How to Install Windows 11 from USB

Upgrading your operating system or performing a clean installation can feel like giving your computer a new lease on life. It can boost performance, eliminate years of accumulated digital clutter, and provide a fresh, stable environment. Installing Windows 11 from a USB drive is the most common and flexible method for this task, whether you’re upgrading an older machine, building a new PC from scratch, or recovering from a system crash.

While the process might seem technical, it’s surprisingly straightforward when broken down into manageable steps. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from preparing your PC and creating the installation media to navigating the installation process itself. By the end, you’ll have a fresh copy of Windows 11 running smoothly on your machine.

This detailed guide will cover:

• Checking if your PC meets Windows 11 system requirements.
• Creating a bootable Windows 11 USB drive.
• Adjusting your computer’s BIOS/UEFI settings to boot from the USB.
• The step-by-step process of installing Windows 11.
• Troubleshooting common issues you might encounter along the way.

Before You Begin: Key Preparations

A little prep work goes a long way toward ensuring a smooth installation. Before you jump in, there are two crucial things you need to do: back up your data and check your system’s compatibility.

1. Back Up Your Important Files

A clean installation of Windows will erase everything on your primary hard drive or SSD. This includes your personal files, photos, documents, and installed applications. It is absolutely essential to back up any data you want to keep.

You can back up your files to:

• An external hard drive.
• A cloud storage service like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
• A separate internal drive on your computer.

Take the time to copy over everything you can’t afford to lose. Once the installation process begins, there’s no going back.

2. Check Windows 11 System Requirements

Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than its predecessors. Many older PCs may not be officially supported. You can save yourself a lot of frustration by checking compatibility first.

Key Windows 11 System Requirements:

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor.
• RAM: 4 GB or more.
• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device.
• System Firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
• Graphics Card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
• Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally.

The easiest way to check is by using Microsoft’s PC Health Check app.

1. Download the PC Health Check app from the official Microsoft website.
2. Install and run the application.
3. Click the Check now button.

The app will give you a clear “yes” or “no” on whether your PC is ready for Windows 11 and will specify which requirements you might be missing, such as TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot.

Part 1: Creating a Bootable Windows 11 USB Drive

Once your data is backed up and you’ve confirmed your PC is compatible, the next step is to create the installation media. For this, you’ll need a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of storage. Note that this process will erase everything on the USB drive, so make sure it doesn’t contain any important files.

Microsoft provides a user-friendly tool called the Media Creation Tool that handles this entire process for you.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download the Media Creation Tool: Go to the official Windows 11 Download page on Microsoft’s website. Scroll down to the “Create Windows 11 Installation Media” section and click Download Now.
2. Run the Tool: Once downloaded, run the mediacreationtool.exe file. You will need administrator privileges to proceed.
3. Accept the License Terms: After a moment, the tool will present the license terms. Click Accept.
4. Select Language and Edition: The tool will automatically select the recommended language and edition based on your current system. If you need to make changes, uncheck “Use the recommended options for this PC.” Click Next.
5. Choose Which Media to Use: You will be given two options. Select USB flash drive and click Next.
6. Select Your USB Drive: Plug your USB drive into the computer if you haven’t already. The tool should detect it and display it in a list. Select your drive from the list and click Next. If you don’t see it, click “Refresh drive list.”
7. Wait for the Download and Creation: The Media Creation Tool will now download the latest version of Windows 11 and write it to your USB drive, making it bootable. This process can take a significant amount of time (30 minutes to over an hour) depending on your internet speed.
8. Finish: Once the process is complete, you’ll see a message saying, “Your USB flash drive is ready.” Click Finish.

You now have a bootable USB drive that can be used to install Windows 11.

Part 2: Booting Your PC from the USB Drive

Your computer is normally set to boot from its primary hard drive or SSD. To install Windows from your USB drive, you need to tell your computer to boot from the USB instead. This is done through the BIOS or UEFI settings.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Plug in the USB Drive: Make sure your newly created bootable USB drive is plugged into the computer you want to install Windows 11 on.
2. Restart Your Computer: Restart your PC.
3. Enter BIOS/UEFI Settings: As the computer is booting up, you need to press a specific key to enter the BIOS/UEFI menu. This key varies by manufacturer but is commonly F2, F10, F12, or Delete.
4. • The correct key is often displayed on the screen for a brief moment during startup (e.g., “Press F2 to enter Setup”).
   • If you miss it, just restart and try again. You can also search online for “how to enter BIOS” followed by your computer or motherboard brand (e.g., Dell, HP, ASUS).
4. Find the Boot Menu: Once you’re in the BIOS/UEFI menu, look for a tab or section called Boot, Boot Order, or Boot Priority. The interface will look different depending on your motherboard, but the terminology is generally consistent.
5. Change the Boot Order: In the boot order list, you need to move your USB drive to the top of the list. It might be listed as “USB Drive,” “Removable Devices,” or by the brand name of your flash drive (e.g., “Kingston DataTraveler”). Use the on-screen instructions (often the + and - keys or arrow keys) to change the order.
6. Save and Exit: Once the USB drive is set as the first boot device, navigate to the Exit tab and select Save Changes and Exit or a similar option. Confirm your choice, and the computer will restart.

