New OS install?

DampDog

DampDog

DampDog

Soldato
Joined
19 Oct 2010
Posts
2,678
Location
North Staffs
Slowly gathering the bits around me to do my first new build in over 10 years. I guess Windows 11 is the way to go, but what is the consensus on software for a new build? Go genuine, pay the money and have a hassle free life. Or download and buy a cheap key and hope you get lucky and get a retail version?

Any pitfalls with a new install that are to be avoided?
 
I've been going 3rd party key site for a while now. For the sake of £15-£20 if it lasts a year or two, meh, that's fine.

As for install, get the Windows installer on a USB stick and there are guides out there to streamline the install &/or make it fully automatic for example https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ creates a .xml you just drop on the USB drive
 
Last edited:
Forgot about the Win11 online thing, can be skipped if you only want a local account but only on certain installers, I seem to recall they removed the OOBE\BYPASSNRO trick from more recent versions but it's an option in the above site but not sure if it would still work :/
 
Last edited:
Mcnumpty2323 said:
For new install
I would download the required drivers
For ethernet and wifi beforehand
Just in case windows doesn't have them

Microsoft is also intent on making you
Install with online account
If you normally use online account then not an issue
If you don't then may want to use rufus
To make your usb and tick options to bypass this
Click to expand...
Yeah, good ideas to source the correct drivers just to make life easy, cheers. Wut rufus??
 
DampDog said:
Yeah, good ideas to source the correct drivers just to make life easy, cheers. Wut rufus??
Click to expand...
Rufus is a free software to make
Bootable usbs
It has options to bypass windows 11 requirements
Allowing 11 to be installed on older PC
Has options to disable having to make online account
Microsoft has closed some of these options
And is making others harder to do
But rufus usually updates pretty fast
To try to keep allowing you to bypass the forced Microsoft ####
 
With the amount of suggestions, recommendations and demands to allow telemetry Windows 11 makes at this point in order to farm data to sell, I feel like Microsoft should be paying you. My strategy going forward for windows will be to keep windows on a small drive size with Linux on my gaming machine as a preferred choice. I really only do single player games anyway, and Steam has been making whole quantum leaps in terms of compatibility and ease of use.
 
*edit*

I removed my post about the chromeos fork as people don't trust its origins and looking into it i don't either.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom