Windows 11 clean install PC

Perform clean install of Windows 11 (six ways)

Here are the six supported methods to clean install Windows 11 on a computer.

  • To clean install Windows 11 (23H2), start the PC using a USB bootable flash drive, continue with on-screen directions, skip activation, and select the “Custom” option for a clean installation. Continue choosing the setup drive, click “Next,” and complete the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
  • Alternatively, you can perform a clean installation of Windows 11 with the Media Creation Tool, Reset this PC feature, WinRE, or ISO file.

UPDATED 11/6/2023: On Windows 11, a clean installation refers to erasing the hard drive and applying a fresh copy of the operating system (version 23H2, 22H2, or a higher release) without custom settings, drivers, apps, or files. Typically, this is the recommended approach to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11 on compatible hardware to prevent installation issues and fix existing problems.

For instance, if the computer has had the same setup for a long time, a clean install of Windows 11 can help resolve performance issues, problems shutting down, booting up, memory, and apps. Also, this installation method is the best way to upgrade from an older version (such as Windows 7 or 8.1). In addition, you can use this option to delete annoying bloatware preloaded with the default setup.

Microsoft supports multiple ways to clean install Windows 11, including using a USB flash drive to set up the operating system on an SSD (Solid-State Drive). The “Reset this PC” feature can quickly wipe out the hard drive and reinstall the system without additional tools. Or, if the device does not start, you can use the Advanced startup options or mount the ISO file to File Explorer to commence a clean install.

In this guide, you will learn how to do a clean installation of Windows 11 23H2 or version 22H2 on your computer. However, before proceeding with these instructions, do these things before installing.

Important: This process will delete everything on your device. It’s recommended to make a full backup of your computer before proceeding. You’ve been warned. Also, these instructions are meant to help you install Windows 11 when it’s officially available, not before.

Clean install Windows 11 from USB

Using a USB flash drive is the most straightforward method to clean install Windows 11 (version 23H2 or 22H2). You can create a bootable media using the Media Creation Tool, Command Prompt, Rufus, or any other third-party tool.

If you choose this method, you must also ensure the device can start from USB, which means you must change the BIOS or UEFI settings. The only caveat is that since most computers have different settings, you must check your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

To perform a clean install of Windows 11 from USB, use these steps:

  1. Start the PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  4. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  5. Click the “I don’t have a product key” option if you are doing a reinstallation. If Windows 11 was previously activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically.

    Skip license key option

  6. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  7. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  10. Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 11 22H2 and click the Delete button. (Typically, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: When you delete a partition, it also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not required to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive.
  11. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  19. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  20. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  21. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  24. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  25. Click the Next button.

  26. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  29. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  30. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  31. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  32. Click the OK button.

  33. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  34. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  35. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  36. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  37. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  38. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  39. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  40. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will continue the installation on the computer.

Clean install Windows 11 from ISO file

Alternatively, you can mount the ISO in File Explorer to launch a clean install or in-place upgrade on a device with the operating system already installed.

To clean install Windows 11 with an ISO file, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Support website.

  2. Under the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, select the Windows 11 option.

  3. Click the Download button.

  4. Select the installation language.

  5. Click the Confirm button.

  6. Click the Download button to save the Windows 11 ISO file on the device.

  7. Right-click the ISO file and select the Mount option.

    File Explorer mount ISO option

  8. Select the virtual drive from the left navigation pane.

  9. Double-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 installation.

    Windows 11 setup.exe

  10. (Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.

    Windows 11 setup update options

  11. Select the “Not right now” option.

    Disable updates during installation

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Click the Accept button to agree to the terms.

  14. Click the “Change what to keep” option.

    Media Creation Tool settings

  15. Select the Nothing option.

    Nothing option

  16. Click the Next button.

  17. Click the Install button.

    Windows 11 ISO clean install setup

     

  18. Click the Next button.

  19. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  20. Click the Yes button.

  21. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  22. Click the Yes button.

  23. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  24. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  25. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  26. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  27. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  28. Click the Next button.

  29. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  30. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  31. Click the Next button.

  32. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  33. Click the Next button.

  34. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  35. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  36. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  37. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  38. Click the OK button.

