How to set up new laptop running Windows 11 in 2024 (2024)

If you have anew laptop(or desktop) running Windows 11, you first need to set it up and adjust the settings to make it personal and make the most of it.

OnWindows 11, setting up a new laptop is a straightforward process, and it only takes some time to complete the initial setup to create an account and choose your preferences. In addition, you want to remove all unwanted software, download the latest updates, install and configure the apps you need, transfer your files from your old computer, and customize the desktop to make it more personal.

This guide will walk you through the steps to correctly set up your new laptop.

How to set up installation on Windows 11

You can set up a new laptop in at least two ways. You can use the original installation and continue with the out-of-box experience (OOBE) to create a new account, choose your preferred settings, and continue undoing custom configurations and removing those pre-installed junk apps (bloatware). Or you can reinstall the operating system to start fresh with a clean copy of Windows 11.

Out-of-box experience (OOBE)

To set up a new device, use these steps:

1. Select your region.
2. Click theYesbutton.

3. Select your keyboard layout.
4. Click theYesbutton.

5. Click the Skip button.
6. Click the Accept button.

7. Select the wireless network.

• Quick note:If the laptop has a wired connection, the connection with occur automatically. Using a wireless connection, you must connect to the network. Otherwise, you won't be able to continue with the setup.

8. Click theConnectbutton.
9. Specify a name for the laptop (spaces are not allowed in the name).
10. Click theNextbutton. (This action will cause the device to restart.)

11. Select the"Set up for personal use"option for Windows 11 Pro. On the "Home" edition, this option is not available.

12. Sign in with your email address to set up the primary Windows 11 account.

13. Click theNextbutton.
14. Confirm your account password.
15. Click theNextbutton.
16. Click on"View more options."

17. Choose the"Set up a new device"option.
18. Click theNextbutton.

19. Click theCreate PINbutton to set up Window Hello.
20. Confirm the PIN for the account.
21. Click theOKbutton.

22. Choose the privacy settings.
23. Click theNextbutton.
24. Click theNextbutton again.
25. Click theAcceptbutton.

26. (Optional) Choose how you plan to use the computer to allow the system to show tailored recommendations.
27. Click theAcceptbutton or theSkipbutton to skip this feature.

28. Click theSkipbutton to ignore the phone link setup. (You can always set up this later.)
29. (Optional) Click theDeclinebutton to skip the Office app setup.
30. (Optional) Click theDeclinebutton to skip the OneDrive offer.
31. (Optional) Click the"Skip for now"button to skip the Game Pass subscription offer.

Once you complete the steps, the system will finish the setup automatically.

The steps outlined above represent the experience on version 22H2, but your experience may be slightly different. Also, manufacturers often provide a customized version of the out-of-box experience with different settings, including a device registration form and specific settings for the device, which you can always skip.

If you want to keep the original installation, you can continue with the steps below to uninstall those promotional applications. Alternatively, you can perform a clean installation to ensure you will start with a completely fresh copy of Windows 11.

Uninstall bloatware

If you plan to keep the same installation, you want to remove those applications that the manufacturer pre-installed on your computer to free up space and system resources.

To uninstall pre-installed apps on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onApps.
3. Click theInstalled appspage on the right side.

1. Select the unwanted app, click the (three-dotted) menu button on the right, and select theUninstallbutton.

• Quick tip:If you need to know which apps to remove, usually, you want to start with antivirus trials and tools that do not come from Microsoft Corporation. You can quickly determine the publisher by looking under the app name to identify the publisher.

5. Click theUninstallbutton again.
6. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

After you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the instructions to uninstall other bloatware.

Clean installation set up

Although the default installation may come with unwanted configurations and applications, the setup should be alright for most users. However, the best approach is to clean the system and start with a fresh installation of Windows 11.

The only caveat about using a clean installation is that you may need to spend more time reconfiguring some devices and settings.

To start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 11 on your new computer, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onSystem.
3. Click theRecoverypage on the right side.

