A clear Home windows set up is a good way to maintain your PC feeling snappy. Nonetheless, each time you do that, sure essential options are reset to their Microsoft defaults—together with some that might lock you out completely.
6
Again Up Your BitLocker Restoration Key
Since Home windows 11 24H2, Gadget Encryption routinely activates once you clear set up and register with a Microsoft account. This solely impacts recent installs or new PCs with 24H2 preinstalled—not upgrades. You possibly can examine this by going to Settings > Privateness & safety > Gadget encryption.
Whereas computerized encryption is nice for safety, there is a catch: Microsoft shops your restoration key within the cloud, however this will not be apparent throughout setup. In case your system ever crashes, has boot points, or undergoes important {hardware} modifications, Home windows would require this 48-digit key to unlock your information.
Normally, you’ll be able to merely register along with your Microsoft account to retrieve the important thing. Nonetheless, if you cannot entry your account—possibly you forgot the password, misplaced entry to two-factor authentication, or your account was compromised—you will want a backup. With out the important thing, your knowledge is gone eternally.
To seek out and again up your BitLocker restoration key, register to your Microsoft account on-line and navigate to Units > Handle BitLocker keys. You may see a listing of restoration keys related along with your gadgets. Every key has an ID that matches what your laptop shows when it wants the important thing. We advocate printing this key and storing it someplace protected, or saving it to a USB drive that you just preserve separate out of your laptop. You can too take a photograph along with your telephone—simply be certain it is backed up someplace.
In case you choose to not use system encryption, you’ll be able to disable it by means of the toggle in Settings > Privateness & Safety > Gadget encryption. Keep in mind that doing so is buying and selling safety for comfort, and on trendy techniques, the efficiency distinction of encryption is often negligible.
Associated
Why I Use a Safety Key to Preserve My Most Necessary Accounts Safe
If you wish to increase your account safety, I strongly advocate choosing up a safety key.
5
Allow System Safety to Create Restore Factors
System Safety is Home windows’ built-in time machine on your system information and settings. When one thing goes improper—possibly a driver replace breaks your audio, or a program set up corrupts system information—you should utilize a restore level to undo the modifications and restore your PC to an earlier level the place every thing was working appropriately.
Home windows disables this function by default to avoid wasting disk area, particularly on gadgets with restricted storage. Whereas I perceive the reasoning, this leaves you and not using a security web. Even for those who’re already following a correct backup technique on your Home windows 11 PC, enabling System Safety is a good way to undo unintended modifications that broke your laptop.
Earlier than you’ll be able to create a system restore, you want to allow System Safety. To do that, click on Begin, kind View superior system settings, and open it from the search outcomes. Within the System Properties dialog, open the System Safety tab.
Choose your system drive (often C:), click on Configure, and choose Activate system safety. I often set it to make use of about 5-10% of my drive area—sufficient for a number of restore factors with out consuming an excessive amount of storage. Click on Apply to avoid wasting the modifications.
Now create your first restore level: within the System Properties dialog, click on Create, identify your restore level, and click on Create once more. Whereas this creates a handbook restore level, you also needs to see our information on creating and utilizing restore factors in Home windows 11 to find out about computerized scheduling and different administration ideas.
4
Replace Home windows and Set up the Newest Drivers
Home windows Replace begins nagging you virtually instantly after a recent set up, however because it seems, these first updates are essential. They typically embrace safety patches, driver updates, and fixes for points that cropped up because you created the set up media.
Go to Settings > Home windows Replace and set up all of the pending updates. Preserve operating Home windows Replace till no extra updates can be found. This often takes at the least two rounds of updates with restarts in between. Do not skip this step pondering you will do it later—I’ve seen too many individuals run into bizarre points {that a} easy replace would have prevented.
After Home windows updates are achieved, it is time for the drivers Home windows Replace missed. Your graphics drivers particularly want consideration. Home windows installs primary show drivers that work, however they’re horrible for efficiency. To replace your graphics drivers in Home windows 11, head to NVIDIA’s or AMD’s web site and obtain their official driver instruments. These will make sure you get the most recent drivers optimized on your particular graphics card.
When you’re doing this housekeeping, take a couple of minutes to take away the Home windows bloatware that comes preinstalled. Even clear installs embrace apps like Sweet Crush and numerous Microsoft companies you may by no means use.
3
Change Your Energy Settings
Home windows’ default energy settings are conservative—too conservative if you’d like your system operating at its greatest. On a recent set up, Home windows sometimes defaults to Balanced mode, which sounds affordable however throttles your CPU and different parts to avoid wasting energy.
Head to Settings > System > Energy & battery and develop the Energy mode part. For desktops, and laptops when plugged in, swap to Greatest efficiency. Sure, it makes use of extra energy, however your system will really feel noticeably snappier. For laptops on battery, you may need to preserve Balanced mode and even Greatest energy effectivity, relying in your wants.
Additionally, examine the Power Saver settings when you’re there. By default, it kicks in at 20% battery, which is perhaps too aggressive for those who’re close to a charger. I’ve discovered these Home windows 11 settings maximize my laptop computer’s battery life with out sacrificing an excessive amount of efficiency.
2
Flip Off Pointless Notifications
Recent Home windows 11 installs include notifications turned as much as eleven. Each app desires to let you know one thing, from information updates to tips on options you will by no means use. After a number of days, the fixed pinging turns into maddening.
Go to Settings > System > Notifications and begin pruning. Flip off Present me the Home windows welcome expertise and Get ideas and ideas immediately—these are simply adverts disguised as “useful ideas.” Then undergo the app record under and disable notifications for something non-essential. I preserve notifications for communication apps, calendar, and safety instruments, however every thing else will get muted.
These are simply the fundamentals of notification management. For extra superior choices like organising Focus Help profiles, selecting precedence contacts, and creating time-based guidelines, try our detailed information on taming Home windows 11 notifications.
1
Evaluation Privateness Settings
Microsoft’s default privateness settings are, to illustrate, beneficiant with their knowledge assortment. A recent set up opts you into just about every thing: diagnostic knowledge, tailor-made experiences, promoting ID monitoring, and extra. Whereas a few of this knowledge helps enhance Home windows, you may need to dial it again.
Go to Settings > Privateness & safety and work your means by means of every part. Below Basic, I flip off every thing besides Let web sites present me regionally related content material. Below Diagnostics & suggestions, swap from Non-obligatory diagnostic knowledge to Required diagnostic knowledge solely.
Remember about app permissions too—digital camera, microphone, location, and extra—it’s best to overview which apps have entry to what. You would be stunned what number of apps request permissions they do not really want.
These steps flip a vanilla Home windows 11 reinstallation right into a correctly configured, safe system. Sure, it takes about 20-Half-hour to work by means of every thing, however it’s time properly spent. You may keep away from potential points like shedding entry to encrypted information, get pleasure from higher efficiency, and have peace of thoughts realizing your system can get better from issues.
In the meantime, there are such a lot of different methods to enhance your Home windows 11 expertise, together with fixes for probably the most annoying Home windows 11 options. Your future self will thanks for taking the time to make your system higher now.
