Installing Windows 11 from a USB drive

A clean install of Windows is usually done from a USB drive. It's handy for a new PC, a new disk or a computer that no longer works properly. This article shows in three steps how to create a bootable USB drive and install Windows 11. Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025, so install Windows 11.

What you need

Step 1: create the USB drive with Microsoft's tool

  1. Go to microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.
  2. Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, choose Download Now.
  3. Run MediaCreationTool.exe, accept the terms and pick language and edition.
  4. Choose USB flash drive, select your drive and wait for the tool to finish.

More detail with screenshots in create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive.

Alternative: create the drive manually from an ISO

Already have a Windows 11 ISO file? Then you can create the drive yourself.

  1. Plug in the USB drive. Right-click Start and choose Disk Management.
  2. Right-click the drive's partition, choose Format and pick FAT32. Modern UEFI PCs only boot from FAT32.
  3. Double-click the ISO file to mount it as a drive.
  4. Copy all files from the ISO drive to the USB drive.

Note: in the Windows 11 ISO, sources\install.wim is often larger than 4 GB, which doesn't fit on FAT32. Copy everything except that file first, then split it with DISM in an administrator Command Prompt. Replace D: with the ISO drive and E: with your USB drive:

dism /Split-Image /ImageFile:D:\sources\install.wim /SWMFile:E:\sources\install.swm /FileSize:3800

Marking a partition as active is only needed for old BIOS PCs. UEFI PCs don't need it.

Step 2: boot the PC from the USB drive

  1. Plug the drive into the PC you want to install Windows on.
  2. Turn on the PC and immediately press the boot menu key. It's often F12, F11, F10, F8 or Esc, depending on the brand.
  3. Pick the USB drive from the list.

Don't see the drive? Check in the UEFI settings that booting from USB is allowed.

Step 3: install Windows 11

  1. Choose your language, time format and keyboard and click Next.
  2. Choose Install Windows 11.
  3. Enter a product key, or choose I don't have a product key if the PC already has a digital license.
  4. Pick the disk. For a fully clean install, delete the old partitions and choose the unallocated space.
  5. Follow the steps. The PC restarts a few times.
  6. Remove the USB drive once setup finishes and the PC asks you to set it up for the first time.

What's next?

Is it a work PC? Then sign in with your work account on first start. With Windows Autopilot and Microsoft Intune, the device is then managed automatically, with the right apps and settings. Also see install Windows 11 from an ISO file and Windows Autopilot explained.

Read also

Create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive
Install or upgrade Windows 11 with an ISO file
Download and install Windows 11: all official methods

Nederlandstalige versie: Windows 11 installeren vanaf een USB-stick in 3 stappen

share on LinkedIn ☕ buy me a coffee

More in English

▸Windows Autopilot: what it is and how to set it up in 4 stepsWith Windows Autopilot a new PC configures itself through Intune. What you need, which mode to pick and how… ▸Add a Windows device to Microsoft Entra and Intune manuallyJoin a company PC to Microsoft Entra ID and Intune via Access work or school, or register a personal device,… ▸Reset a Windows 11 PC to factory settingsReset your Windows 11 PC to factory settings, with or without your files, via cloud download or local… ▸Install Windows 11 and bring the PC into Intune right awayInstall Windows 11, sign in with your work account and let the PC enroll automatically in Microsoft Intune…