Anonymous reader shares a column: You can still do a clean install of Windows, and it’s arguably easier than ever, with easy access to official Microsoft-sanctioned installation media and Windows Update capable of picking up most of the drivers most PCs need for basic functionality. The problem is that “clean install” doesn’t feel as clean as it used to, and unfortunately it’s an internal job – Microsoft, not third parties, is primarily responsible for the pile of unwanted software and services you have to turn down or clean up every time , when you do a fresh installation of Windows.
The “out of the box experience” (OOBE, in Microsoft parlance) for Windows 7 walked users through the process of creating a local user account, naming their computer, entering a product key, creating a “Homegroup” (a since-defunct local sharing mechanism of files and media) and determining how Windows Update works. Once Windows starts on the desktop, you’ll find installed apps like Internet Explorer and the typical built-in Windows apps (Notepad, Paint, Calculator, Media Player, Wordpad, and a few other things). With that baseline in mind, here’s everything that happens during the OOBE stage of a clean install of Windows 11 22H2 (or Home or Pro) if you don’t have active Microsoft 365/OneDrive/Game Pass subscriptions associated with your account on Microsoft:
(Most) Microsoft account login required.
Setup screen asking you for data collection and telemetry settings.
A (skippable) screen asking you to “customize your experience”.
Prompt to pair your phone with your computer.
Microsoft 365 trial offer.
100GB OneDrive offer.
$1 PC Game Pass introductory offer.
This process is annoying enough the first time, but at some point down the line you’ll also be offered what Microsoft calls an “out-of-the-box second chance” or SCOOBE (no joke), which will try to get you to do all these things again if you missed some of them the first time. This also doesn’t account for the numerous one-off post-install notification messages you’ll see on the desktop for OneDrive and Microsoft 365. (And it’s not just new installations; I’ve seen these notifications appear on running systems for months, even if not are logged into a Microsoft account, so no one is safe). And the Windows desktop, taskbar, and Start menu are no longer the pristine places they once were. Thanks to the Microsoft Store, you’ll find several third-party apps that take up a lot of space in your default Start menu, even if they aren’t technically downloaded and installed until you launch them for the first time. Spotify, Disney+, Prime Video, Netflix, and Facebook Messenger should all be removed if you don’t want them (this list may vary slightly over time).
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