as it wipes out the install drive? Also I see Rufus has a new version 4 now. Which one is the correct one to get? Or should I just go ahead and use the preloaded one? Thank you

LadyLee said:

Will I loose anything

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Sure you can do that. The only reason I do not use a local account at first boot is I like to have any new computer register the device to my MS account as well as registering any recovery keys. Before I install anything or move any files, during OOBE I install with a MS account, then create a new local account as administrator and delete the MS account. But that's just my way. Everyone has their own preference.

As far as what you will lose, you would lose all manufacturer installed apps and all original manufacturer drivers. Instead, the new install would pick up drivers stored in windows update database, some which are generic, some which are older than the manufacturer drivers. These MS drivers will work but I prefer OEM drivers as some of them are customized by the OEM. Again, just my preference.

Oh thank you very much. I wanted to do exactly what you say is your method of install but I did not think that would work because everyone is always simply referring to how to log on with a local acct at the time of install. I definitely will go to your method, I did not know you could remove MS acct and log local later. That is how I did my Windows 10. BTW: Do I make a brand new MS account or use the one that has Windows 10 now. I am going to keep the Windows 10 PC for quite a while yet.

glasskuter's suggestion is excellent, but I would like to just piggyback on that and add a couple of additional suggestions:

1) After allowing the factory installation to complete setup, you might just want to make a complete disk image backup if you have an external drive available. That way, if you have any problems at all with your clean install, you can always go back to the original installation easily.

2) Another reason for allowing the factory installation to complete first: Once you have everything up and running and allow Windows update to perform any updates (it's almost a guarantee that there will be updates since that factory install was created), you might want to perform an export of all your system drivers. This will make it extremely easy to restore all your drivers after you do your clean install of Windows. To do so, follow these steps:

Open an elevated command prompt and run these commands. Replace the E: with the drive letter of an external HD, thumb drive, etc. I use E: in my example commands below, but it may show up with a different letter for you.

md E:\Drivers_Backup
pnputil /export-driver * E:\Drivers_Backup

That's it - you now have a backup of all drivers for your system.

Now, after you perform your clean install of Windows, simply open Device Manager, right-click your computer name at the top of the tree, choose "Add drivers", point it to the location where you saved your drivers, make sure that the checkbox that says "Include subfolders" is checked, and click on "Next". All of your drivers will now be reinstalled.

NOTE: When the display driver is installed, it may cause the screen to flash or go blank temporarily. No need for concern - this is normal. This process may take several minutes. When done, reboot.

I hope that this helps!

No problem understanding your suggestions but if I let the install go as MS wants it to go, then I believe other user was saying the drivers would already be what MS has decided on. Wouldn't I be backing up possible older drivers because they had already been taken over by MS? I certainly will make a backup on one of my externals and I will make a bootable USB to have on hand.

LadyLee said:

No problem understanding your suggestions but if I let the install go as MS wants it to go, then I believe other user was saying the drivers would already be what MS has decided on. Wouldn't I be backing up possible older drivers because they had already been taken over by MS? I certainly will make a backup on one of my externals and I will make a bootable USB to have on hand.

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I'm not sure what you mean by "taken over by MS". If that was the case, why would the manufacturer bother to load drivers at all?

LadyLee said:

Do I make a brand new MS account or use the one that has Windows 10 now.

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Use the one Windows 10 has now so all your machine info, etc for both machines will be stored in one MS account.
I am assuming you have your windows 10 synced to onedrive. Is that correct. During OOBE setup of the new machine, I suggest you keep the windows 10 turned off until you get your local account setup and the temporary MS account deleted.
Are you planning on manually removing all the data from the old machine to the new one using external media?

Make a new user account:
1. Go to settings-accounts-family & other users. Make a new local user account with a new user name. (Be sure to make it an administrative account, NOT a standard account) To do this click the drop arrow to the right of newly established account and change account type to administrator.

2. Restart the computer and log in to newly created account. (Windows will ask you to create a password, a bunch of other questions, and then build the desktop for the new account.)
Pay attention during setup when it get to Onedrive option)

3. COPY the files you saved to the external drive and PASTE them into the corresponding folders in the new account. Note-You can also copy shortcuts to apps, but shortcuts to files and folders will have to be rebuilt as their path will now be different.

When you get the new user account like you want it and verify that everything is working correctly, delete your old user account. (Settings-accounts-family and other users-select the old account-click the drop arrow to the right and remove

hsehestedt said:

Now, after you perform your clean install of Windows, simply open Device Manager, right-click your computer name at the top of the tree, choose "Add drivers",

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To make it clear, if you choose to not do a clean install, but use the account swap I suggested, @hsehestedt suggestion of reinstalling drivers will not be necessary as the driver will already be in place. It is good to have a backup of those drivers on hand in case you ever do have to do a clean install though.

glasskuter said:

all original manufacturer drivers. Instead, the new install would pick up drivers stored in windows update database, some which are generic, some which are older than the manufacturer drivers.

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That's not always the case. I've had clean installs that Windows didn't install all of the drivers. The worst case was on one of my mini pc's. It had more unknown devices than I could shake a stick at. I had to use another computer to go to the The OEM website and download all of the drivers. If it was my computer I would set it up, backup all of the drivers and then do the clean install.

Ok, I got it, I will do glasskutter suggestion and I will follow up with the good ideas from hsehestedt. My goof was thinking that by the time I did a complete backup MS would have done an update and changed my drivers to possible old ones. I get it now and thanks for the great suggestions. To answer another user, No I do not want to use One Drive not ever. I prefer to keep my own data backups and files right in my possition.