Step-By-Step: Windows Setup Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)

The Windows 11 Out of Box Experience (OOBE) is part of Windows Setup, and it’s the first thing you will see when you purchase a new Windows 11-based PC and turn it on for the first time.

Those who perform a clean install of Windows 11 will step through the Windows Setup first-boot experience before being presented with the OOBE.

Like Windows 11 itself, the OOBE is mostly identical to that from Windows 10, but it has been visually refreshed to match the Windows 11 look and feel. What you see here will vary a bit from PC to PC, but here’s a quick rundown of the most common interfaces.

Is this the right country or region? Choose the country you’re in if required, and then click the “Yes” button.

Is this the right keyboard layout or input method? By default, the OOBE will select the correct keyboard layout based on your previous choice. But if you need a different keyboard layout or input method, you can select it there. Then, click the “Yes” button.

Want to add a second keyboard layout? Windows 11 supports multiple languages, which can be useful for those who are multilingual or need to work in multiple languages. But you don’t need to install a language pack if all you need to do is enter text in other languages. Instead, you can choose a second keyboard language here, or later when you’re using Windows 11. Most people will not need to add a second keyboard layout. If you do not, just click “Skip.”

Let’s connect you to a network. If you are not connected to the network with a wired (Ethernet) cable, the OOBE will prompt you to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Select the correct Wi-Fi network, sign-in as prompted, and then click “Next.”

Please review the License Agreement. After checking for updates, the OOBE will present the Windows 11 End User License Agreement, which you will of course read in its entirety. Click “Next” to continue.

Let’s name your device. New to Windows 11, the OOBE once again allows you to give your PC a name before continuing. Note that doing so will require your PC to reboot before you can continue. If you don’t care about the name, click “Skip for now.”

You can rename your PC later if you wish, but you will have to reboot whenever you do so. To rename your PC while running Windows 11, open Settings (WINKEY + I) and navigate to System > About, and click “Rename this PC.”

How would you like to set up this device? This screen will only appear if you are installing Windows 11 Pro. You are given two choices, “Set up for personal use” and “Set up for work or school.” Here, we will assume you are using a Microsoft account, so choose “Set up for personal use.”

With Windows 11 Home, a Microsoft account is your only sign-in choice, so this step is unnecessary and does not appear.

If you’re using a Work or School account, a special kind of Microsoft account for businesses and educational institutions, choose the second option. You can learn more about Work and School accounts in Work and School Accounts.

Unlock your Microsoft experience. Here, Microsoft explains how signing in with a Microsoft account makes Windows 11 better. Click the “Sign in” button to continue.

Where did it go?

What Microsoft doesn’t explain here is that it no longer allows individuals to sign in with a local account during the OOBE as it did in previous Windows versions. We feel very strongly that most people should sign in to Windows 11 with a Microsoft account. But if you are a power user who wishes to bypass this limitation, you can do so. We explain how in Overcome Windows Setup Annoyances.

Let’s add your Microsoft account. Type your Microsoft account email address in the Email, phone, or Skype field and then select the Next button. You will need to verify your identity next, but how you do so will depend on how you’ve secured your account. For example, if you enabled two-step verification as we suggest, you will need to verify the sign in using an authenticator app on your smartphone.

Welcome back! If you have signed into a PC using this Microsoft account in the past, you will be prompted to restore from a previous backup or choose “More options,” the latter of which offers a list of other backups from which to choose plus a “Set up as a new PC” link. There is a very subtle distinction between restoring from a backup and setting up this PC as a new PC, so for now we will assume you are doing the latter. That is, click “More options” and then “Set up as a new PC” to proceed.

The restore from PC backup options is related to a new Windows 11 version 23H2 app called Windows Backup. You can learn more about Windows Backup–and why restoring from a PC backup is borderline pointless–in the Windows Backup chapter.

Want to use your face/finger to sign in faster and more securely? If your PC supports Windows Hello facial or fingerprint recognition, the OOBE will prompt you to configure one of them here. But it’s easy enough to configure this later. So skip ahead to the next step by clicking “Skip for now.”

Create a PIN. When you sign into Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, you have to create a PIN (personal identification number), which is similar to the code you use to access your bank accounts with a debit card. This PIN will make it easier to sign into the PC later. Click “Create PIN” to continue.

