Installation and Upgrade Clean Install Windows 11


Windows_11_banner.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.

Starting with Windows 11 build 25905, Microsoft have adjusted the prerequisites (removal of Modern Standby/HSTI validation and untrusted DMA ports check) for enabling device encryption so that it is automatically enabled when doing clean installs of Windows 11.

References:
docs.microsoft.com

Windows 11 overview for administrators

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 Windows

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

Windows 11 Clean Installation

Step by step instructions to clean install Windows 11 to switch Insider Preview Channel.
www.microsoft.com

What does it mean if Windows isn't supported? - Microsoft Support

Learn what it means if you have an older version of Windows that's no longer supported.
support.microsoft.com support.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 or disable 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 Perform an available step below: (see screenshots below)
  • (OLD) Select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method preferences, and click/tap on Next.
  • (NEW) Select your Language to install and Time and currency format, click/tap on Next, select Keyboard or input method, and click/tap on Next.
Clean_install_Windows_11-1.jpg
New_select_language.png
New_select_keyboard.png

6 Select (dot) Install Windows 11, check I agree everything will be deleted including files, apps, an settings, and click/tap on Next.

Clean_install_Windows_11-2.png

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.png

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 Click/tap on Accept for applicable notices and license terms. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-6.png

10 Perform one of the following actions to select a drive or disk to install Windows 11 on: (see screenshots below)

www.elevenforum.com

Default UEFI/GPT Hard Drive Partition Layout Description for Windows 10 and 11

This tutorial will explain each partition of the default partition layout created when you clean install Windows 10 or Windows 11 on a blank hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drives (SSD). When you clean install Windows 10/11 to a blank unallocated disk with UEFI, the disk is formatted using...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.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.

    Starting with Windows 11 build 27774.1000 (Canary), you will now see a confirmation dialog when formatting or deleting partitions.

  • 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.png
Clean_install_Windows_11-8B.png

11 Click/tap on Install when ready. (see screenshot below)

Clean_install_Windows_11-7.png

12 The installation of Windows 11 will now begin. (see screenshot below)

During the installation process, your screen may flash and the computer will restart a few times.


Clean_install_Windows_11-9.png

13 When installation has finished, 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.

If you do not have an Internet connection, you will only be able to set up a local account instead of a Microsoft account during Windows Setup.

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 (if prompted), 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 the OOBE\BYPASSNRO command below first.

Starting with Windows 11 version 23H2 and 24H2, if you have an Internet connection and want to set up a local account instead of a Microsoft account, you will need to 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 (if prompted) when you get back to this step, and go to step 21D to set up a local account.


Clean_install_Windows_11-13b.jpg
Internet_required.png
W11_PRO_no_Internet-1.jpg
netwrork_install_driver.png

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.

If Windows Updates are available, they will install before you are able to continue past this step.

Clean_install_Windows_11-14b.jpg


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) Click/tap on Create PIN. (see screenshot below)​

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-8.jpg

G) 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

G) 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

I) If you don't want to use Restore from this PC from a selected PC, then click/tap on More options, click/tap on Set up as a new PC, and click/tap on Set up as a new PC again to confirm. (see screenshots below)​

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-10b.png Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-10c.png​


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

This tutorial will show you how to link a Samsung Android phone to the Phone Link app on your Windows 10 or 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...
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

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off OneDrive folder backup and 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...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Clean_install_Windows_11_Microsoft_account-13.jpg

M) If prompted to "Keep your phone's photos safe with OneDrive", click/tap on Skip or Next for what you want. (see screenshot below)​

OneDrive_Photos.jpg

N) If prompted to "Always have access to your recent browsing data" for Microsoft Edge, click/tap on Now now or Accept for what you want. (see screenshot below)​

edge.jpg

O) If prompted to "Join PC Game Pass for only $$ a month", click/tap on Skip for now or Join for what you want. (see screenshot below)​

GamePass.jpg

P) 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

Q) 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

R) 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 screenshots below)​
​

If you see "To unlock you account, you can reset your password" instead of "please try again later", 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 (if prompted) when you get back to step 16, and go to step 21D below to set up a local account.



