Microsoft has made it easy for you to experience Windows 11 through the Windows Insider Program. You can easily upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 via the Dev channel without having to set everything up manually. In fact, Windows Insider Beta users can now also get Windows 11 updates without any issues. But having said that, if you are someone who likes to clean install Windows, then flashing Windows 11 from USB would be a good option. This means you won’t have any temporary or leftover files, resulting in a faster and smoother experience. So, if you want to install Windows 11 from USB, follow the step-by-step guide below.
Installing Windows 11 from USB: A Complete Guide (2021)
First, we talked about how to create a Windows 11 bootable USB and then how to fresh install Windows 11 on your PC. You can expand the table below and move on to the relevant section.
Create Windows 11 Bootable USB
We will use Rufus to create a Windows 11 bootable USB as it is simple to use. If you find Rufus unnecessarily complicated, you can find other Rufus alternatives on our list. Your first task is to download the Windows 11 ISO image officially from Microsoft’s website. Use the linked article for steps to get the Windows 11 ISO file. Now having said all that, let’s learn how to create a bootable USB for Windows 11.
1. First, plug the USB flash drive into your computer. Next, launch Rufus and it will automatically select the USB device. Now, “choose” and select the Windows 11 ISO image. I recommend running Rufus on the computer where you want to install Windows 11. This allows Rufus to automatically preselect the correct values based on your system configuration.
2. If you are creating the bootable USB on another computer, I suggest you check the partition scheme of the target machine beforehand. Press the “Windows + X” keyboard shortcut and open Disk Management. Here right click on “Disk 0” and open “Properties”. At that time, Switch to “Units” and check the Partition style, be it GPT or MBR. For example, mine is GPT.
Note: Upgrade to Windows 11 requires the GPT partition style, so you can learn how to convert MBR to GPT disk without data loss through our linked article.
3. So in Rufus, under ” I selected “GPT”.Partition diagram“. You need to select the partition scheme accordingly. Finally, keep everything as default and click “START”. After the flashing is complete, close Rufus and insert the Windows 11 USB stick into the target machine.
Clean Installing Windows 11 from a Bootable USB
1. To install Windows 11 from USB, you must restart your computer. As your PC boots up, what you need to do start pressing the boot key Continuously.
note: On HP laptops, pressing the “Esc” key during startup displays the Startup menu. For other laptops and desktops, you will need to search the Internet for the boot key. It should be one of: F12, F9, F10, etc.
2. Next, press the “F9” key (the key may be different for your laptop/desktop) to Open “Boot Device Options”. Here, select the flash drive you created and hit enter.
3. You will now boot into the Windows 11 installer setup. Click Next -> Install Now.
4. On the next page, “I don’t have a product key“.
5. You may then be asked to: Select Windows 11 version. If you are using a Windows enabled laptop, the version will be selected automatically based on your previous configuration.
6. Now, “Tradition“. It allows you to install Windows 11 on a specific drive. That way, you won’t have to erase the entire disk.
7. When you come to the section page, define it. “C” drive according to the driver size and click “Next” to install Windows 11 on your computer. This will only wipe your C drive, including programs and files in Desktop, My Documents, Downloads, and leave no other partitions in the C drive.
Note: If you get any error regarding MBR, follow our guide and convert MBR to GPT disk without data loss.
8. Finally, Windows 11 will be installed From USB to your PC.
9. Your PC will reboot automatically after installation. During the boot process, Remove the USB flash driveand you will be greeted with a brand new onboarding (OOBE) installation of Windows 11.
10. If you are using Windows 11 Home during installation, You cannot create an offline account. You must have an active internet connection to sign in to your Microsoft account. Yes, this is one of the ridiculous system requirements for Windows 11. However, if you are on other versions of Windows 11, you can use the offline route: Sign-in Options -> Offline Account -> Limited experience.
note: After logging in, Home users can remove the Microsoft account from Windows 11 and use a local account instead.
11. Here you go! You have successfully installed Windows 11 from the USB drive on your computer. Now go ahead and try all the new Windows 11 features on your computer. Includes a new centered start menu, Redesigned Microsoft Store with Android app supportwidgets, new action center, voice typing and much more.
Freshly Install Windows 11 from Bootable USB on Your Computer
So you can create a bootable Windows 11 USB stick and install the brand new desktop operating system from Microsoft on your computer. The process is quite similar to how we install Windows 10 from a USB flash drive. Even if you are new to Windows setup, you can follow the step-by-step guide and get Windows 11 up and running in no time. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you want to disable the newly launched Widgets feature or disable the Microsoft Teams Chat icon on the taskbar in Windows 11, follow our linked tutorial. And if you’d like to check out the full list of Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts, we’ve got you covered. Finally, if you have any questions, comment below and let us know.