February 19th, 2025

Things you can do to clean up a fresh install of Windows 11 24H2 and Edge

Windows 11 24H2 has faced criticism for requiring a Microsoft account during setup, leading users to seek ways to customize installations, adjust privacy settings, and remove unnecessary pre-installed apps.

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Things you can do to clean up a fresh install of Windows 11 24H2 and Edge

Windows 11 24H2 has been criticized for its user experience, prompting users to seek ways to clean up a fresh installation. The setup process now requires a Microsoft account, which can lead to unwanted upsells for services like Microsoft 365 and OneDrive. Users can bypass this requirement by using command line commands or tools like Rufus to create installation media that allows for a local account setup. After installation, users are encouraged to adjust privacy settings by disabling data collection and location services. The initial desktop experience often includes unnecessary apps and clutter, which can be removed by right-clicking on unwanted items in the Start menu. A list of removable apps includes Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and various built-in utilities. However, some components, like Edge, cannot be removed. Users are advised to customize their installations according to their preferences while being cautious about removing essential system components that could affect compatibility and security.

- Windows 11 24H2 requires a Microsoft account for setup, which can lead to upselling.

- Users can bypass the account requirement using command line commands or Rufus.

- Privacy settings should be adjusted to limit data collection after installation.

- Many pre-installed apps can be removed to declutter the desktop experience.

- Some components, like Edge, are non-removable, which may frustrate users.

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Link Icon 6 comments
By @anotherhue - about 1 month
This is a sign of an abusive relationship.

If you have the stomach for this, you have the stomach for Ubuntu and a Looking Glass VM for whatever software won't run under wine (which is a lot).

By @codedokode - about 1 month
I don't understand how cloud Windows accounts work. Will you be able to log into your computer if Microsoft bans you or you end up in the US sanction list?

Also those who are willing to go to great lengths tuning Windows should consider using Linux - not only it has more opportunities for "tuning", but as a bonus you'll be able to fix the errors in the source code.

By @1970-01-01 - about 1 month
Fresh install? Hit it with Blackbird and enjoy.

https://www.getblackbird.net/screenshots/

By @ankurdhama - about 1 month
What kind of bubble the "product managers" of Windows are living in? Does anyone of them actually tries a new install of Windows or are they entirely focused on just incrementing some stats counter on some telemetry based dashboard?
By @andy800 - about 1 month
Install StartAllBack and choose the Windows 7 theme. Even if you dont care about the other UI improvements like the older Start Menu, it's worth it just for the improvements to the clock and calendar - the analog clock especially.
By @sitkack - about 1 month
There is a whole subreddit devoted to "fixing" windows. https://old.reddit.com/r/TronScript/