Want to install Windows 11 via USB drive manually? Follow these easy steps to create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive quickly.
The long-awaited Windows 11 is here and released to the public on October 5th, 2021. Like Windows 10, you can download the Windows 11 ISO for free from the Microsoft website. I’ve already written a detailed guide on how you can download the Windows 11 ISO in three different ways. Follow that guide to get the Windows 11 ISO, if you haven’t already. After downloading the ISO, you need to create a bootable drive to install Windows 11 on your computer.
Though downloading the Windows 11 ISO is pretty easy, it can be unclear, or you might not know how to make a bootable USB drive with the ISO. After all, without a bootable drive, you cannot install Windows 11. The good thing is, it is straightforward to create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive. All it takes are the ISO, an empty USB drive, and a couple of clicks.
To guide you through the process, I’ve created a detailed guide on creating a bootable Windows 11 USB drive. Follow the below steps, and it will be done in no time.
Things you should have
There are a couple of things you should have to make a bootable Windows 11 USB drive. They are as follows.
- Make sure you have the latest Windows 11 ISO.
- The USB drive should be at least 8 GB.
Once you have both, follow the steps given below.
Create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive
To create a Windows 11 bootable USB drive, we will use free software called Rufus. It will create a bootable Windows 11 UEFI USB drive. The best thing is, Rufus is straightforward to use. In fact, it is one of those software you should always have in your software repository.
First, plug in the USB drive. Make sure there is nothing important in the USB drive. Next, download Rufus from the official website. After downloading the software, open the Downloads folder, find and double-click on the Rufus.exe file.
After opening the Rufus application, select the USB drive from the “Device” dropdown menu. Next, click the “Select” button next to the “Boot Selection” dropdown menu.
Now, select the Windows 11 ISO and click the “Open” button.
Next, select the “Standard Windows 11 Installation (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 8GB+ RAM)” option under the “Image Option” dropdown menu. Optionally, enter a USB drive name in the Volume Label field. I set the Volume Label to “Windows 11.” Click the “Start” button.
Click the “Ok” button in the warning window.
As soon as you click the Start button, Rufus will format the USB drive and starts the bootable drive creation process. The complete Windows 11 USB bootable creation will take some time to complete.
Once done, you can unplug the USB drive or reboot the computer and install Windows 11 using the bootable USB drive.
That is all. It is that simple to create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive.
I hope that helps.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
