{"id":237740,"date":"2025-03-14T11:17:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/?p=237740"},"modified":"2025-03-14T11:17:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:17:46","slug":"how-to-clean-install-windows-11-a-comprehensive-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/how-to-clean-install-windows-11-a-comprehensive-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Clean Install Windows 11: A Comprehensive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clean install refers to the process of installing Windows in a clean, blank state. This means removing all of the previous data and installed apps, and starting over with the new Windows operating system. Clean installation is different from a system upgrade where you can still retain your data in the new operating system version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are some cases where you need to do a clean installation, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>System performance issues that can&#8217;t be fixed with regular methods<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your computer system is under attack by computer viruses and malware<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You&#8217;re selling your computer and you need to <a href=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/feature_file_wiper\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/feature_file_wiper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wipe out<\/a> all of your data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re looking to clean install Windows 11 but still unsure how to start, this article will get you covered! Read through the preparation checklist, the guide on how to perform a clean install, and what to do after a clean installation below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-to-do-before-clean-installing-windows-11\">What to do before clean installing Windows 11<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#pre-clean-install-to-do-list\">Pre-clean install to-do list<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#create-windows-11-media-creation-tool\">Create Windows 11 Media Creation Tool<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-do-clean-install-windows-11\">How to do Clean Install Windows 11<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-to-do-after-clean-install-windows-11\">What to do after clean install Windows 11<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do-before-clean-installing-windows-11\">What to do before clean installing Windows 11<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pre-clean-install-to-do-list\">Pre-clean install to-do list<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before doing a clean install of Windows 11, you need to make sure the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure that your computer meets the <a href=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/windows-11-system-requirements\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/windows-11-system-requirements\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">minimum system requirements<\/a> to run Windows 11 by running a compatibility check using the PC Health Check app<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Back up your important data, preferably using a 3-2-1 backup strategy. This basically means that you need to create three data copies on two types of storage (such as using a USB flash drive and cloud storage service) in at least one off site location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a stable internet connection<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have an admin access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a bootable USB drive which contains a <a href=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/all-you-need-to-know-about-windows-media-creation-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/all-you-need-to-know-about-windows-media-creation-tool\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Windows media creation tool<\/a>. The USB drive should have at least 8GB of storage and is preferably a blank USB drive because any data that remains in the drive will be deleted during the creation process<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take note of the current Windows 11 installed on your computer. You can do this by going to the System menu > select System > select About. You should find your Windows 11 edition under the Windows specifications menu. Once you find it, make sure that the Windows edition you&#8217;re going to clean install matches your old edition<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"create-windows-11-media-creation-tool\">Create Windows 11 Media Creation Tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating an installation media using the Windows Media Creation tool is an important step in the clean installation process. Here&#8217;s how you can do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Download Windows 11 media creation tool from <a href=\"https:\/\/aka.ms\/Windows11MediaCreationTool\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aka.ms\/Windows11MediaCreationTool\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">its official website<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once it&#8217;s done, you can run the Media Creation Tool file<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Read through the Microsoft Software License Terms and if it looks good for you, click the &#8220;Accept&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"474\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/agree-to-license-terms-agreement.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237741\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/agree-to-license-terms-agreement.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/agree-to-license-terms-agreement-300x237.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the language and edition of Windows 11 > click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"474\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-and-edition.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-and-edition.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-and-edition-300x237.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select which external drive you want to choose as an installation media. You can use a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB storage or an ISO file (you&#8217;ll need to burn the ISO file to a DVD later) > click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button. Bear in mind that if you opt for a blank USB flash drive, the device will be formatted and all of the data inside will be deleted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"474\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-media.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-media.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-media-300x237.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose the target drive from the list and click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button. Then wait for the media creation download process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"475\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-the-target-drive.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-the-target-drive.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-the-target-drive-300x238.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once it&#8217;s done, click the &#8220;Finish&#8221; button. Now you have a bootable installation media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-do-clean-install-windows-11\">How to do Clean Install Windows 11<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s how you can do a clean install of Windows 11:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Plug in the external drive where you saved the Media Creation Tool. This could be a bootable USB drive from the previous step, for example<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by clicking the Windows button > selecting &#8220;Power&#8221; > holding down the Shift Key + clicking the &#8220;Restart&#8221; option<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Windows Recovery Environment, select &#8220;Use a device&#8221; > select the bootable USB flash drive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"447\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-use-a-device-in-winre.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-use-a-device-in-winre.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-use-a-device-in-winre-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From here, you&#8217;ll be redirected to the Windows Setup page where you can choose the language settings. Once you&#8217;re done, click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-settings-windows-setup.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237746\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-settings-windows-setup.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-language-settings-windows-setup-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select keyboard settings and click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-settings-in-windows-setup.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-settings-in-windows-setup.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-settings-in-windows-setup-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select &#8220;Install Windows 11&#8221; and tick the &#8220;I agree everything will be deleted including files, apps, and settings&#8221; option then click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-install-windows-11.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-install-windows-11.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-install-windows-11-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you&#8217;re reinstalling the same edition of Windows, select the &#8220;I don&#8217;t have a product key&#8221; option. This will automatically activate the copy of your Windows once you reconnect your Microsoft account<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-i-dont-have-a-product-key.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237749\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-i-dont-have-a-product-key.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-i-dont-have-a-product-key-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose the Windows edition you got from the previous pre-install checklist > click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-windows-edition.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-windows-edition.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-windows-edition-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read through the Microsoft Software License Terms and if it looks good for you, click the &#8220;Accept&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/click-accept.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/click-accept.