When configuring W11, be aware of the following considerations.
When configuring W11, be aware of the following considerations.
So yeah... I realize this is a very general question, but hear me out:
Back in the days (I'm showing my age here) installing W without internet connection and/or MS account was the default. There was also very little tinkering involved. Gradually that became less, especially with W10 where internet connection and an MS account was almost enforced. From what I've read, that's even more the case with W11.
Today my kid's new laptop arrived with W11 Home pre-installed. I have NO experience with W11, and really don't have any current knowledge on Windows or hardware. I kinda stopped with all that with my last build... but that was... almost a decade ago!
So here I have this pristine laptop, sitting in a box next to me on the couch. We're eager to set it up for her.
- What are the pointers with a clean W11? (no, I will NOT install Norton
)
- Can I still avoid an MS account? Any reason why I should / shouldn't?
- Though it's a standard laptop, probably with it's own recovery partition or something like that, can I still make our own recovery image? Any reason why I should / shouldn't?
- Are there other things I should be aware of? Settings to adjust? Privacy stuff to take care of?
All this info will undoubtedly be around on the web, but since I don't know what to look for I will probably never find it.
All tips appreciated!
There are methods to bypass all unnecessary software and data collection. You can employ Tiny11 to craft your own minimal ISO file, which you can then install on a flash drive yourself, or opt for a ready-made stripped version from sources like ReviOS (Revision OS). They remove all telemetry and turn off automatic updates, requiring manual upgrades via a new ISO or by rebuilding the image with Tiny11. They usually eliminate excess bloatware while keeping essential services such as the Microsoft Store functional, allowing you to log in with an MS account if desired, but otherwise maintaining a local, offline setup. This is how I handle my installations. Personally, I prefer ReviOS because it’s fully customized. For gaming PCs, I install Xbox services through Game Pass and disable Windows Update manually—just avoid clicking anything that prompts for updates. Instead, I check periodically for updates to tools like Windows Defender and install them directly when needed. There’s a helpful article on setting up Tiny11, which you can find on its GitHub page. You can also explore creating a Windows 11 image that runs on just 2GB of RAM using Tiny11 Builder—a free tool that generates an image requiring minimal memory.
It's suitable for anyone using any hardware. I never rely on the pre-installed operating system on my laptops; I always remove it and perform a clean installation to ensure it contains only the essentials I require, excluding unnecessary software and tracking features.
For the stated user, this would be problematic for me.
With Tiny11 - "and disable Windows updates"
Sorry, but I can't buy into that for the vast majority of users.
And some of the other things that Tiny11 strips out are things that people actually use.
There's nothing really disastrous in a regular WIn 10/11 install.
Turn off location tracking, and whatever advertising linking is in the initial account setup.
You have the option to create your own "recovery" image without using any recovery partition on the laptop at this moment. Alternatively, you might opt for a fresh Windows 11 installation. This would erase the drive and leave only Windows available, with no recovery partition included. None of the impressive software tools the manufacturer offers should have provided you with this feature. The latter is merely a suggestion, not a requirement.
The previous two laptops came with no bloatware at all. Surface Go 3 and a Lenovo model were included. Base Windows 10 and 11 are compatible.