Performing a clean installation of Windows can significantly enhance your PC’s responsiveness. However, it’s crucial to note that this process resets several essential features to their default Microsoft settings, potentially leading to complications, including the risk of being permanently locked out of your system.
6 Safeguard Your BitLocker Recovery Key
With the release of Windows 11 24H2, Device Encryption is automatically enabled when you complete a clean installation and sign in using a Microsoft account. This feature applies only to new installations or computers with 24H2 pre-installed; it does not affect upgrades. To verify this setting, navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Encryption.
Although automatic encryption enhances security, it poses a potential risk: Microsoft saves your recovery key in the cloud, a fact that is not always clear during setup. Should your system experience a crash, boot issues, or significant hardware replacements, you’ll need this 48-digit key to unlock your files.
The usual recovery process involves signing into your Microsoft account to access the key. However, if you find yourself unable to log in—due to a forgotten password, loss of access to two-factor authentication, or a compromised account—it is essential to have a backup in place. Failing to provide the key may result in irreversible data loss.
To back up your BitLocker recovery key, log into your Microsoft account online and head to Devices > Manage BitLocker Keys. Here, you’ll find a list of recovery keys associated with your devices, each paired with an ID that corresponds to your computer’s prompt for the key. We strongly advise you to print this key and store it securely, or save it to a USB drive that is kept separate from your computer. Alternatively, you could take a photo with your phone—just ensure it is backed up somewhere safe.
If you decide against using device encryption, you can disable it through the toggle found in Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Encryption. Keep in mind that this choice sacrifices some security for convenience, and on modern machines, the performance hit from encryption is often negligible.
5 Activate System Protection to Generate Restore Points
System Protection serves as Windows’ built-in safety net for your system files and settings, acting like a time machine. Should issues arise—like a problematic driver update or installation errors preventing software from functioning properly—you can revert to a previously saved state using restore points.
Unfortunately, this feature is disabled by default to help conserve disk space, particularly on devices with limited storage capacity. While this rationale is understandable, it leaves users without an essential safety net. Even if you already have a backup process for your Windows 11 machine, enabling System Protection adds another layer of security against unforeseen issues.
To activate System Protection, click Start, type View advanced system settings, and select it from the available options. Within the System Properties dialog, switch to the System Protection tab.
Choose your system drive (commonly C:), click Configure, and then select Turn on system protection. Setting aside about 5-10% of your drive space typically suffices for several restore points without hogging your storage. Click Apply to save these changes.
To create your first restore point, return to the System Properties dialog, click Create, assign a name to your restore point, and click Create again.
4 Keep Windows Updated and Install Drivers
Immediately after a fresh installation, Windows Update will begin notifying you of pending updates, and completing these updates is critical. They often contain essential security patches, driver upgrades, and solutions to bugs that emerged since the creation of your installation media.
Navigate to Settings > Windows Update and install all suggested updates. Continue checking for updates until all are installed. Expect multiple rounds of updates requiring restarts in between. Do not defer this task; neglecting to update can lead to frustrating issues that are often preventable with timely updates.
After completing Windows updates, focus on any drivers that Windows Update may have overlooked. Particularly pay attention to graphics drivers, as Windows installs only the basic display drivers which may not deliver optimal performance. For improved graphics capabilities, visit NVIDIA’s or AMD’s website to download their dedicated driver tools for your specific graphics card.
While conducting these updates, take the opportunity to remove any unnecessary Windows bloatware, including pre-installed applications like Candy Crush and various Microsoft services that may not be relevant to you.
3 Adjust Your Power Settings
The default power settings in Windows favor energy conservation, which may limit your system’s performance. A fresh installation generally defaults to Balanced mode, which, while seemingly reasonable, can throttle your CPU performance to save power.
To adjust this, go to Settings > System > Power & battery and expand the Power mode section. For desktop systems, or laptops that are plugged in, select Best performance. While this consumes more power, it significantly enhances system responsiveness. On laptops running on battery, you might prefer to stick with either Balanced mode or Best power efficiency, depending on your needs.
Additionally, review the Energy Saver settings, which by default activates at 20% battery life. This setting may be overly aggressive if you are near a power source. Adjusting these settings can help maximize your laptop’s battery life without significantly compromising performance.
2 Disable Excessive Notifications
Upon installation, Windows 11 bombards users with notifications. From news alerts to feature tips about applications you may never utilize, these notifications can quickly become overwhelming and disruptive.
Managing these notifications is essential to enhance your user experience.
1 Examine and Adjust Privacy Settings
Out of the box, Microsoft’s privacy settings are quite permissive, collecting a considerable amount of data. A fresh installation typically opts you into extensive data collection practices—ranging from diagnostic data to tailored advertising and more. While this information can help refine Microsoft services, you might wish to limit it.
Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security and methodically review each section. In the General tab, I recommend disabling all options except for Let websites show me locally relevant content. For Diagnostics & feedback, change from Optional diagnostic data to Required diagnostic data only.
Additionally, scrutinize app permissions for the camera, microphone, location, and other permissions. You may be surprised by the number of applications requesting permissions that are not necessary for their functionality.
Implementing these steps transforms a standard Windows 11 installation into a well-configured, secure environment. While dedicating 20-30 minutes to this process might seem lengthy, it is an investment in your system’s reliability, enhancing both performance and peace of mind against potential data access issues.
Moreover, numerous strategies exist to further enhance your Windows 11 experience, including troubleshooting common annoyances in the system. Your future self will appreciate the improvements you make today.
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