I recently bought a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ILL10 and suspect it contains unwanted Lenovo software. Some of the preinstalled programs cannot be removed normally, so I'm considering a clean installation of Windows 11.
I'm new to reinstalling operating systems and want to avoid losing data, causing blue screens, or making the laptop unbootable. Is a reset from Windows Settings enough to remove the manufacturer software, or should I create a bootable USB installer instead? I specifically want a clean installation that removes the old files rather than keeping them.
A Windows installation guide mentions disabling CSM and changing the storage controller from RAID/VMD/IRST to AHCI or NVMe. I cannot find a CSM or Legacy Boot option in the Lenovo firmware settings, although TPM and Secure Boot appear to be enabled. Do I need to change these settings on this model, and how can I avoid storage-driver problems?
The guide also says to run the Media Creation Tool from outside the USB drive because simply copying an ISO to a USB drive does not make it bootable. Does that mean I download and run the tool directly from Windows, then let it create the installer on the plugged-in USB drive?
3 Answers
You usually do not need to disable Secure Boot just to boot a current Windows 11 installer. Lenovo’s boot menu is commonly opened with F12, or sometimes with the Novo button. Select the USB from that menu.
If the installer can see the internal SSD, leave the storage-controller settings alone. Do not switch RAID/VMD/IRST to AHCI merely because a guide mentions it. Changing that setting unnecessarily can make an existing Windows installation fail to boot, and some newer laptops require a specific storage driver. If the clean installer cannot see the SSD, get the exact storage driver from Lenovo for that model and load it during setup instead of randomly changing BIOS options. CSM may simply be absent because the laptop supports UEFI-only boot, which is normal.
Download Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool onto the laptop itself, such as the Desktop or Downloads folder. Run it there while the USB drive is plugged in, and choose the USB drive when the tool asks where to create the installation media. The tool formats and makes the USB bootable; copying an ISO file onto the drive manually does not do that.
Back up anything important first, preferably to another drive or cloud storage, and verify that the backup actually opens. During setup, choose a custom installation and be very careful to select the correct internal drive. The USB does not need to be inside the computer when you run the tool—it is only the destination for the installer.
Before wiping the machine, check whether the unwanted items are actually Lenovo utilities, Windows components, or drivers. Some Lenovo applications provide hotkeys, power profiles, firmware updates, or hardware controls, so removing everything with a Lenovo name is not always a good idea. A clean install will remove the bundled applications, but you may need to reinstall Lenovo’s drivers and essential utilities afterward.
A folder that you cannot open is not automatically malware or bloatware. Windows protects many system folders, and antivirus software generally will not identify normal protected folders as threats. If the laptop came from a reputable seller and Windows Security reports no problems, the risk of spying is not a reason by itself to change BIOS storage settings. A clean installation is reasonable if you want a fresh system, but make a recovery drive or confirm you can obtain Lenovo drivers first.
That helps a lot. I was worried that not finding CSM meant something was configured incorrectly.