4. Under the "Recovery options" section, click theReset PCbutton for the "Reset this PC" feature.

5. Click theRemove everythingoption.

6. Click theCloud downloadoption.

7. Click theNextbutton.
8. Click theResetbutton.

Once you complete the steps, the setup will erase the current installation, download the default image file from the Microsoft servers, and proceed with a clean installation of Windows 11.

After the installation, you will need to complete the out-of-box experience to choose your preferences and create a default account.

How to install updates on Windows 11

On Windows 11, updates download and install automatically, but it's always a good idea to manually update the system to ensure the device isn't missing anything critical.

Cumulative updates

To update your new computer running Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onWindows Update.
3. Click theCheck for updatesbutton.

4. Click theRestart nowbutton.

After you complete these steps, the available updates will download and install automatically.

Upgrade to version 22H2

If you have a new laptop with Windows 11 version 21H2, as part of the initial setup, you want to upgrade to version 22H2. You can do this in at least two ways from the Windows Update settings and Installation Assistant tool.

Windows Update

To download and install updates on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onWindows Update.
3. Click theCheck for updatesbutton.

1. Click theDownload and installoption.
2. Click theRestart nowbutton.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will restart and continue with the upgrade process to version 22H2.

Installation Assistant

Alternatively, you can use the Update Assistant app to upgrade your device to version 22H2, and here's how.

1. OpenMicrosoftsupport website.
2. Under the "Windows 11 Installation Assistant" section, click theDownload Nowbutton.
3. Double-click theWindows11InstallationAssistant.exefile to launch the tool.
4. Click theAccept and installbutton.

After you complete the steps, the tool will download the required files to upgrade the system to version 22H2.

How to check drivers on Windows 11

As part of the setup process, it's important to check and confirm that components and peripherals are correctly configured.

Device Manager

To check that none of the devices are missing or having problems with drivers on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenStart.
2. Search forDevice Managerand click the top result to open the app.
3. Confirm that none of the devices have a yellow or red mark, and confirm nothing shows up as unknown.

If some components have problems, you may need to manually download and install the latest drivers from your computer manufacturer's support website.

Windows Update

If the computer is missing or has problems with a specific driver, you can use Windows Update to fix this problem.

To install or update drivers on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onWindows Update.
3. Click theAdvanced optionspage on the right side.

4. Under the "Additional updates" section, select theOptional updatessetting.

5. Select theDriver updatessection.
6. Check the drivers to install in the new setup of Windows 11.

• Quick note:If the page doesn't show any driver updates, Windows Update doesn't have any additional updates for your hardware configuration.

7. Click the Download and install button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update will automatically download and install the drivers.

If Device Manager shows a problem with one of the components and a driver update isn't available through Windows Update, you will need to check your manufacturer support website to download the driver in question.

How to personalize desktop on Windows 11

After completing the initial setup and updates, you want to personalize the experience tailored to your preference. For example, you want to change the desktop background, choose a system color mode, change the access color, and customize things like the Start menu and Taskbar to make you more productive.

Change theme

A theme is a collection of images and colors to quickly change the look and feel of the desktop and apps.

To change the theme on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theThemespage on the right side.

4. Choose one of the available themes to apply it.

Once you complete the steps, the theme will change the system colors and desktop wallpaper.

Install themes

To download more themes from the Microsoft Store, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theThemespage on the right side.

4. Under the "Current theme" section, click theBrowse themesbutton.

5. Select the theme to download.
6. Click theInstallbutton.

8. Click theOpenbutton.
9. Choose one of the available themes to apply it.

After you complete the steps, the theme will download and apply on Windows 11.

Change color mode

On Windows 11, you can choose from two color modes, including "light mode," which works best for the daytime, and the "dark mode," which is best for low-light situations.

To change the color mode on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theColorspage on the right side.

4. Use the "Choose your mode" drop-down menu and select one of the available options.

• Light –Applies a white color scheme across the system and apps.
• Dark –Applies a dark color scheme across the system and apps.
• Custom –Allows you to decide the color mode for apps and the system separately.

Once you complete the steps, the Start menu, Taskbar, and other elements will switch to the new color mode.

