How To Install Windows On New Pc

Tips
4

Skip the theory and let’s hit what people usually miss when installing Windows on a brand‑new build.

  1. Double‑check your hardware before you even touch Windows
  • Reseat RAM and GPU, plug CPU power (8‑pin / 8+4‑pin) and 24‑pin firmly.
  • Plug your boot SSD into the fastest slot:
    • NVMe: use the top M.2 slot (closest to CPU) unless the manual says otherwise.
    • SATA SSD/HDD: for boards with labeled ports, use SATA_1 or SATA_0.
      Reason: avoids weird “drive not found” errors that look like install issues but are actually wiring.
  1. BIOS settings people often skip
    @sterrenkijker and the other reply already covered UEFI & AHCI. I’ll add a few more that actually help:
  • Disable CSM / Legacy boot entirely if your GPU supports UEFI (almost all modern ones).
    • This avoids Windows installing in legacy mode by accident.
  • Turn off “Fast Boot” in BIOS for the install.
    • Can hide USB devices and make boot-menu access annoying. Turn it back on later if you want.
  • Secure Boot:
    • I usually leave it OFF for the install, then enable AFTER Windows is installed and updated.
    • If left on and misconfigured, it can block the installer or unsigned drivers.
  1. When you have both NVMe and SATA drives
    Instead of only unplugging drives (good tip but not always convenient):
  • In BIOS, set the NVMe as the only bootable drive:
    • Some boards let you disable individual SATA ports or drives in the boot order.
  • During Windows install, look for:
    • Type: “Drive 0 Unallocated space” with size that matches your NVMe.
      If you are even 1% unsure, back out and verify. Accidentally nuking the wrong drive is worse than spending 2 extra minutes reading labels.
  1. Partitioning if you care about “cleanliness”
    Letting Windows auto‑partition is fine. If you want more control:
  • Decide: single big C: or split into C: (OS) and D: (games/data).
    • For a 1 TB SSD: 150–250 GB for C: is plenty for Windows plus apps.
  • In the installer:
    • Delete all partitions on the target drive.
    • Create 1 partition of your planned C: size.
    • Windows will automatically generate the tiny system / recovery partitions before or after it.
    • Leave the rest as unallocated. After install, format it in Disk Management as D:.

This makes future reinstalls easier since you can wipe C: without touching your data partition.

  1. Handling Windows 11 “requirements” on a custom build
    What trips a lot of first‑time builders is TPM / Secure Boot:
  • Modern boards:
    • TPM is usually called “fTPM” (AMD) or “PTT” (Intel). Enable that in BIOS if Windows 11 complains.
  • If you get blocked by the installer over TPM or CPU generation:
    • There are registry workarounds, but I would avoid that for your first build unless absolutely necessary.
    • Safer approach: install Windows 10, then upgrade to 11 later if supported.
  1. USB creation: one more angle
    Rufus and the Media Creation Tool both work. Personally, I disagree a little with relying only on “GPT + UEFI (non CSM)” presets without checking:
  • Match the USB to your BIOS settings:
    • If BIOS is UEFI only: GPT + UEFI is correct.
    • If you left CSM/Legacy enabled for some reason, mixed settings can cause “boot but can’t install” issues.
      In short: decide first that you are going all‑in on UEFI only, then build the USB for that.
  1. Network & Microsoft account shenanigans
    On first install, Windows tries very hard to force a Microsoft account:
  • If you want a local account:
    • During setup, when it asks for network: unplug Ethernet and skip Wi‑Fi.
    • Choose “I don’t have internet” or equivalent options.
    • You’ll get the local account path.
      You can add an MS account later in Settings if you change your mind.
  1. Drivers & order that minimizes pain
    I slightly invert the other advice:
  • Immediately after install, install:
    1. Chipset drivers (from your motherboard’s support page).
    2. GPU drivers (Nvidia / AMD / Intel).
    3. LAN / Wi‑Fi if Windows did not pick them up.
  • Then run Windows Update until it finds nothing more.
    Reason: proper chipset + GPU first avoids Windows Update dumping weird generic GPU drivers in the middle of everything.
  1. Post‑install stability checks
    Before you start loading all your games:
  • Run:
    • Windows Memory Diagnostic or MemTest86 for a quick RAM sanity check.
    • CrystalDiskInfo to confirm your SSD is healthy and recognized correctly.
  • Once stable, then enable XMP / DOCP in BIOS and test again.
    If it starts crashing only after enabling XMP, you immediately know where to look.
  1. About “How To Install Windows On New PC” type guides & tools
    You will find a lot of generic “How To Install Windows On New PC” walkthroughs and tools around this topic. Pros and cons in general:

Pros:

  • Centralize all the steps from USB creation to driver installation.
  • Good for beginners who want a single checklist.
  • Often include screenshots that match what you see.

Cons:

  • Many are outdated on things like TPM, Secure Boot and UEFI only setups.
  • Some push unnecessary utilities or registry hacks.
  • They can hide the “why” behind steps, which makes troubleshooting harder when something behaves differently.

Compare that with what @sterrenkijker posted: that style is very step‑wise and practical, great for “just do this.” The extra nuance above is more about preventing weird edge cases and making future maintenance easier.

If you get stuck at a specific screen (drive list, error message, BIOS page), snap a photo, note drive sizes and exact wording, and work from there. That one detail usually reveals the issue faster than reinstalling five times.