{"id":190321,"date":"2022-05-10T16:42:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T14:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=190321"},"modified":"2025-07-01T20:46:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T03:46:27","slug":"how-to-perform-clean-install-of-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/how-to-perform-clean-install-of-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to perform a clean install of Windows 11 in 4 ways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As good as Windows 11<\/strong> is, sometimes the operating system is prone to slow execution, memory mismanagement, and the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. When your PC goes all haywire or no longer wants to perform the way you expect it should, a clean install may be the best course of action<\/strong> aside from getting a new PC. <\/p>\n\n\n

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This is the definitive guide to performing a clean install of Windows 11<\/strong>. In this article, we\u2019ll cover numerous ways to perform a clean install, discuss what a clean install is, and go over a few things you need to do before you start the procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a clean install?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A clean install of Windows 11 is essentially a fresh start for your PC. The process entails creating a backup of the information you may want to keep, performing a full factory reset of your PC, and then reinstalling Windows 11 from any kind of clean installation media. There are many symptoms that an aging or damaged operating system<\/strong> can cause, and most of these are easily fixed by performing a clean install. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more you use your PC, the more junk you\u2019re inclined to pick up. These can be anything from apps and features you no longer use to malignant viruses you don\u2019t know you have. Viruses are particularly difficult, especially when embedded into a third-party app<\/strong>, because, more often than not, you need to uninstall and delete the offending files from numerous places on your computer. Not all of these places are easy to reach, and sometimes even antivirus software won\u2019t be able to completely remove the offending files and settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some PCs also rack up an incredible amount of bloatware, or worse, come with bloatware preinstalled. Bloatware is any app or system program that you have no use for, and that takes up space and computing power. In truth, any number of practices can slow your PC down and cause it to malfunction. In such cases, where your PC becomes too slow to use efficiently, it may be time for a clean install of Windows 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perform a clean install of Windows 11<\/h2>\n\n\n

  1. How to prepare for a clean install<\/h2>\"How

    Before we get into the numerous ways to perform a clean install, we need to cover a few processes you\u2019ll want to take care of. These processes are especially important if you\u2019re installing Windows 11 for the first time and migrating from an older version of Windows, such as Windows 7, 8.1, or 10. If you\u2019ve already got Windows 11 installed on your PC and simply want to perform a <\/span>clean installation<\/b>, you can skip this part.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Step 1: Check compatibility<\/span><\/h3>\n

    First off, you need to make sure that your PC can run Windows 11. The most recent version of the Windows operating system is rather heavy on requirements and may not run or even install properly if your PC doesn\u2019t meet its requirements. You can check your PC\u2019s eligibility with the PC Health Check app, but the easiest way is through your PC\u2019s settings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Head to <\/span>Settings><\/b> Update & Security> Windows Update<\/b>, and then click on <\/span>Check for Updates<\/b>. If your PC is eligible for Windows 11, you\u2019ll see an <\/span>Upgrade to Windows 11<\/b> feature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    There are ways to upgrade to Windows 11 if your PC doesn\u2019t meet the minimum system requirements; we\u2019ve even written a how-to guide for that process, but it is highly discouraged to do so as you won\u2019t have Microsoft\u2019s protection should your PC be infected with malware or suffer performance issues due to the Windows 11 upgrade. Also, note that the increased requirements are mainly centered around better security, so <\/span>installing Windows 11 on an unsupported device<\/span><\/a> is a risky move on the whole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Step 2: Create a backup\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

    A <\/span>backup<\/b> is one of the most important recovery strategies when it comes to software updates. There are many third-party backup options, but Windows 10 has a built-in utility for this function specifically. All you need is a clean USB storage device with enough space for your system data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n