Change accent color

The accent color is the color that allows certain elements to blend with the current theme.

To change the system accent color on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theColorspage on the right side.

4. Under the "Accent color" section, select the accent color for the experience.

• Quick tip:You can use theCustom colorsetting to create a custom accent color.

5. (Optional) Under the "Accent color" section, select theAutomaticoption to allow the system to set a color scheme based on the colors of the current wallpaper.
6. (Optional) Turn on the"Show accent color on Start and taskbar"toggle switch to show different colors in the Start menu and Taskbar elements.

• Quick note:This option is only available when using theCustomoption for the "Choose your mode" setting and you select theDarkoption for the "Choose your default Windows mode" setting.

7. (Optional) Turn on the"Show accent color on title bars and windows borders"toggle switch to show different colors around the application frame.

After you complete the steps, buttons, links, system icons, and other elements throughout the experience will reflect the new color accent. The color will also be reflected in parts of the Start menu, Taskbar, and applications if you enable the option to show accent colors on title bars and windows borders and the Start and Taskbar in the "Colors" settings page.

Custom or dynamic background images

Windows 11 allows you to change the desktop wallpaper in at least two ways. You can use custom images, such as pictures from your collection, or you can enable the Spotlight feature that will dynamically download and change wallpapers automatically.

Custom image

To use a custom background image on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theBackgroundpage on the right side.

4. Use the "Personalize your background" drop-down menu and select thePictureoption.
5. Click theBrowse photosbutton to select an image.

6. Use the "Choose a fit for your desktop image" drop-down menu and select the fit that best suits the images:

• Fill.
• Fit.
• Stretch.
• Center.
• Span.

Once you complete the steps, the new custom image will appear in the desktop background.

Spotlight

To enable Spotlight on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theBackgroundpage on the right side.

4. Use the "Personalize your background" drop-down menu and select the"Windows spotlight"option.

After you complete the steps, the system will download and refresh the desktop background throughout the day. (This feature takes a while to start showing images.)

If you are showing desktop icons, you will also notice a new icon, which you can right-click to switch to the next picture or thumb up or down to allow the system to learn the kind of images you like.

Customize Lock screen

You can also customize the Lock screen background and notifications.

To customize the Lock screen on your new laptop, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theLock screenpage on the right side.

As part of the Lock screen settings, you can customize several options, including the background image and app status.

In the Lock screen, theWindows spotlightis the default option that shows a different background every time you sign in to your account. However, you can use thePictureoption to showcase a custom image or theSlideshowoption to rotate a collection of photos.

If you select theSlideshowoption, the system will load the images from thePicturesfolder. However, you can add and remove the folders to show on the Lock screen. You can even include the camera roll folder from your computer and OneDrive.

In addition, there's an option to show the Lock screen with the slideshow when the device is inactive.

Some applications can show detailed status, and you can configure this feature by using the Lock screen status drop-down menu and selecting the app you want to see the information.

Customize Start menu

The Start menu may not be as flexible as the classic design. However, you can customize various aspects, such as folder icons, pins, and recommendations, and even disable the highlight information in the search interface.

Recommendations

On Windows 11, you can't disable apps and file recommendations, but you can show more pins than suggestions. Here's how:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theStartpage on the right side.

4. Under the "Layout" section, select theMore pinsoption.

5. (Optional) Turn off the"Show recently added apps"and"Show recently opened items in the Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer"toggle switches to disable "Recommended" items in Start.

Once you complete the steps, the Start menu will show four rows of pins and only one row of suggestions.

Folders

On Windows 11, you can create folders to organize your apps in groups, and here's how:

1. OpenStart.
2. Drag an app on top of another app to create a folder.
3. Continue dragging more apps to add them to the folder.

4. Click the folder to open it.
5. Click onEdit name.
6. Confirm a name for the folder and pressEnter.

Inside the folder, you can rearrange the apps to update the preview and drag out the apps one by one to delete the folder.

Pins

The "Pinned" section lets you list your favorite apps for quick access.

To add or remove apps from the "Pinned" section, use these steps:

1. OpenStart.
2. Click theAll appsbutton in the top right corner.
3. Right-click the app and select the"Pin to Start"option.