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/click-accept-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose the drive where you want to clean install Windows 11 then select the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"446\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-drive-.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-drive-.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-drive--300x223.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review the recap, and if everything looks good, click the &#8220;Install&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/review-recap.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/review-recap.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/review-recap-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wait for the installation process<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"447\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-for-the-installation-process.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-for-the-installation-process.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-for-the-installation-process-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"447\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/installation-process-part-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/installation-process-part-2.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/installation-process-part-2-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When the Windows installation process is done, your computer will restart. Wait until it fully boots<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After your computer fully boots, select the region and then click the &#8220;Yes&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-region.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-region.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-region-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the keyboard layout and then click the &#8220;Yes&#8221; button. You can add a second keyboard layout on the next screen, otherwise, you can click the &#8220;Skip&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-layout.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-layout.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-keyboard-layout-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wait until Windows finishes checking for updates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"446\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-Windows-finishes-checking-for-updates.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-Windows-finishes-checking-for-updates.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-Windows-finishes-checking-for-updates-300x223.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the new screen, you can give a name to your device. Otherwise, you can choose the &#8220;Skip for now&#8221; option<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"447\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/name-your-device.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/name-your-device.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/name-your-device-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your computer will restart, wait for it to fully boot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the new screen, select the set up option and click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-set-up-option.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-set-up-option.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-set-up-option-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Windows will check for and install updates. Wait until the installation process finishes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-the-updates-are-installed.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-the-updates-are-installed.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wait-until-the-updates-are-installed-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once it finishes, Sign in to your Microsoft account by clicking the &#8220;Sign in&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sign-in-to-Microsoft-account.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sign-in-to-Microsoft-account.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sign-in-to-Microsoft-account-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a PIN by clicking the &#8220;Create PIN&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/create-PIN.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/create-PIN.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/create-PIN-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review and choose privacy settings. Click the &#8220;Accept&#8221; button once it&#8217;s done<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-privacy-settings.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-privacy-settings.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-privacy-settings-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the new screen, you&#8217;ll be asked whether you want to restore from your PC backup. You shouldn&#8217;t do this because you want to clean install your computer. Instead, you&#8217;ll need to click &#8220;More options&#8221; > select &#8220;Set up as a new PC&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You&#8217;ll be asked to reconfirm your choice, select the &#8220;Set up as a new PC&#8221; option again<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-set-up-as-a-new-PC.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-set-up-as-a-new-PC.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-set-up-as-a-new-PC-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the new screen, choose whether you want to customize your experience. If you do, tick the options you want and click the &#8220;Accept&#8221; button. Otherwise, you can click the &#8220;Skip&#8221; option<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-customize-your-experience.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-customize-your-experience.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-customize-your-experience-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose whether you want to link your mobile device with your computer. If you do, follow the instructions on the screen and click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button, otherwise select &#8220;Skip&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"447\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-connect-mobile-device.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-connect-mobile-device.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-connect-mobile-device-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose whether you want to back up your phone&#8217;s photo in OneDrive. You can follow the instructions to do so, otherwise you can skip the step by clicking the &#8220;Skip&#8221; button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-whether-you-want-to-use-onedrive.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-whether-you-want-to-use-onedrive.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/select-whether-you-want-to-use-onedrive-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You&#8217;ll be asked whether you want to keep your browsing data history on Microsoft Edge. Click the &#8220;Accept&#8221; button if you do, otherwise you can click the &#8220;Not now&#8221; option<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"448\" data-lity src=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-save-browsing-data-on-Microsoft-Edge.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-save-browsing-data-on-Microsoft-Edge.png 600w, https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/choose-if-you-want-to-save-browsing-data-on-Microsoft-Edge-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lastly, you&#8217;ll be given information about Microsoft 365. You can click the &#8220;Next&#8221; button or ignore the message<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your clean install process has been completed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do-after-clean-install-windows-11\">What to do after clean install Windows 11<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After clean installation, you need to do the following to ensure your system runs in peak conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run initial system updates and then regularly check for new updates by accessing the &#8220;Windows Update&#8221; menu from settings. You can also adjust how and when you want to install updates under the &#8216;More options&#8217; menu in Windows Update<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure that you have the latest driver updates. You can do this from Windows Update > More options > Advanced options > Additional options > Optional updates then download and install device driver updates from there. You can also do this from the Device Manager menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure that Windows Security is activated. You can check this by accessing the Privacy &amp; Security menu > Windows Security > Virus &amp; threat protection. You can check for current threats by clicking the &#8220;Quick scan&#8221; button in the virus &amp; threat protection menu<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clean Install Windows 11 is an alternative you can try if you want to fix performance issues, or when you want to run Windows 11 in a fresh state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can easily perform a clean installation using a bootable USB drive which contains Windows Media Creation and the steps to do it are quite straightforward as described above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, you need to do some preparation before clean installation and perform some extra steps after installation to make sure your system runs smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you find this article useful, please consider sharing this on your social media and browse through our <a href=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/tag\/tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/tag\/tips\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tips &amp; Tricks<\/a> section for more information to make your Windows experience better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clean install refers to the process of installing Windows in a clean, blank state. This means removing all of the previous data and installed apps, and starting over with the new Windows operating system. Clean installation is different from a system upgrade where you can still retain your data in the new operating system version. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":237770,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-237740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237771,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237740\/revisions\/237771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jv16powertools.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}