How to create Windows 11 bootable installation media

Microsoft released the stable version of Windows 11 for all users across the globe. If you are thinking of fresh or clean install Windows 11, you have to create a bootable USB media for Windows 11. This guide will show you how to create a Windows 11 bootable installation media using Media Creation Tool. Using this method, you can also upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Feature Upgrades.

There are multiple ways to upgrade from an older version to Windows 11. However, your options are limited if you want to clean install the latest version of Windows. You need to create a bootable USB flash drive or DVD for that.

You have mainly two options – Media Creation Tool or third-party software like Rufus. Although there are many other third-party software to create a bootable USB drive of any Windows version, you can use Rufus to finish everything smoothly. Here we have shown both methods, and you can follow either of them.

Before you start with the steps, you should know that:

An 8GB or more USB flash drive is required.
All the data on your pen drive will be deleted. It is recommended to backup all the important files before you begin.
You can use the same pen drive to install Windows 11 on multiple computers. It is mainly for a fresh installation of Windows 11.
You must have a 64-bit architecture to install Windows 11.
The first method requires an internet connection. However, the second method doesn’t require an internet connection as long as you have Rufus and Windows 11 ISO on your PC.
Although it is possible, Microsoft doesn’t recommend users to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

Use Windows 11 Media Creation Tool to create Windows 11 bootable installation media

To create Windows 11 bootable installation media using Media Creation Tool, follow these steps:

Download the Media Creation Tool from the official website.
Double-click on it to open.
Click the Accept button.
Click the Next button on the language selection page.
Choose the USB flash drive option.
Click the Next button.
Plug in your pen drive.
Select the pen drive and click the Next button.
Let it finish the downloading.

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

At first, you need to download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool. For that, you can visit the official download page at microsoft.com.

After downloading, double-click on the setup file and click the Accept button to get started with this. Then, you need to choose a language. If your required language is already selected, you can click the Next button.

Otherwise, you can remove the checkmark from the checkbox, choose the language, and click the Next button. After that, select the USB flash drive option and click on the Next button.

Following that, you need to plug in your pen drive to your computer, select it, and click the Next button.

Once done, it will start downloading the Windows 11 ISO. At last, it will create the bootable USB drive automatically.

If you see the Your USB flash drive is ready message on your screen, you can restart your computer and the Windows 11 installation.

Read: How to use Windows 11 Installation Assistant to install Windows 11

How to create Windows 11 bootable USB drive using Rufus

As mentioned earlier, you can create a bootable Windows 11 pen drive using Rufus. too. For that, you must download Rufus from the official website and the Windows 11 ISO on your computer. If you have already installed Rufus and downloaded the Windows 11 disk image, you can follow the following steps. To create Windows 11 bootable USB drive using Rufus, follow these steps:

Open Rufus on your computer.
Plug in the USB drive.
Select it in the Device list.
Choose Disk or ISO image from the Boot selection menu.
Click the SELECT button and select the Windows 11 ISO file.
Click the START button.
Let is finish the process.

Let’s check out these steps in detail.

At first, open Rufus on your computer and plug in the pen drive. Following that, make sure it is visible in the Device list. If not, expand it and choose the pen drive.

Then, expand the Boot selection menu and select the Disk or ISO image option. Following that, click the SELECT button and choose the Windows 11 ISO file you downloaded earlier.

Next, click the START button.

Once done, you can restart your computer and follow the usual steps to start the Windows 11 installation. If you like, you can download Rufus from the official website, rufus.ie.

How do I create a bootable USB drive for Windows 11?

There are two ways to create a bootable USB drive for Windows 11. You can use either Windows 11 Media Creation Tool or Rufus. The first method doesn’t require the Windows 11 ISO, whereas you must have the Windows 11 ISO if you follow the second method.

Read: How to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

Can you create a Windows 11 bootable USB?

Yes, you can create a bootable Windows 11 USB flash drive. Whether you are using Windows 11 or Windows 10, you can use the aforementioned guide to create a bootable pen drive for Windows 11. Both methods are verified, and they take almost the same time.

That’s all!

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