Local_account-Internet-1.jpg
Fake_email_address_not_working.png


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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Click to expand...
It's an internal card reader.

bays.jpg


The drive letters are greyed out until I put a card in. This is my SD card which wakes up F: but G:, H: etc. won't show in disk management without the media which I don't have.

diskmanagement2.jpg


I will have to wait and see what happens once I reinstall Windows tomorrow.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
When everything is installed, you can assign drive letters that make sense to you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook
    CPU
    Intel 6700HQ
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    24
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD FirePro 5170M
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 860 Pro
    Keyboard
    yes
    Mouse
    yes
    Other Info
    19045.3803
    some Red Hat workhorses
@AnnieB

Follow Brink's instructions, and as to the questions you asked - #1 is no, do not disassociate it with your Microsoft Account - that way you can install without hunting down a key, and when you log in to your MS Account (MSA) it will automatically register the device and Windows will be activated.
 

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
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 RGB + 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 , Arc
    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
kelper said:
Then click on 'Remove'
Click to expand...
No, that will permanently remove any drive letter [in that OS, in that computer] from the device concerned.
It will stop it appearing in File explorer when it is plugged in again.
Windows will not automatically assign any new drive letter to it.

Annie - Don't do it.

Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447
For a portable device, it usually will automatically reassign after cleanly installing Windows, though.

The key it that it assigns letters when a device in in any given slot - no devices in slots, no drive letters. Since she is cleanly reinstalling, won't really matter what happens in this instance, but it is unnecessary. Simply removing cards from all slots will be sufficient.
 

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
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 RGB + 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 , Arc
    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
Thank you all. I have noted your comments and will leave the drive letters as they are and make sure no cards are in the card reader when I reinstall tomorrow.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
When the installation has finished: Make a plan for your drive letters first!
Fixed installed devices (disks) start from (C:) (D:) (E:) . . .
removable devices like SD cards and CDs (U:) (V:) (W:) don't use (X:)
You start with the highest letter (W:)!

how to do that without any medium: see attached picture

diskmanagement2.jpg

don't use drive letter (B:) good only for mount commands when you edit your EFI

If you rightclick on (C:) you can shrink the size of that partition. You don't need any additional tool!
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook
    CPU
    Intel 6700HQ
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    24
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD FirePro 5170M
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 860 Pro
    Keyboard
    yes
    Mouse
    yes
    Other Info
    19045.3803
    some Red Hat workhorses
Try3 said:
No, that will permanently remove any drive letter [in that OS, in that computer] from the device concerned.
It will stop it appearing in File explorer when it is plugged in again.
Windows will not automatically assign any new drive letter to it.

Annie - Don't do it.

Denis
Click to expand...
Removing a drive letter from a media in a card reader does not permanently remove it but you do need to use Disk Management again to allocate a drive letter to the media in the card reader. You are right that File Explorer does not do this automatically.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.2894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
I have done it! I think it went well. Thank you for this brilliant tutorial and everyone's help.

This is what I did. I created a local account but had to make my username Chelseafc because my PC name was already Chelsea and it couldn't be the same apparently. I have yet to convert it to a Microsoft account.

When installation finished, I was asked whether to install Armoury Crate/AURA Creator so I said yes to it. Then used the program to run through any updates. I presume this was for the motherboard. I have a TUF B760M-PLUS D4 model.

Next I had to install the driver for the Wifi and Bluetooth card which I had saved from when the shop had first set up the PC.

Then I ran a sfc/ scannow and it had to fix things. This concerns me as I had this once before with the old setup. There were lots of items in the log file which I saved but don't understand any of it. After rebooting, I ran another sfc /scannow and it then said Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations so I suppose it is fixed now. Can anyone set my mind at rest about this please?

