This process is called a clean install, which is ironic as there's nothing particularly clean about it: Microsoft has enshittified Windows Setup.

This isn't a MacBook hate piece. It's a candid look at the things no one warns you about before you leave Windows behind.

I'm not saying it can't happen, but like everything, it depends ...

In June 2025, Microsoft announced that, in June 2026, it would begin deprecating Secure Boot certificates of Windows systems ...

Get the most from older systems.