Set up a PIN. Here, you enter and confirm a four-digit PIN, which will consist of numbers only by default. Click “OK” when you’re done.

Select the “Include letters and symbols” checkbox if you would like to use other characters for your PIN too.

Choose privacy settings for your device. Here, you are asked to examine and configure several high-level privacy settings: Location, Find my device, (optional) Diagnostic data, Inking & typing, Tailored experiences, Advertising ID, and, if your PC supports it, Presence. If you care about your privacy, and you should, you should configure each of these options–except for Location and Find my device, to “Off.” When you’re done, click “Accept.”

While you can–and maybe should–review the Windows 11 privacy settings at a much more granular level using the Settings app as described in Personalize Windows 11 Version 23H2, the configuration we recommend here is enough for most people, given how few meaningful privacy features you can customize.

Let’s customize your experience. This odd screen lets you select one or more ways in which you plan to use the PC, with choices like Development, Entertainment, Gaming, School, Creativity, Business, and Family. This may seem helpful, but these options are really about violating your privacy and pushing personalized tips, advertisements, and recommendations to you. And so we don’t recommend clicking any of these choices. Instead, select the “Skip” link to skip to the next step.

You can enable (or disable) this configuration later in Settings–navigate to Personalization > Device usage–as discussed in Windows 11 Personalization First Steps.

Use your phone from your PC. Windows 11 includes an app called Phone Link that lets you integrate features from your Android smartphone or iPhone–like phone calls, messages, contacts, and notifications–with your PC. This is better configured later, however, so just click “Skip” to move on.

Because of Apple’s lock-in strategies, Phone Link is more useful for those with Android handsets and it offers far more complete integration with additional features.

Always have access to your recent browsing data. This screen is new to Windows 11 version 23H2 and doesn’t always appear. It enables a Microsoft Edge feature that this browser otherwise prompts you to enable the first time you use it: If you OK it, Microsoft Edge will import your bookmarks/favorites, browser history, cookies, saved passwords, and autofill form data from “your other browser” (read: Google Chrome) without you needing to even install Chrome. It will then periodically import this data over time. This is not the time to make this kind of decision, so our recommendation is to click “Accept” and move on.

If you are going to use Microsoft Edge, you can further configure this behavior in Edge settings at any time.

Your Microsoft account and OneDrive (Windows 11 Home only). Windows 11 Home users are not given a choice: By default, Windows will backup (sync) the contents of your local Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to your OneDrive storage, and all you can do for now is click Next to continue with Setup.

You can configure or disable this feature, called Folder Backup, once you reach the Windows 11 Desktop. This is described in Windows 11 Personalization First Steps.

Back up your files with OneDrive (Windows 11 Pro only). With Windows 11 Pro, you are given the choice of backing up your local Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to your OneDrive storage. We recommend choosing the “Only save files to this PC” link unless you’re positive you want to back up (sync) all three folders to OneDrive, as it’s easy to configure this later.

You can configure or disable this feature, called Folder Backup, once you reach the Windows 11 Desktop. This is described in Windows 11 Personalization First Steps.

This choice is inconsistently offered to Windows 11 Pro users during Setup, and it’s unclear why. If you do not see an option to configure OneDrive, be sure to do as instructed above once you reach the Desktop and ensure that OneDrive Folder Backup is configured the way you want.

Access granted: We’re giving you a free trial of Microsoft 365. If you do not subscribe to Microsoft 365 Family or Personal, Microsoft will offer you a free one-month trial to Microsoft 365 Family. After the month is over, you will pay $9.99 per month for this subscription. Here, we will assume that you are declining this offer, so click “Decline” to continue.

Play over 100 high-quality PC games with PC Game Pass. If you do not subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Console, or PC, Microsoft will offer you one month of PC Game Pass for $1. After the month is over, you will pay $9.99 per month for this subscription. Here, we will assume that you are declining this offer, so select “Skip for now” and continue.

Just a moment. After checking for updates again, the OOBE moves into its final phase during which it displays a series of messages–“Hi,” “Getting things ready for you,” “This might take a few minutes,” and so on–before finally displaying the Windows 11 Desktop for the first time.

From here, you can move on to some additional configuration. If this was a clean install or the first time you’ve booted into a new PC, we recommended checking out Windows 11 Personalization First Steps next. And either way, be sure to check out the Personalize Windows 11 Version 23H2 section for more personalization options to consider.