  39. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  40. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  41. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  42. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  43. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  44. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  45. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  46. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, the clean installation process will begin, similar to using the Media Creation Tools or USB flash drive to upgrade the system.

Clean install Windows 11 using Reset this PC local image

The recovery settings offer another method to start fresh with a clean copy of Windows 11. Unlike the Media Creation Tool, bootable flash drive, and ISO file options, you can only use this method to reinstall Windows 11 on a computer already running the same operating system.

If you plan to upgrade a computer running Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7, you will have to use one of the previous alternative methods.

To clean install Windows 11 with the “Reset this PC” feature with local image, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Recovery on the right side.

     

  4. Under the “Recovery options” section, click the Reset PC button in the “Reset this PC” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install with Reset this PC option

  5. Click the Remove everything option to perform a fresh install of Windows 11.

    Reset this PC remove everything option

  6. Click the Local reinstall option.

    Reset this PC local reinstall option

  7. (Optional) Click the Change settings option. 

    Change reset settings

  8. Configure the reinstallation options:

    • Clean data: If this option is set to No (recommended), then the setup will only delete files, apps, and settings quickly. If the option is set to Yes, the setup will securely clean the drive before installing the operating system, but it will take longer.
    • Delete files from all drives: Only the installation drive will be erased if the option is set to No (recommended). Otherwise, if this option is set to Yes, all the drives on the device will be deleted.
    • Download Windows: If this option is set to No (recommended), the local image will be used for installation. The “Cloud download” option will be activated if the option is set to Yes.
  9. Click the Confirm button.

    Confirm reset settings

  10. Click the Next button.

  11. Click the Reset button.

    Windows 11 clean install with Reset this PC option

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  19. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  20. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  21. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  24. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  25. Click the Next button.

  26. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  29. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  30. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  31. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  32. Click the OK button.

  33. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  34. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  35. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  36. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  37. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  38. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  39. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  40. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, the recovery feature will continue with the reinstallation using the locally available image of Windows 11. This process will restore the original settings if you have a computer from HP, Dell, Acer, or another brand. This means the manufacturer included factory settings, drivers, applications, and tools in the custom image.

If you don’t want to reinstall the custom manufacturer image, use the “Cloud Download” option (see steps below).

Clean install Windows 11 using Reset this PC Cloud download

The Reset this PC feature also includes the “Cloud Download” option, which allows you to reset a computer with a clean installation, removing apps, files, and settings similar to the local image option. The only difference is that the feature will download the installation files from the Microsoft server.

The option is available to reinstall Windows 11 when the local image is not working or you do not want to use the same installation settings provided by the manufacturer. If you select the “Cloud download” option, the feature will download the same version already installed on the computer, which means you cannot use this method to upgrade to a newer version. Also, if the device used a custom image from the manufacturer, the new installation won’t include the custom settings, drivers, or tools.

To perform a clean installation of Windows 11 with the “Reset this PC” feature (Cloud Download), use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click on Recovery on the right side.

  4. Under the “Recovery options” section, click the Reset PC button in the “Reset this PC” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install with Reset this PC option

  5. Click the Remove everything option to perform a fresh install of Windows 11.

    Reset this PC remove everything option

  6. Click the Cloud reinstall option.

    Windows 11 clean install with Cloud Download option

  7. (Optional) Click the Change settings option. 

    Change reset settings

  8. Configure the reinstallation options:

    • Clean data: If this option is set to No (recommended), then the setup will only delete files, apps, and settings quickly. If the option is set to Yes, the setup will securely clean the drive before installing the operating system, but it will take longer.
    • Delete files from all drives: Only the installation drive will be erased if the option is No (recommended). Otherwise, if this option is set to Yes, all the drives on the device will be deleted.
    • Download Windows: If this option is set to Yes (recommended), the “Cloud download” option will be used for installation. If the option is set to No, the local image option will be used for the installation.
  9. Click the Confirm button.

    Confirm reset settings

  10. Click the Next button.

  11. Click the Reset button.

    Windows 11 clean install with Reset this PC option

     

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  19. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  20. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  21. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  24. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  25. Click the Next button.

  26. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  29. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  30. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  31. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  32. Click the OK button.