PXL_20231122_105941642.jpg


Then I installed the latest EaseUs ToDo Backup Free version and took a disk backup of the disk with the C drive on.

I was pleased with the drive letters which have been allocated. My second disk is now D: and the card reader is taking up G: H: I: and J: which is fine. E: would have been the USB bootable disk so I'm OK with this.

PXL_20231122_115816704.jpg


Here's my Disk Management.

PXL_20231122_111951848.jpg


I'm going to be a bit of a coward and leave any further partitioning. I'm pleased with what I've achieved.

I just hope the issue I had which brought me to doing this doesn't happen again. For information, I was finding that when I explored a backup file, I couldn't rename it or eject the external drive beacuse I kept getting messages that a file was still open even though it wasn't. It seemed to be explorer.exe that was holding it open, I think. It's worth noting that I had already reverted to a previous saved backup of my system and I wonder whether this is where everything went wrong. I shall monitor this over the next few days as it seemed to happen after any kind of Windows Update.

I shall be away from my PC for a few hours now but thank you everyone once more for all your help.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
AnnieB said:
I'm going to be a bit of a coward and leave any further partitioning.
Click to expand...
That contains a mistype. I think what you meant to type was:-
I'm going to be very sensible and leave any further partitioning because none is required.
Click to expand...
You can always consider the topic sometime in the future but your earlier Disk mgmt diagrams made me think that you would never be in a position where repartitioning would achieve any particular benefit for you.
Just remember to use your D:\ drive for your own files so you have a good separation between your OS & applications and your own files. This will make backing up & restoring more straightforward.

AnnieB said:
I ran a sfc/ scannow and it had to fix things
Click to expand...
AnnieB said:
There were lots of items in the log file
Click to expand...
The SFC tutorial Option 3 explains how to extract SFC entries from the main CBS log.
SFC - ElevenForumTutorials
Since you are specifically trying to find out what was repaired, you can use this modified command to extract just the repairs into a very short text file which you can post if you want:-
findstr.exe /c:"[SR] Repair" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >"D:\Diagnostics\SFCResults-Repairs.Log"
but do substitute the path to a real folder of your own in place of my D:\Diagnostics.
The repair might or might not be intelligible. It can often be very dull or even blank. SFC is not very clever.


And I imagine you have already backed up your drivers since completing the installation & updates.
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - ElevenForumTutorials
And you can usefully repeat the driver backup every time you change a driver.


All the best,
Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447
kelper said:
Removing a drive letter from a media in a card reader does not permanently remove it
Click to expand...
Yes, you are correct.
I was thinking that it was permanently removed [in the absence of remedial action].
Just like my permanent marker creates a dot on my USB A plugs to show me which way up they should be. The markings are permanent [until I take a scouring pad to them].
Perhaps there is a better word.


All the best,
Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 23H2 Build 22631.3447
Try3 said:
Yes, you are correct.
I was thinking that it was permanently removed [in the absence of remedial action].
Just like my permanent marker creates a dot on my USB A plugs to show me which way up they should be. The markings are permanent [until I take a scouring pad to them].
Perhaps there is a better word.


All the best,
Denis
Click to expand...
Anyway, you were quite right to warn Annie.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.2894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
Try3 said:
The SFC tutorial Option 3 explains how to extract SFC entries from the main CBS log.
SFC - ElevenForumTutorials
Since you are specifically trying to find out what was repaired, you can use this modified command to extract just the repairs into a very short text file which you can post if you want:-
findstr.exe /c:"[SR] Repair" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log >"D:\Diagnostics\SFCResults-Repairs.Log"
but do substitute the path to a real folder of your own in place of my D:\Diagnostics.
The repair might or might not be intelligible. It can often be very dull or even blank. SFC is not very clever.
Click to expand...
Thanks Denis. This is what the result was. How curious.

