Formalized last October 5, the first version of Windows 11 can be installed on a PC with a bootable Windows 11 installation key. It is a quick and easy way to take advantage of Microsoft’s new operating system without going through an update from an older version of Windows. Find out how to create this USB drive in a few steps and why it is interesting to do it.
Why use a bootable Windows 11 installation key?
There are several ways to install the new Windows 11 operating system :
- with an upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11
- via the download of the disk image (ISO) of Windows 11;
- from a bootable Windows 11 installation key.
The latter method is the most advantageous and does not require updating from an older version of Windows.
After creating the Windows 11 bootable key, you can set up a computer in two ways without the risk of losing personal data. You must either start a laptop or stationary PC and run the installation of Windows 11 from the USB key, or double-click on the setup.exe file from File Explorer. Procedure free and fast, you can install Windows 11 with a bootable USB drive on multiple computers at any time.
The Windows 11 installation key also provides access to troubleshooting options. It is used to solve problems and bugs that can occur when a PC is built by itself or has no operating system. A worthy heir to the installation CD, you can use this USB key to repair Windows 11, reset it, or reinstall it when it no longer works correctly.
How to create a bootable Windows 11 installation key?
It is possible to create a bootable Windows 11 installation key in a few clicks using the free Rufus software or with Media Creation Tool, Microsoft’s media creation tool. In both cases, it is preferable to have a high-speed internet connection, to have a Windows PC and a blank USB key with at least 8 GB of storage.
Create a Windows 11 installation USB drive with Rufus
To create a bootable Windows 11 installation key with Rufus, it is first necessary to download the disk image (ISO ) from the Microsoft site. To do this, select Windows 11 from the drop-down menu and click Confirm. In the language selection, choose English, click again on Confirm then finish with the Download 64 bits button.
Make sure your PC has at least 5.1 GB of free space to download the ISO. Once the file is recovered, you can copy it to a bootable USB drive. Now follow the final steps:
- Download the Rufus software for free.
- Plug a blank USB key of at least 8 GB into your PC. Be careful, if it has data, they will all be erased.
- Launch the Rufus software then select your USB drive in Device.
- Click the Select button. When the Explorer window opens, click on the Windows 11 ISO file. It will appear in the Startup Type section.
- In the Image option section, select Typical Windows installation.
- In the Partition scheme section, select GPT.
- Click on Start then wait a few minutes to finalize the creation of the Windows 11 installation key.
- Safely eject your ready-to-use USB drive.
Create a Windows 11 installation USB drive with Media Creation Tool
Before you start, make sure your PC is equipped with a 64-bit CPU, otherwise, it will not be possible to run Windows 11. You can check this in the settings by looking for System Information and then clicking on the Type section of the system. Your PC must also be equipped with the minimum configuration required to take advantage of all the features of Windows 11.
To proceed with the creation of the Windows 11 installation USB key with Media Creation Tool, follow these steps:
- Go to the Software Downloads section on the Microsoft site and choose Windows 11.
- Click Download Tool Now then Run.
- Read and accept the license terms by clicking Accept.
- Go to the What do you want to do? and click on Create installation media for another PC then Next.
- Choose the language of your choice and the edition for Windows 11. Select the type of media you want to use, in this case, a USB key, then click Next.
- Plug in a USB flash drive that has at least 8 GB of free storage. If it is not blank, be aware that all of its contents will be deleted.
- Select your USB key then click on Next.
- Wait while the Windows 11 installation files download.
- Complete the installation of Windows 11 by clicking Finish.
- Safely eject your ready-to-use USB drive.