  33. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  34. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  35. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  36. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  37. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  38. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  39. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  40. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

After you complete the steps, the feature will reset the computer by erasing and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 11 downloaded from the cloud.

Clean install Windows 11 from WinRE

If the computer does not boot, the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE or Windows RE) includes the same options with the “Reset this PC” feature.

You can only use this option to reinstall the same version of the OS already installed on the computer. If you want to upgrade to the latest version, use the USB flash drive, Media Creation Tool, or ISO file options.

To clean install Windows 11 from WinRE, use these steps:

  1. Start device.

  2. Immediately after the Power-On Self-Test (POST), press the Power button again to shut down.

  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the operating system should enter the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).

    Quick note: Windows 11 has multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. You can use these other options if you cannot access the recovery environment.
  4. Click the Advanced options button.

    Advanced startup

  5. Click on Troubleshoot.

    Troubleshoot option

  6. Click on Reset this PC option.

    Reset this PC option

  7. Select the Remove everything option.

    Remove everything option

  8. Click the Cloud download or Local reinstall option. Cloud download: Downloads a fresh image from the Microsoft servers and performs a fresh installation. Local reinstall: Uses the locally available image to install a clean copy of Windows 11.

    Advanced startup cloud download option

  9. Select the “Only the drive where Windows is installed” option. (The All drives option will delete the data on all drives. This option is usually recommended only when you have to decommission the device.)

    Delete drive data option

  10. Select the “Just remove my files” or “Full clean the drive” option.

    • Just remove my files: Deletes the drive contents quickly.
    • Full clean the drive: It also deletes everything on the drive but performs a secure erase that takes several hours—this option is suited when preparing to give away the device.

    Just remove files option

  11. Click the Reset button.

    Windows 10 clean install with advanced startup option

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  19. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  20. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  21. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  24. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  25. Click the Next button.

  26. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  29. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  30. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  31. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  32. Click the OK button.

  33. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  34. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  35. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  36. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  37. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  38. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  39. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  40. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will reinstall, resolving the existing problems. The completion time will depend on your computer hardware configuration and the selected reset configuration.

Clean install Windows 11 using Media Creation Tool

Starting with Windows 11, the Media Creation Tool no longer includes an option to perform a clean installation or in-place upgrade. You can only use the tool to create a bootable media to perform an installation using a USB flash drive or ISO file.

If you want to proceed with the Media Creation Tool, you can use it to create an installation media, and then you can launch the setup from the USB flash drive.

To use the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB install media and proceed with the setup, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft support website.

  2. Under the “Create Windows 11 installation media” section, click the Download Now button.

  3. Double-click the MediaCrationToolW11.exe file to launch the tool.

  4. Click the Accept button.

  5. Click the Next button.

    Media Creation Tool language settings

    Quick note: If you create a Windows 11 USB for another device, you can also clear the “Use the recommended options for this PC” option to select the correct language, architecture, and edition.
  6. Select the USB flash drive option.

    USB flash drive option

  7. Click the Next button.

  8. Select the USB flash drive from the list, but ensure it has no important files, as this process will erase everything on it.

    Select USB to download Windows 11

  9. Click the Next button.

  10. Click the Finish button.

  11. Open the installation media with File Explorer.

  12. Double-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 installation.

    Windows 11 setup.exe

  13. (Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.

    Windows 11 setup update options

  14. Select the “Not right now” option.

    Disable updates during installation

  15. Click the Next button.

  16. Click the Accept button to agree to the terms.

  17. Click the “Change what to keep” option.

    Media Creation Tool settings

  18. Select the Nothing option.

    Nothing option

  19. Click the Next button.

  20. Click the Install button.

    Windows 11 ISO clean install setup

  21. Click the Next button.

  22. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  23. Click the Yes button.

  24. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  25. Click the Yes button.

  26. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  27. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  28. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  29. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  30. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  31. Click the Next button.

  32. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  33. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  34. Click the Next button.

  35. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  36. Click the Next button.

  37. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  38. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  39. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  40. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  41. Click the OK button.

  42. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  43. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  44. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  45. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  46. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  47. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  48. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  49. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

After you complete the steps, the setup will continue with the fresh installation of Windows 11.

Update November 6, 2023: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect the changes up to Windows 11 23H2.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.