Look, I like Home windows, I do, I actually do. It is a kind of issues that I simply cannot stay with out at this level. I’ve tried MacOS, I’ve tried Linux, I’ve even dabbled on the earth of Android and Chromebooks throughout my time, and but, none of it compares to Home windows; it simply would not.
The factor is although, it truly is a bag of spanners at occasions, and I’ve kinda developed this behavior of going thermonuclear alone machine at fairly common intervals over my lifetime.
Largely by flattening and reinstalling Home windows onto my PC each different month or so. Why? I am glad you requested.
The necessity for an occasional refresh
Effectively, the factor is, though Home windows offers you loads of freedom and has broad compatibility with extra applications than another operating system on the market, it does make it considerably vulnerable to bugs. A lot of them.
These could be inflicted by Microsoft immediately by means of Home windows Updates or drivers unintentionally corrupting information or applications, or nicely, any quantity and method of avenues.
The worst perpetrator, after all, is the basic “improve from the earlier Home windows model to this model.” Simply do not; it is by no means value it.
Home windows is nice, however no working system is designed to run completely endlessly. (Picture credit score: Microsoft)
See, registry information corrupt, file directories get mislabelled, and inevitably you will find yourself with applications you overlook about sitting within the background sucking up crucial sources. It is only a bit crap like that, and satirically, though I do have an enormous disdain in direction of macOS, I can not deny its closed-off ecosystem does keep away from loads of these pitfalls.
Every time anybody asks me a few system bug or assist with troubleshooting, my first and sometimes immediate response is to counsel simply flattening the machine fully and reinstalling a recent model of Home windows on high.
That is why I advocate tying a full-fat Home windows license to your Microsoft account so you’ll be able to simply reinstall and activate Windows 11 in your machine on a dime.
An arduous activity
It does require some getting used to this salting-the-earth form of technique, however the advantages are simply too nice to disregard.
The very first thing I like to recommend is splitting up your storage answer. In each construct I’ve ever finished, I’ve virtually all the time really useful a two-storage drive system. The primary and quickest of the 2 must be used as your essential OS drive, and the second, normally slower, cheaper, and bigger, being your media/video games/back-up drive. Any precious paperwork, belongings, or large downloads stay right here.
What that permits you to do is preserve all of your video games and vital information in your D: drive, after which, every time that re-install time comes a-calling, let you rapidly flatten and re-install Home windows in your C: drive.
If you happen to’ve acquired gradual web or simply cannot be bothered to re-download all the pieces, it’s a enormous time-saver doing it this manner. You will get away with partitions, nevertheless it’s far simpler to unintentionally delete the incorrect one in your subsequent Home windows set up.
Laptop computer, desktop; it would not matter, simply give your {hardware} an OS break every now and then. (Picture credit score: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.web / Microsoft)
It additionally helps actually cut back program and doc litter and encourages good back-up follow too. If you understand you are going to flatten a machine each 2-3 months, then the chances are you will preserve all your vital information and paperwork safely saved within the cloud, or off-site, backed up with strong authentication procedures as nicely.
You will find yourself with a minimal desktop that is stupidly fast, clear, up-to-date, and as error-free as Microsoft can muster. If you happen to’re constructing a brand new PC or transferring an outdated one to up to date {hardware}, save your self the trouble and simply again up and transfer your most vital information, obtain a recent USB Home windows Installer, and get cracking. I promise you it is value it.
A brand new lease on (digital) life
With that, and good web training and follow, plus a strong VPN, you’ll be able to then dump aftermarket antivirus as nicely and depend on good ol’ Home windows Defender. It is the most effective antivirus applications on the market, and lacks the useful resource vampirism many third-party options have.
Worst-case state of affairs, you get tricked into opening a dodgy e mail or land on an odd web site, and your machine will get whacked with some crypto-scam; simply flatten it. Job finished. Though once more, I would extremely advocate simply being a bit extra web savvy first.
The one factor I would say for those who do go this route, watch out on the gadget you do it on and prep accordingly. Some motherboards will not help ethernet or wi-fi connectivity with out drivers too.
Seize your USB stick, get the Home windows Installer setup on it, after which stick a folder in it known as DRIVERS. Head to your motherboard’s product web page, seize the related drivers, then when you’re lastly on the desktop, you must be capable to set up all of your chipsets and drivers and get that web connectivity again, no sweat.
If you happen to do get caught on the “want to connect with the web” Home windows 11 set up web page, hit Shift + F10, click on the command window, kind OOBEBYPASSNRO, and hit enter. The installer will reboot, and you will now have the choice to inform Microsoft you “haven’t got the web” and proceed with the set up regardless.
So yeah, PSA full. I acquired 99 issues, and most of them are Microsoft-related. Not less than for about 20 minutes anyway.
