Step 5. Watch it reboot overnight and download even more useless bloat

By installing drivers do you mean: search the manufacturers website online, navigate through all the scam website to try to find the legit one, dig through the website to find your hardware, download a random executable file, execute it, select next next next, no I don't want to install mcafee, next, install.

To its credit (of which there is little), Windows can handle most things these days just fine without externally obtained drivers. Gradually improving since 7 onwards. The only sore spots really are proper gfx drivers and printers. 10 and beyond will also gracefully handle being drive-swapped into completely different hardware.

If it's a reinstall, activation is automatic for OEM licences.

Step 4, yes, what a shitshow. Way too many hoops and hurdles to go through just to get a functional OS without the bloat and guff.

the last few times step 4 ended badly, all of the debloat tools i found did a bit too much

Installing windows step 4 if you're playing games not off the main stores, install:

• DirectX 9 Jun 2010
• Visual C++ Redistributables (2008 - whatever the latest is)
• .NET Framework 3.5 (if you wanna play older games. You have to do this from from programs and features)

step 2: run 3 commands in console or use discover

Just one, no? Usually the installation instructions will tell you which package to install for your GPU.