Your computer will now boot from the USB drive and begin the Windows 11 installation process.

Part 3: Installing Windows 11

If you’ve successfully booted from the USB drive, you will see the Windows logo followed by the initial setup screen. Now you just need to follow the on-screen prompts.

Step-by-Step Installation Process:

1. Language and Keyboard Settings: The first screen will ask you to select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard layout. Make your selections and click Next.
2. Start the Installation: Click the Install now button in the center of the screen.
3. Activate Windows: You will be prompted to enter your Windows product key.
4. • If you are reinstalling Windows 11 on a machine that already had it activated, you can click I don’t have a product key. Windows will automatically reactivate once the installation is complete and connected to the internet.
   • If you have a new key, enter it now and click Next.
4. Choose Your Edition: Select the edition of Windows 11 you want to install (e.g., Home or Pro). This should match the edition your product key is for. Click Next.
5. Accept License Terms: Check the box that says, “I accept the Microsoft Software License Terms,” and click Next.
6. Select Installation Type: This is a crucial step. You will see two options:
7. • Upgrade: This installs Windows 11 over your current OS, keeping your files and applications. This option is only available if you run the setup from within your existing Windows installation.
   • Custom: Install Windows only (advanced): This is for a clean install. It allows you to partition your drive and start completely fresh. Select this option for a clean install.
7. Choose Where to Install Windows: The next screen shows all the drives and partitions on your computer.
8. • For a clean install: You need to delete the existing partitions on your primary drive (the one where Windows is currently installed). Select each partition on that drive (e.g., Drive 0 Partition 1, Drive 0 Partition 2) and click Delete. Confirm the deletion.
   • Once all the partitions on the drive are gone, you will be left with a single “Unallocated Space.” Select this unallocated space and click Next. Windows will automatically create the necessary partitions for you.
     Warning: Be absolutely certain you are deleting partitions from the correct drive. Deleting the wrong partitions will result in data loss.
8. Windows Installation: Windows will now begin copying files and installing the operating system. This will take some time, and your computer will restart several times. Just let it run.
9. Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE): After the final restart, you will be guided through the final setup (known as the OOBE). This includes:
10. • Selecting your region and keyboard layout.
    • Connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
    • Naming your PC.
    • Signing in with your Microsoft account.
    • Setting up Windows Hello (PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition).
    • Configuring privacy settings.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll be greeted by your new Windows 11 desktop. Congratulations, you’ve successfully installed Windows 11!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• PC Won’t Boot from USB: If the Windows setup doesn’t start, re-enter your BIOS/UEFI and ensure Secure Boot is enabled and the USB drive is at the top of the boot order. On some older systems, you may need to disable “Fast Boot” as well.
• TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot Error: If the installation halts and says your PC doesn’t meet the requirements (even after you’ve checked), it’s likely that TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot is disabled in your BIOS/UEFI. Restart, enter the BIOS, and look for these settings, often under the “Security” or “Advanced” tabs. Enable them, save, and try again.
• “No Drives Were Found” Error: During the partition selection step, if Windows can’t find any drives, you may need to load a specific storage controller driver. This is common on some modern laptops and motherboards. You’ll need to download the “Intel Rapid Storage Technology (IRST)” driver from your PC manufacturer’s website, extract it to a separate USB drive, and use the “Load driver” option on the installation screen.

Conclusion

Installing Windows 11 from a USB drive is a powerful way to take control of your computer’s performance and stability. By breaking the process down into three main parts—creating the media, booting from it, and running the installation—you can confidently navigate what once seemed like a daunting task.

The key to success lies in careful preparation: backing up your data and verifying your system’s compatibility. From there, Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool and the step-by-step installation wizard make the rest of the journey surprisingly smooth. You are now equipped with the knowledge to perform a clean install anytime you need a fresh start.