4. Repeatstep 3to pin more apps.
5. Click theBackbutton.
6. Right-click an app and select the"Unpin from Start"option to remove the app pin.

After you complete the steps, the Start menu will only show your favorite apps in the "Pinned" section.

Quick access

In the Start menu, you can also add quick access to "Folders," such as Settings, File Explorer, Documents, Downloads, etc., next to the power button, and here's how:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theStartpage on the right side.

4. Click theFolderssetting.

5. Turn on the toggle switches to add items to the Start menu next to the Power button.
6. Turn off the toggle switches to remove items from the Start menu.

After you complete the steps, the items should be available next to the power button in the Start menu.

Customize Search

In the Search interface, there's not a lot you can customize. However, you can turn off the ability from Windows 11 to show news and information that may make you less productive.

To disable the highlights feature from Search, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPrivacy & security.
3. Under the "Windows permissions" section, click theSearch Permissionssetting.

4. Under the More settings sections, turn off the"Show search highlights"toggle switch.

Once you complete the steps, the Search interface will show quick searches for settings and a list of your top apps instead of news headlines.

Customize Taskbar

The Taskbar is more limited than in previous versions, but there a least two things everyone should do when setting up a new device, including changing the icon alignment to the left and removing those unnecessary items.

Left icon alignment

To align icons and the Start menu to the left for a more classic experience on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theTaskbarpage on the right side.

4. Click theTaskbar behaviorssetting.
5. Select theLeftoption in the "Taskbar alignment" setting.

After you complete the steps, the icons and Start menu will align to the left, like on Windows 10.

Remove items

To remove items from the Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPersonalization.
3. Click theTaskbarpage on the right side.

4. Under the "Taskbar items" section, turn off the feature you prefer not to have in the Taskbar, including Search, Task View, Widgets, and Chat.

Once you complete the steps, the specified icons will no longer be available in the Taskbar. However, you will still be able to access search from the Start menu or using the "Windows key + S" keyboard shortcut or the "Windows key + W" keyboard shortcut to open the Widgets board.

How to optimize system performance on Windows 11

Applications and services that start automatically on startup can negatively impact performance and account load times on your new laptop. After installing the necessary apps, you should review the "Startup" settings and disable those that may affect the experience.

Control startup apps

To disable apps on the Windows 11 startup, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onApps.
3. Click theStartuppage on the right side.

4. Turn off the toggle switch for apps to disable at startup.

After you complete the steps, the startup process should be noticeably faster.

Change power modes

On laptops is a good idea to review and adjust the power settings to conserve battery life as much as possible.

To change the Windows 11 power settings, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onSystem.
3. Click thePower & battery (or Power)page on the right side.

4. Under the "Power" section, select the"Screen and sleep"setting.
5. Use theOn battery powersettings to specify when the screen should turn off and when the computer should go into sleep mode when running on battery.
6. Use theWhen plugged insettings to specify when the screen should turn off and when the computer should go into sleep mode when the laptop is plugged in.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will turn off the display and sleep according to your settings.

Configure power saving

You can also change the power settings to decide when the system should enable battery-saver mode to conserve battery.

To configure battery saver mode on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onSystem.
3. Click thePower & battery (or Power)page on the right side.

4. Under the "Battery" section, select theBattery saversetting.
5. Use the"Turn battery saver on automatically at"setting to specify how low the battery life should be before activating the saver mode.
6. Check the"Lower screen brightness while in battery saver"option to preserve even more energy.

7. (Optional) Click theTurn onbutton for the Battery saver setting to turn on the feature immediately (if available).

Once you complete the steps, battery saver mode will activate, according to your configuration.

Enable night light

The night light feature reduces the amount of blue light at night and uses warmer colors to minimize eye strain and help you fall asleep when working long hours at night.

To enable night light on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onSystem.
3. Click theDisplaypage on the right side.

4. Under the "Brightness & color" section, turn on theNight lighttoggle switch to enable the feature.
5. (Optional) Turn off theNight lighttoggle switch to disable the feature.
6. (Optional) Select theNight lightsetting.