2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info CSI 000001d6 [SR] Repairing 0 components
2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info CSI 000001d8 [SR] Repair complete
2023-11-22 11:04:47, Info CSI 000001d6 [SR] Repairing 0 components
2023-11-22 11:04:47, Info CSI 000001d8 [SR] Repair complete

I have made a note to backup my drivers along with a few other tasks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
AnnieB said:
Thanks Denis. This is what the result was. How curious.

2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info CSI 000001d6 [SR] Repairing 0 components
2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info CSI 000001d8 [SR] Repair complete
2023-11-22 11:04:47, Info CSI 000001d6 [SR] Repairing 0 components
2023-11-22 11:04:47, Info CSI 000001d8 [SR] Repair complete

I have made a note to backup my drivers along with a few other tasks.
Click to expand...
Annie and @Try3

There are a class of trivial permissions and/or ownership issues that SFC will report as having fixed, but as it doesn't have to replace any files with a new copy from the component store it doesn't get recorded with the '[SR]' tag. It just resets permissions that have been set twice.

To see if that's the case here search the log again, but this time use findstr.exe /c:"twice" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

I show an example here: Is it "normal" for SFC to need to repair files after upgrading or installing Windows? - post #8
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
Bree said:
Annie and @Try3

There are a class of trivial permissions and/or ownership issues that SFC will report as having fixed, but as it doesn't have to replace any files with a new copy from the component store it doesn't get recorded with the '[SR]' tag. It just resets permissions that have been set twice.

To see if that's the case here search the log again, but this time use findstr.exe /c:"twice" %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

I show an example here: Is it "normal" for SFC to need to repair files after upgrading or installing Windows? - post #8
Click to expand...
My text file was blank.

Incidentally, before this, I noticed some warnings in device manager but, thankfully, I had backed up my drivers as per the advice on this wonderful forum, and I was able to browse to the folder and reinstall them. So glad as I had no clue what the devices were.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
I noticed these two lines at the bottom of my CBS log

2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info DEPLOY [Pnp] Corrupt file: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\bthmodem.sys
2023-11-22 10:59:15, Info DEPLOY [Pnp] Repaired file: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\bthmodem.sys

Perhaps this is what was fixed. I believe it has something to do with the Bluetooth. It's strange because I needed to install the WiFi and Bluetooth drivers because I noticed a warning in Device Manager. It was after doing this that I did the sfc/ scannow. Did it have to fix the driver I just installed?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
@Brink For step 21, Set Up Windows 11 with a Local Account, entering something as simple as "a" for the email and password works just fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer
I notice that Win 11 Home was selected in this tutorial. Also, that many members of this Board use the Home edition. Why Home instead of Pro?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 24H2 (OS Build 26100.3194)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    This laptop is an HP 840
    CPU
    i7-1360p 2.20 GHz
    Motherboard
    HP Model 8B41 KBC Version 51.40.00
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio; Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Bluetooth® Audio; Intel® Smart Sound Technology for USB Audio Intel® Smart Sound Technology for Digital Microphones
    Monitor(s) Displays
    as outfitted
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200 (as recommended)
    Hard Drives
    one SSD 1TB
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    as outfitted
    Internet Speed
    800MB/sec up & down
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Device name REC-840
    Processor 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1360P 2.20 GHz
    Installed RAM 32.0 GB (31.6 GB usable)
    Product ID 00355-61334-62672-AAOEM
    System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
    Pen and touch Touch support with 10 touch points
If you can do it with Home you can do it with Pro. The converse is not always so. Therefore a tutorial on Home is more widely applicable.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.2894
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
TonyCzar said:
I notice that Win 11 Home was selected in this tutorial. Also, that many members of this Board use the Home edition. Why Home instead of Pro?
Click to expand...
Hello, :alien:

No worries, this tutorial applies equally to both Home and Pro.
 

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,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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