A fresh Windows 11 machine works, but its defaults favour Microsoft and your PC maker over you. This is the order to work in, so you don't miss the things that are harder to fix later.

Day 1 — Make it current

Run Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates and let it finish, including 'Optional updates' (these carry driver fixes). Reboot when asked. Then open your PC maker's support page (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) and install their utility package — it's where the webcam, function keys and battery settings live.

Day 1 — Create a recovery escape hatch

Before anything else gets installed, create a Windows Recovery drive (search 'recovery drive' in the Start menu) onto a USB stick, with 'Back up system files' ticked. This is your lifeboat if Windows ever stops starting — it's much easier to make when the system is clean.

Day 2 — Privacy defaults

Windows 11 ships with tracking on by default. Turn these off in Settings → Privacy & security:

  • Location — off, unless an app genuinely needs it.
  • Advertising ID — off.
  • Diagnostics — 'Basic' is fine; 'Full' sends more than you need.
  • Tailored experiences — off.

You don't need to disable every single toggle; these four remove the bulk of the noise without breaking anything.

Day 2 — Trim the preinstalled bloat

Right-click the Start menu → Apps and features and uninstall the apps you'll never use (trial games, social media clients, the 'Tips' app). Don't uninstall anything with Microsoft's own system names in it, and keep the Microsoft Store.

Week 1 — Backups and accounts

Set up your file backup (see our backup guide) and make sure you have a recovery code for your Microsoft account written down somewhere physical. Without that code, a lost password can lock you out of your own files.

Ongoing — keep it fast

  • Check Windows Update monthly.
  • Settings → Power → set a sensible display timeout and, on a desktop, let it sleep.
  • Once a year, Settings → Storage → Temporary files to clear the junk, and re-run your system image backup.
Most 'new PC' problems in a year are just missing driver updates and a missing backup. Do those two and the rest is maintenance, not rescue.