7. Use the "Strength" slider to adjust the color temperature.
8. (Optional) Click theTurn on nowbutton to enable the feature on-demand outside the schedule.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will show warm colors on the screen to help minimize eye strain while working at night.

How to set up apps on Windows 11

We all have different app requirements. However, we usually need the same core apps and configuration. For example, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Microsoft Edge, and others to browse the internet. If you use the computer for school or work, you probably need to install the Office apps.

Install browser

Although Microsoft Edge is one of the best browsers for Windows users, you may still want to use another application, such as Google Chrome or Firefox.

To install a new browser on Windows 11, use these steps.

1. OpenChromeorFirefoxofficial page.
2. Click theDownloadbutton.

3. Double-click the installer to launch the setup.
4. Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the installation.

After you complete the steps, the browser will install on Windows 11.

Change default browser

To change the default browser experience on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onApps.
3. Click theDefault appspage on the right side.

4. Select the browser to use as the new default on Windows 11. For example,Google Chrome.

5. Click theSet defaultbutton.

6. (Optional) Click the.pdfdefault application and select the Chrome option to open PDFs with Chrome.
7. Click theSet defaultbutton.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will set the specified browser as the new default.

Set up Office

If you need the suite of Office apps, the best way to get the apps is through a Microsoft 365 subscription.

The Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $70 per year, and the Microsoft 365 Family plan costs $100. They give you access to all the apps and other perks like 1TB of OneDrive storage. If you choose the Family plan, you can share the benefits with six people.

To install Office from Microsoft 365, use these steps:

1. OpenOfficewebsite.
2. Sign in with aMicrosoft account(if applicable).
3. Click theInstall Officebutton.

4. Under the "Install Office on all your computer" section, click theInstall Officebutton.
5. Click theInstallbutton.
6. Continue with the on-screen directions to complete the setup as necessary.

After you complete the steps, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the other apps and features will install on the computer.

How to transfer files on Windows 11

If switching from an old to a new computer, you may need to bring over the files stored on the other device. If this is the case, transferring your files is an easy process. You can use cloud storage services like OneDrive, which makes restoring files almost instantaneous. Or you can move your files with a portable drive when dealing with multiple terabytes of data.

Transfer files from OneDrive

If your files are available through OneDrive, you do not need to complete these instructions since the files will already be accessible as you set up the account with a Microsoft account.

To transfer documents and other files to the new laptop, use these steps on the old laptop:

1. OpenFile Explorer.
2. Browse to the folder with the files to transfer.
3. Select the files.

• Quick tip:You can select items individually or all contents usingCtrl + Akeyboard shortcut.

4. Right-click the selection and select theCopyoption.

4. Open theOneDrivefolder.
5. Use theCtrl + Shift + Nkeyboard shortcut to create a new folder.
6. Confirm a name for the folder – for example,Old Laptop Backup.
7. Open the newly created folder.
8. Right-click inside the folder and select thePasteoption.

After you complete the steps, it could take some time for the files to upload to OneDrive. Once the upload completes, you will be able to access the files from the OneDrive folder on the new computer.

Transfer files from portable drive

If you have a lot of files, consider transferring files over to the new computer using a portable USB drive.

On the old laptop, connect an external hard drive with enough space, and use these steps:

1. OpenFile Explorer.
2. Browse to the folder with the files to transfer.
3. Select the files to move to the new computer.
4. Right-click the selection and select theCopyoption.

5. Open theexternal storage.
6. Use theCtrl + Shift + Nkeyboard shortcut to create a new folder.
7. Confirm a name for the folder – for example,Old Laptop Backup.
8. Open the newly created folder.
9. Right-click inside the folder and select thePasteoption.

10. Disconnect the drive from the old computer and connect it to the new computer.
11. OpenFile Explorer.
12. Browse to the folder location with the files.
13. Right-click the selection and select theCopyoption.
14. Open thefolderlocation to download the files.
15. Right-click inside the folder and select thePasteoption.

