By skyforbes 
Windows 11 Installation media is a USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file that contains the necessary setup files to install the Windows 11 operating system. Creating bootable installation media makes it easier to perform clean installations, upgrade older systems, or troubleshoot system failures. You can create Windows installation media using the Microsoft utility called Media Creation Tool or using the third-party Utility Rufus. Whether you’re setting up a new PC, repairing a corrupted operating system, or preparing for a major upgrade, here is how to create installation media for Windows 11.
Why Create Windows 11 Installation Media?
It can be used for multiple purposes, including performing a clean installation of Windows on a new PC, reinstalling Windows to fix a corrupted system, upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, or recovering a system that is unbootable due to critical errors.
- Perform a clean install of Windows 11
- Upgrade from Windows 10 without relying on in-place updates
- Repair or reinstall Windows if the system fails to boot
- Install Windows on multiple devices
- Create a recovery tool for future use
Before you create Windows 11 installation media, ensure you have the following:
- A USB flash drive (8GB or larger): All existing data will be erased during the process.
- Stable internet connection: Required to download Windows 11 setup files.
- Windows PC: To run the Media Creation Tool or prepare the installation media.
- Product key (optional): If you’re installing on a new device without Windows 11 already activated, you’ll need a valid Windows 11 license key.
- Check system requirements: Your PC must meet the Windows 11 minimum requirements, such as TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and supported processors.
Create installation media using Media Creation Tool
Microsoft provides an easy-to-use utility called the Media Creation Tool that lets you directly create a bootable USB drive or download an ISO file. This process requires a stable internet connection and may take some time depending on your connection speed.
- Run the downloaded MediaCreationTool.exe file.
- Accept the license terms to continue.
- Select Language and Edition for Windows 11 (you can use the recommended settings for your PC).
- Next, choose USB flash drive if you want to create a bootable USB directly. Insert your USB drive before continuing.
Note: If you select ISO file, it will be saved to your PC, and you can later burn it to a DVD or create a USB manually.
- Select your USB drive from the list of available drives. Ensure it’s the correct drive to avoid data loss on other devices.
- Click Next, and the tool will begin downloading Windows 11 files and copying them to the USB drive.
- This process may take 10-30 minutes, depending on your internet speed and USB drive performance.
- Once complete, the tool will verify the media and display a confirmation message: Your USB flash drive is ready.
- Your USB is now bootable, and you can use it to install or repair Windows 11.
Create a Windows 11 installation USB using Rufus
If you prefer more control over the process, use third-party tools like Rufus to manually create Windows 11 install media from an ISO file. It is a free tool for creating bootable USB drives, offers advanced customization options such as bypassing TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot requirements, which are helpful if you have unsupported hardware setups.
Visit the same Microsoft download page and under “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)”, select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) and click Download. Choose your language and download the ISO file.
- Download Rufus from rufus.ie and launch the executable directly. (No installation is required.)
- Insert the USB drive and open Rufus, which should automatically detect the device; if not, manually select it under the “Device” section.
- To use an existing Windows 11 ISO, click “Select” under “Boot selection”, browse to the ISO file (Downloaded previously), and open it.
- Alternatively, click the dropdown arrow next to “Select” and choose “Download” to let Rufus fetch the official ISO directly—select Windows 11 edition, language, and architecture (x64), then proceed with download.
- Under “Image options“, choose “Standard Windows Installation”. For modern UEFI systems, set the partition scheme to GPT and target system to UEFI (non-CSM).
- Click “Start”. Rufus will prompt you to confirm data loss on the USB; confirm to proceed
Now, Rufus offers customization options: check “Remove requirement for 4GB” to bypass TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and RAM requirements for unsupported hardware; select “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” and/or “Create a local account” to skip Microsoft account setup and predefine a local user.
The process takes several minutes, depending on USB speed; once complete, safely eject the drive.
Now you have a Windows 11 bootable USB drive that can be used for a clean install, upgrade latest version of Windows 11, or troubleshoot startup problems.
System Requirements for Windows 11
To ensure Windows 11 can be installed, your PC must meet these minimum requirements:
- Processor: 1 GHz or faster, with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
- RAM: 4 GB or more.
- Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device.
- Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics with WDDM 2.0 driver.
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
- Secure Boot: Enabled in the system’s UEFI/BIOS.
- Display: 720p display, at least 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.
- Internet: Internet connection and Microsoft account for initial setup (Home edition requires a Microsoft account).
You can check compatibility using Microsoft’s PC Health Check tool, available on their official website.
How to Use Windows 11 Installation Media
After creating the installation media, you can use it for different purposes. here’s how to use it:
- Insert the bootable USB drive or DVD into the target PC.
- Restart the computer and press the BIOS/UEFI key (commonly F2, F12, Del, Esc) to access the boot menu.
- Select the USB drive or DVD as the primary boot device.
- The Windows 11 setup will load. Click Install Now.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to install, reinstall, or repair Windows 11.
Tip: If you’re reinstalling Windows 11 on the same PC, the system should activate automatically once connected to the internet, provided you had a valid digital license earlier.
FAQs on Windows 11 Installation Media
What is Windows 11 install media?
Windows 11 installation media is a bootable USB drive, DVD, or ISO file that contains setup files for installing or reinstalling Windows 11 on a PC.
Do I need a product key to create Windows 11 installation media?
No, you don’t need a product key to create the media. However, you’ll need a valid Windows 11 license key when installing on a new device without activation.
Can I use the same USB installation media on multiple PCs?
Yes, as long as each PC has a valid Windows 11 license, you can use the same bootable USB or DVD to install Windows 11 on multiple computers.
What is the difference between ISO file and USB install media?
An ISO file is a downloadable disk image stored on your computer, while a USB install media is a bootable drive created from the ISO or Media Creation Tool that you can use directly to install Windows 11.
Can I create Windows 11 installation media on Windows 10?
Yes, you can create the installation media on a Windows 10 PC using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool or an ISO with Rufus.