Having a Windows 11 bootable USB drive is beneficial for emergencies. Learn how to create one with the following steps.
A Windows 11 bootable USB drive serves multiple purposes, such as facilitating a clean OS installation or upgrades. It also proves invaluable for troubleshooting critical PC errors and offline Windows installations across various PCs.
Microsoft offers a convenient approach to create installation media through its Media Creation Tool. Additionally, alternatives like Rufus and the Command Prompt can be utilized for the same purpose. This guide outlines three distinct methods for generating a USB flash drive installer for Windows 11.
Before diving into the creation process, ensure you have the necessary Windows 11 ISO file, also referred to as an ISO image. Obtain this file from the official Microsoft website by following these steps:
1. Visit the official Microsoft page for Windows 11 downloads.
2. Navigate to the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for X64 devices” section.
3. Choose “Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO)” from the drop-down menu.
4. Click the “Download Now” button to initiate the download.
5. As the page loads additional information, select your preferred language from the “Choose one” drop-down menu in the “Select the product language” section. Confirm your selection.
6. Once the download section appears, click the “64-bit Download” button.
The download will commence immediately, but the duration may vary based on your internet speed.
With the Windows 11 ISO file in hand, proceed to create a bootable USB drive using one of the methods outlined below.
1. Creating a Windows 11 Bootable USB with Rufus
Rufus, an open-source utility designed for formatting and crafting bootable USB flash drives for Windows, provides additional customization options compared to Microsoft’s native media creation tool. Follow these steps to create a Windows 11 bootable USB using Rufus:
a. Visit the Rufus website and navigate to the Download section.
b. Download the latest version by clicking on the Rufus link.
c. Run the executable file and confirm any UAC prompts by clicking Yes.
d. Connect your USB flash drive, allowing Rufus to detect and display it in the Device section.
e. Open the Boot selection drop-down and choose Disk or ISO image.
f. Click SELECT, choose the Windows ISO file, and click Open.
g. Under the Image option drop-down, select Standard Windows 11 Installation.
h. Keep the Partition scheme (GPT) and Target system (UEFI) as default.
i. Enter a name for your bootable flash drive under Volume label.
j. Maintain default settings for File system, Cluster size, and other options.
k. Ensure Quick format and Create extended label and icon files are checked.
l. Initiate the bootable drive creation process by clicking Start.
Upon completion, Rufus will display a success message, and your Windows 11 bootable drive is ready for installation on any compatible system.
2. Creating a Windows 11 Bootable USB Drive with the Media Creation Tool
Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool serves as an in-house solution for generating installation media. Follow these steps to create a bootable USB flash drive or download the ISO file:
a. Connect a USB flash drive (minimum 8GB) to your PC, ensuring it’s detected and all files are backed up.
b. Visit the Microsoft download center page.
c. Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, click Download Now and save the file to your PC.
d. Run the Mediacreationtool.exe file, confirming UAC prompts by clicking Yes. Wait for the Setup wizard to appear.
e. Agree to the terms by clicking Accept.
The tool will automatically select Edition and Language based on your current Windows configuration. To modify the language, uncheck Use the recommended options for this PC and choose your preferred language from the drop-down menu.
f. Select USB flash drive in the Choose which media to use window.
g. Click Next, choose your USB drive, and click Next again.
h. Click Finish when the “your USB flash drive is ready” message appears.
The Media Creation Tool will download Windows 11 files and create an installation media. You can now use the USB drive for troubleshooting or clean installing Windows 11 by booting from it.
Creating a Bootable Drive Using Command Prompt
If you prefer not to rely on a third-party tool for creating a bootable drive, you can utilize the Diskpart utility and Command Prompt to generate installation media. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Begin by backing up all files on your USB drive, then connect it to your PC.
2. Press the Win key, type “cmd,” and choose “Run as Administrator” under Command Prompt. Alternatively, you can opt for PowerShell if you prefer it.
3. In the Command Prompt window, input the following command and press enter to launch the Windows Diskpart utility.
4. Type the command below to list all available storage devices:
Locate your USB drive by examining the Size column; for instance, if your USB drive is listed as Disk 2.
5. Enter the following command to select your drive:
Note: Replace “Disk 2” with the number assigned to your USB drive based on the list obtained in the previous step.
6. Once the drive is selected, use the following command to erase its content:
7. Execute the command to create a primary partition:
8. After creating the primary partition, input the following command to select the main partition:
The Command Prompt will display details of your USB drive.
9. Activate the partition with the command:
10. Format the USB drive with the following command (ensure NTFS format for compatibility):
11. Type “exit” and press enter to leave the Diskpart utility.
12. Mount the ISO image and transfer its content to the USB drive:
– Mount the Windows 11 ISO file by typing the command (replace the file path with your ISO location):
– Launch Diskpart with the command:
– Display available volumes with:
Note the Drive letter for the mounted ISO file, typically listed as DVD-ROM under the Type column.
– Exit Diskpart:
– Input the mounted ISO volume letter and press enter (e.g., if the letter is J):
– Apply the master boot code to the USB flash drive:
Replace “I” with the drive letter of your USB flash drive.
– Copy Windows 11 system files to the USB flash drive:
Replace “J:” and “I:” with your Mounted ISO Volume and USB drive letter, respectively.
13. The process may take 5-10 minutes. If the Command Prompt appears stuck, wait until it completes.
14. Upon success, you’ll see a “Files (s) Copied” message. Your USB bootable drive is now ready for a clean Windows 11 installation.