Once you complete the steps, the files will be imported to the new computer. If you have a lot of files, this process could take a very long time.

How to secure computer on Windows 11

Another important step while setting up your new laptop is to ensure that all the security features are working correctly to keep your device and data safe and secure, including Microsoft Defender Antivirus and Microsoft Defender Firewall.

Antivirus scan and updates

The Microsoft Defender Antivirus is always running in the background. However, it's still a good idea to check the antivirus status and updates.

To check the status of the Windows 11 antivirus, use these steps:

1. OpenWindows Securityapp.
2. Click onVirus & threat protection.
3. Under the "Virus & threat protection settings" section, click theManage settingsoption.

4. Turn on theReal-time protectiontoggle switch (if applicable).

5. (Optional) On theVirus & threat protectionpage, click the "Virus & threat protection updates" section and click theProtection updatesoption.

• Click theCheck for updatesbutton to ensure the Microsoft Defender Antivirus has the most up-to-date definition.

After you complete the steps, the antivirus will protect the laptop and files against viruses and other types of malware.

If the default antivirus from Microsoft isn't for you, check our roundup of thebest antivirus software in 2022 to find third-party alternatives.

Enable firewall

A firewall is another critical element to protect your device and files from malicious attacks. It monitors the incoming and outgoing network traffic, allowing only packets based on security rules. By default, the Microsoft Defender Firewall offers the optimal security settings for most users. You only need to make sure that it's enabled on your device.

To enable the Microsoft Defender Firewall, use these steps:

1. OpenWindows Securityapp.
2. Click onFirewall & network protection.
3. Click the"Turn on"button for theDomain,Private, andPublicnetworks, or click the"Restore settings"button (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, the Microsoft Defender Firewall will monitor incoming and outgoing network connections to protect the device from network threats.

Enable Find my device feature

Windows 11 includes a "Find my device" feature that saves the most approximate physical location of the laptop in your Microsoft account, which you can use to find your computer if it ever gets lost or stolen.

To enable "Find my device" on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. OpenSettings.
2. Click onPrivacy & security.
3. Click theFind my devicepage on the right side.

4. Turn on theFind my devicetoggle switch (if applicable).

After you complete the steps, if you need help remembering where you left your laptop, you will be able to find the last known location by checking the details on theFind My Device pageavailable in your Microsoft account.

How to create full backup on Windows 11

It's also a good idea to create a full backup of the new system if you need to recover from hardware failure, malware attacks, or file corruption.

You can use many available third-party software products. However, you can still use the legacy tool on Windows 11, which allows you to create afull backupto a portable drive, which you can disconnect and store in a safe location.

Important:Microsoft has stopped maintaining the backup feature, but it's still available to create a temporary full backup.

To create a full backup on Windows 11, connect a storage drive with enough space, and use these steps:

1. OpenStart.
2. Search forControl Paneland click the top result to open the app.
3. Click onSystem and Security.
4. Click theFile Historysetting.

5. Click theSystem Image Backupoption from the bottom-left corner.

6. Click theCreate a system imageoption from the left navigation pane.

7. Select theOn a hard diskoption.
8. Use the "On a hard disk" menu and select the Windows 11 full backup destination.
9. Click theNextbutton.

10. (Optional) Select any additional drive to include in the backup.
11. Click theNextbutton.
12. Click theStart backupbutton.

13. Click theNobutton.

• Quick note:You'll also receive a prompt to create a system repair disc, but you can skip it. If you need to roll back to a previous installation, you can use aUSB installation media to access the recovery settings.

14. Click theClosebutton.

Once you complete the steps, the tool will back up everything on the primary hard drive and other internal storage you may have chosen to export. After the process is complete, disconnect and store the external drive safely.

Although this is a handy tool for creating a backup of your computer, you can only restore changes until the last backup. Apps, files, and settings added after the backup won't be part of the recovery process.

In addition, the Backup and Restore feature was designed to restore the whole system, not individual files. If you want an up-to-date backup of your files, consider using other solutions, such as OneDrive, to back up your files to the cloud or File History, which is still available on Windows 11.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know