How Do I Reformat and Reinstall Windows 11?

⚛️ To reformat and reinstall Windows 11 is considered the "nuclear option" when it comes to dealing with Windows problems (or just cleaning up).

⚛️ Reformatting and reinstalling Windows 11
Reformatting and reinstalling Windows is a drastic measure used to fix problems or clean up by erasing everything on the hard disk and starting fresh. It starts with a backup; then you erase and reformat the hard disk, which you can do in Windows Setup; then you reinstall Windows, reinstall applications, and restore your data.

Chapters
0:00 Reformat and Reinstall Windows 11
0:50 Five step process
3:10 (Re)Formatting
4:40 Watch Leo install and reformat
6:40 Custom install

More Ask Leo!

#askleo #reformat #reinstall

[NoEggu]

@6:23 "I recommend: Pro".
If you originally had the Windows 11 Home version, then if you intend on activating your re-install, choose "Home".

If you had "Home", and then you choose "Pro", I am pretty sure that your installation will not get activated.

The "Home" version and the "Pro" version will be two different activation keys. Also, they are priced differently. If people with the Home version were able to get a free upgrade to Pro, by re-installing Windows, it would be noted by hosts on tech channels / forums.

Since I never tried the above, I cannot say with 100% certainty that going from Home to Pro will prevent activation. But I am believe I am correct, based on my explanation, above.

You can always purchase an upgrade key for the Pro version. But do so only if you will be using a feature that is unavailable in the Home version. To upgrade for the purpose of getting additional features that you do not use is a waste of money for the upgrade key.

The main four Pro features that are disabled in the Home version are:
-- Remote Desktop server.
-- BitLocker server.
-- Sandbox.
-- Group Policy editor.

There are probably other features.

Note that the client version of the above features will work on the Home version.
For example, only the Pro version (or Enterprise version) can create a BitLocker encrypted partition. But if you mount a BitLocker encrypted partition on a system running Home, you will be prompted for the password, and once entered, it will work. But the Home version cannot create the encrypted partition.

[DOHvideo]

You really do have a great way of explaining things. It's such a great resource that a gentleman with your expertise and teaching skill posts these videos. Great work. Excellent. Thank you.

[dingturd]

Awesome video! Love the way you explain things and are thorough yet concise enough that the video doesn’t drag on

[sourandbitter]

I think you explain just enough concepts so that the average computer user will learn new things and still be able to follow along. Well done, thanks for your help.

[philipperostin]

I would do a step 6 : Backup image of your new clean setup.

[Maltojo]

Thanks for the video! Wouldn't you know. I just did a clean install of Win11 Pro. Started yesterday morning and as I am watching this video I am in the process downloading all the Steam and Rockstar programs. My computer would not update from Win10 Pro. Yup a two day+ job. I did copy all of my Document, Pictures, Downloads and Music folders to a separate hard drive, as well as a full image backup using EaseUS ToDo. And I keep a lot of important and other files on separate drives (SSD) in my computer. I have the C: drive just for the OS, Users, and Programs. The games I like are also on their own SSD Drive. I missed one .txt file I had on my desktop, I restored that one from the image backup!

[oakdalecarl]

Great video. This makes the process very clear for a Mac user fixing a friends Windows computer. How about a video on the make an image backup process. Thanks.

[stvnt]

How to reinstall win 11 in laptop, I already download the necessary file from the laptop manufacture website, even use win 11 iso file from microsoft, but it doesnt seems to work, the installation seems stop to initialize. But the ssd is normal and I can detecting it using external case on different computer.

[johnpedersen]

Great way of explaining how to make a clean install of Windows Leo.
But there will maybe be a problem in the future when you go up to 24H2. Microsoft is maybe adding a block to download and install your favorite programs. .exe programs not downloaded from Microsoft Store will maybe in time be blocked.
I saw a video from Britec about this issue.
Maybe the right way in the future is to make a "In place Upgrade" (in time) to have the chance to still use the programs you have installed. Or make a usb to drive those programs portebal. I have a handful of programs I'm using. Programs like Aomei Backupper Free, Libre Office and Revo Uninstaller may not be downloaded from the browser anymore when 24H2 is released. Hope Microsoft not blocking these programs.

[andygardiner]

Interesting comments about activation keys. Am I correct in believing my hard drive could die but I could install a new physical drive, install Windows 10 from the iso and Win10 would automatically activate based on my recorded hardware configuration data *whether or not* I used a Microsoft Account to set up the original machine and despite it being a win7-win10 upgrade? It's of interest to me as, like I assume many users, my Windows key label became illegible long ago!

[Shredddddy]

My files were corrupted and a lot of my game downloads were giving me corrupt files and would either crash or not load at all. Im just going to reinstall windows 11.. do you think that is a good option for my issue? Ive tried everything 😪

[waltermitty]

If hard disk had been previously encrypted by malware and Windows will not permit reinstallation, can diskpart - clean all be used to prepare the disk for reinstallation of Windows 11?

[Delayna-bwln]

My phone number has been reassigned and I hope and PRAY the person who has my original phone number isn't in my gmail. I posted to gmail help and it was of NO USE. Gmail no longer has live humans who care. Just bots. Leo, please tell me if there is anything I can do?

[dnorris]

Step 0 - keep your data on a different drive or partition