Since the release of Windows 11, enthusiasts have been trying to run the new Microsoft operating system on just about anything. Many have even tried running Windows 11 on a single board Raspberry Pi computer. And thanks to the efforts of a prominent developer botspotNow, we can install Windows 11 or Windows 10 on Raspberry Pi. If you follow this process, you don’t need to get your hands dirty with too many commands or technical skills. In this tutorial, we provide you a simple guide on how to install Windows 11/10 on Raspberry Pi. You will be able to run official Windows on ARM (Pro version) on your Raspberry Pi. So without any delay, let’s jump right in.
Install Windows 11/10 on Raspberry Pi (2021)
In this guide, we have detailed the steps to install Windows 11/10 on Raspberry Pi. You can install Windows on Raspberry, even RPi 3 and RPi 2 boards, but we recommend running Windows on Raspberry Pi 4 with at least 4GB of RAM. You can expand the table below and review the requirements and instructions at your own pace.
Requirements for Running Windows on Raspberry Pi
1. You need a USB flash drive, an SD card or an SSD drive. 32GB or more to store. If you have 16GB of external storage, the installation process will take more time. The external drive is only required to create a Windows on Raspberry image.
2. you You need Ubuntu or another Debian-based Linux distribution To flash Windows (WoR) OS on Raspberry. I am using Raspberry Pi OS (download here) to a secondary drive on my computer to flash the image. You can even use Raspberry Pi OS on your Raspberry Pi to flash the picture, but it will take much longer due to the low-power CPU.
3. Raspberry Pi 4/3/2, Raspberry Pi 400 and RPi CM3 boards are compatible with Windows on Raspberry. You need at least 16GB SD card connected to your Raspberry Pi.
Build Windows on Raspberry Image
1. Open Terminal on the Linux distribution of your choice. I am using Raspberry Pi OS on my computer, but you can also use Ubuntu or other Debian based operating systems. In terminal, paste the following command first. update all packages and dependencies. Make sure you don’t get any errors while running the apt update command. Note that you may need to enter your password to update the system.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
2. Next, run the following command install git If you haven’t already.
sudo apt install git
3. After doing that, execute the following command in Terminal. Download Wor-flasher.
git clone https://github.com/Botspot/wor-flasher
4. After that, execute the following command to run the script. It is a GUI script that allows you to customize Windows image on Raspberry and flash it to SD card/USB drive/SSD drive. remember have to press “Y” several times during the process to confirm the installation changes.
~/wor-flasher/install-wor-gui.sh
5. Then the Windows on Raspberry prompt will appear on your screen. Here you can choose whether you want it or not. Install Windows 11 or 10 on your Raspberry Pi board. You can also select the RPi clipboard from the drop-down menu in this pop-up command prompt. Next, click “Next” and select the installation language.
6. At this point, I will suggest: Connecting the SD card/ USB drive/ SSD drive to your PC. If you are using the Raspberry Pi itself to create the image, connect an external USB drive/SSD drive to the board. Note that if you want to install Windows 11/10 on the same SD card or USB drive, you must have 24GB or more of free space.
7. Next, select external drive Where you want to flash the WoR image. Do not forget that all files on the external drive will be deleted when installing Windows 11/10 on Raspberry Pi, so make sure to take a backup.
8. Finally, review all the information and click “flash” in the Overview window.
9. Now a Terminal window will open and show you the progress. Here, the script Download Windows to ARM files directly from Microsoft’s server and create an ISO image. So yes, be patient as the process will take some time. It took close to 40 minutes to render the image on my computer. If the screen seems to be stuck on “removing device”, don’t worry and let it complete the process.
10. Once complete, a prompt will appear asking you to follow the next steps. This means you have Successfully created Windows image on Raspberry. Now turn off your Raspberry Pi.
How to Boot Windows 11/10 on Raspberry Pi
Now that you’ve flashed the image, it’s time to boot Windows 11/10 on your Raspberry Pi. To learn how to do this, follow these steps:
1. If you created the image using your PC, remove the external drive and Put it on your Raspberry Pi using the USB port. Make sure a 16GB or larger SD card is installed on the motherboard.
2. Now open the card and you will see the Raspberry Pi logo. After that, the Windows installation sign will appear. Just give it some time and disc selection page. If nothing appears, remove the SD card and let the card boot from the external drive. I have provided a solution in the next step when to mount the SD card.
3. On the disk selection page, select the SD card where you want to install Windows 11/10. If the SD card is not visible, click the “Refresh” button. If it still doesn’t show up, reboot your Raspberry Pi and insert the SD card when the RPi logo appears. Now, the SD card will appear in the drop-down menu.
4. Here, select the version of Windows you want to install and click “To organise“.
5. Note that it will take important time to complete the process. It can take up to 45 minutes to 1 hour, so don’t think the screen is stuck. Just leave it there and the process will be complete.
6. Board reboot several times during the process, just like any other Windows PC. Once all is done, you will be greeted with the built-in installation of Windows 11/10 on your Raspberry Pi.
7. Finally, Boot into Windows 11/10. As you’d expect, the performance isn’t great, but it’s usable. Also note that Wi-Fi is not working for now, so in Windows 11/10 you will need to use Ethernet to use internet services on your Raspberry Pi.
Remove RAM Limitation in Windows on Raspberry
But there is another problem. Due to some technical limitations, RAM is limited to 3GB even if your motherboard has 4GB or 8GB of RAM. To fix this, follow the steps below.
1. Restart Windows on Raspberry as you would any other computer. Press the “Esc” key when the Raspberry Pi logo appears. You will enter the setup screen.
2. Here, go to Device Manager -> Raspberry Pi Configuration -> Advanced Configuration. Now, Disable “Limit RAM to 3GB” choice.
3. After that keep pressing the “Esc” key to go back and press “Y” to save changes
4. Press the “Esc” key again to return to the main setup menu. Next, “ContinuePress Enter at the bottom and then Enter again to boot into Windows 11/10 on your Raspberry Pi.
5. Finally, RAM limitation will be removed On Raspberry on Windows as shown in the screenshot below.
Run Windows 11 or 10 on Raspberry Pi
This is how you can install Windows 11 or 10 on Raspberry Pi. As we know, Raspberry Pi runs on an ARM processor, so basically you will be running Windows on ARM on the motherboard. If you’re using Windows 11, x86 emulation will be better, but don’t expect very good performance due to the low-power processor on the Raspberry Pi. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you’re just getting started with the Raspberry Pi, go ahead and learn how to set up the Raspberry Pi on a Windows laptop without a monitor or ethernet cable. And if you run into any problems with this tutorial, let us know in the comment section below.
