IT SUPPORT • WINDOWS 11 • HARDENING
Windows 11 Cleanup & Hardening
Structured cleanup + security baseline work: reduced startup noise, validated Defender, audited scheduled tasks, removed OEM bloat, and confirmed a stable post-reboot baseline.
Outcome
Cleaner + faster baseline
Focus
Practical help desk work
What I did
Real system, real results1) Startup & performance review
- Audited startup apps in Task Manager
- Disabled non-essential startup entries (launchers, unused utilities)
- Reduced background activity and memory usage at idle
Result: faster boot + fewer background processes
2) Security baseline verification
- Confirmed Microsoft Defender real-time protection + updates
- Ran scans and reviewed protection history
- Verified no unnecessary exclusions were present
Result: clean endpoint protection baseline
3) Scheduled task audit
- Reviewed Task Scheduler for OEM / third-party updater tasks
- Disabled/removed unnecessary vendor and app tasks
- Reviewed OneDrive tasks and removed redundant background updates
Result: reduced background churn + smaller attack surface
4) OEM bloatware removal
- Identified and removed redundant OEM utilities
- Reduced vendor services running in the background
- Kept required drivers and core Windows components intact
Result: cleaner system with fewer services
Baseline after cleanup
Post-reboot validation
CPU
~2%
Memory
~50–55%
Disk
Near idle
Network
Near idle
This mirrors common help desk work: speeding up slow PCs, trimming startup clutter, verifying security controls, and stabilizing a clean baseline.
Skills demonstrated
What this shows employers- Windows 11 administration (startup apps, scheduled tasks, stability checks)
- Endpoint security verification (Defender, scans, exclusions awareness)
- Performance troubleshooting and baseline measurement
- Security-minded support approach (reduce surface area, keep required drivers)