I bought a Windows 11 laptop that had been used as a display model, which saved me about €300. It freezes and sometimes struggles to load things properly, so I'm wondering whether previous users installed something unwanted or left the system cluttered. I'm not very technical and would appreciate advice on the safest way to clean it up and determine whether the problem is software-related or simply due to the laptop's hardware.
3 Answers
Check the laptop’s specifications before spending too much time troubleshooting. Go to Settings > System > About and note the processor and installed RAM. A display model may simply have older or low-end hardware, and a clean install won’t make an underpowered system run much faster.
For an even cleaner installation, you can create a Windows installation USB with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool and reinstall Windows from it. Before wiping the laptop, download the correct drivers from the manufacturer’s website, especially the chipset and network drivers, so you can get everything working afterward.
The simplest first step is to use Windows 11’s built-in Reset this PC option and choose to remove everything. That gives you a fresh Windows installation without needing much technical knowledge. Back up any files you want to keep first, since the reset can erase the drive.
If it still freezes after a full reset or clean installation, I’d contact the seller about a hardware fault or consider returning it. A €300 discount isn’t much of a bargain if the laptop is unreliable.