Nine essential steps to secure and clean up a new Windows 11 PC

ZDNET's Kyle Kucharski recommends taking nine specific steps after the out-of-box experience on a new or freshly reset Windows 11 PC, and he assumes you are the owner and administrator of the machine. He advises using a Microsoft account rather than a local account for three security and convenience benefits: you can enable two-factor authentication and Windows Hello, you can ensure strong device encryption even on Windows 11 Home (Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption), and you can use Microsoft’s account recovery tools.

Kucharski also warns that OneDrive’s Backup feature may move your personal folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures) into the cloud and that you may want to reverse that behavior. Before making customizations, run a quick checklist: confirm the correct Windows edition and activation status (System > Activation); check Device Manager for driver errors; run Windows Update; and look for updated drivers, BIOS, and chipset support on the PC maker’s site.

Clean up the Start menu and taskbar by removing unwanted shortcuts and OEM apps (right-click in Start or go to Settings > Apps). Customize Start via Settings > Personalization > Start and declutter the taskbar in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar (you can disable Search, Task View and Widgets, and unpin default icons).

Kucharski also suggests switching to dark mode (Settings > Personalization > Colors > Choose Your Mode) and adding useful folders to the Start menu bottom row.

Key Topics

Tech, Microsoft Account, Onedrive, Device Encryption, Windows Sandbox, Start Menu