How to install Windows 11 from a USB – Guide
We’ve been able to create Linux live disks that boot from a USB flash drive (or optical disk) and come out completely. These portable OS installs can come in handy when you want to try out an operating system on your internal hard drive or SSD without messing with any platforms. And they can be good for you when you want to carry your operating system and programs with you when going back and forth between computers. Thanks to Rufus, a popular free app that creates bootable USB drives, you can have a portable installation of Windows 11 that runs from a flash drive you keep in your pocket. Testing the Rufus “Windows to Go” feature, we were able to use the same Windows 11 disk on two different computers with minimal fuss.
The latest version of Rufus allows you to create a Windows To Go version of Windows 11, which can avoid the TPM and CPU requirements of the new OS. So if you have a computer that doesn’t have a TPM 2.0 or compatible CPU (Intel 8th Gen or higher, AMD Ryzen 2000 series or higher), you can boot to this Windows to Go disk without any problems. If you want to install Microsoft OS on the main SSD or hard drive of a PC with older hardware, check out our story at how to ignore Windows 11 TPM requirements or do a clean install of Windows 11.
Make sure you have enough space
Before proceeding, it’s important to be aware that the Windows 11 ISO file is 5.1GB in size. If you don’t have enough space on your device where the ISO is being downloaded to, as well as on any flash drives you might be using, and if you want to install Windows 11 on multiple devices, you’ll need to make some room. If this is proving to be difficult, our guide may provide some helpful tips. If you don’t need any of the files currently on your computer right away, it’s a good idea to back them up first and then perform a factory reset later. This will give you more flexibility in what files you want to keep on your PC after installation. ..
Download the ISO file
Previously, the process involved signing into a Microsoft account and registering for the Windows Insider Program. Now it’s much simpler: You just need to sign in and download the software.
Windows 11 is now available for download. You can find the download page at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11/. ..
To create installation media for Windows 11, click ‘Download Now’. ..
The media creation tool will now be downloaded. When finished, double click to run it. ..
To download the ISO file for your computer, follow these steps:
- Open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to the location where you downloaded the ISO file.
- Copy the contents of the folder where you downloaded the ISO file to your clipboard.
- Open a Windows command prompt and type “cd” (without the quotes) and then press Enter.
- Change directories to where you copied the ISO file and then type “iso” (without the quotes) and press Enter.
- The ISO file will be loaded in Windows Explorer and you will be able to access it from there.
If you need to keep any of your existing files and data, be sure to select this option. Once installed, this will run Windows 11 as if you just took the device out of the box. However, the process of installing it from a USB is a little more complicated.
Transfer it to a USB
The first step is to download the ISO file for your computer. This will appear in File Explorer or Finder if you are using a Mac. Just plug in your USB stick or other flash drive and transfer it as you normally would – it’s a large file, so this might take a minute or two. Once in USB, make sure to eject it before unplugging.
Run Windows 11 from USB
To install Windows 11 on a USB stick using Rufus, the stick must be bootable. Microsoft recommends using Rufus to make the stick bootable. ..
Windows 11 was also downloaded on the device where Rufus was running. To run Rufus, you must first download and run the latest version of Rufus on the device where Windows 11 was also downloaded.
The ISO file will be mounted on the USB drive. Make sure it has at least 8GB free and all other files are removed before mounting it.
In Rufus main window, select the USB under ‘Device’ and press the ‘New’ button.
NTFS is the default file system for Windows 10. MBR is the default partition scheme for Windows 10.
To the right of ‘Boot selection’, click ‘SELECT’ and choose the ISO file to burn to a disc
The USB stick is a powerful tool that can be used to transfer files quickly and easily. If you’re using it on a computer, the speed of the USB stick will depend on how fast that computer is.
You can now use your USB stick to install Windows 11 on any compatible device.
Connect the USB stick to the target device and press the power button.
To enter safe mode, hold down the F8 key and click on the Windows logo.
USB stick: Use a device
Final note
Windows 11 is a new operating system that was released in November of 2011. It is a replacement for Windows 8.1 and is designed to be more user-friendly and efficient. If you are looking to install Windows 11 on your computer, there are a few things you will need to do in order to make the process as smooth as possible. In this guide, we will be taking you through the steps necessary to install Windows 11 on your computer. We will start by discussing the basics of how Windows 11 works and then go on to provide specific instructions on how to complete the installation process. We hope that this guide can help you get started with Windows 11 and make it a successful experience!
