Installing Windows from a USB drive is the fastest and most reliable method, especially on machines without an optical drive. A bootable USB works for clean installs, upgrades, and system recovery – and you can create one from Windows, Linux, or macOS.
This guide walks through downloading the Windows 11 ISO, creating a bootable USB drive on all three major operating systems, booting from USB, and completing the Windows 11 installation. We also cover bypassing TPM and Secure Boot requirements for older hardware.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have the following ready:
- A USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of storage (all data on it will be erased)
- A working computer with internet access to download the ISO and USB creation tool
- The target PC where Windows 11 will be installed
- Windows 11 system requirements: 1 GHz 64-bit processor with 2+ cores, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 (bypass method covered in Step 7)
Step 1: Download the Windows 11 ISO
Microsoft provides the Windows 11 ISO directly from their download page. You have two options – use the Media Creation Tool or download the ISO file directly.
Option A: Media Creation Tool (Windows only)
The Media Creation Tool can both download the ISO and write it directly to a USB drive. Download it from the Microsoft Windows 11 download page.
- Click Download Now under “Create Windows 11 Installation Media”
- Run the downloaded
MediaCreationTool.exe - Accept the license terms
- Select your language and edition (Windows 11 is selected by default)
- Choose ISO file if you want to use Rufus later, or USB flash drive to write directly
- Select the save location and wait for the download to complete
Option B: Direct ISO Download (any OS)
If you are on Linux or macOS, go to the Microsoft Windows 11 download page directly. Scroll down to “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” and select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) from the dropdown. Click Download Now, choose your language, then click the 64-bit download link. The ISO file is approximately 6 GB.
Step 2: Create a Bootable Windows 11 USB on Windows (Rufus)
Rufus is a free, lightweight tool that creates bootable USB drives from ISO images. It is faster than the Media Creation Tool and gives you more control over partition scheme and file system options. The current version is Rufus 4.13.
Download and Launch Rufus
- Download Rufus from rufus.ie – grab the standard or portable version
- Plug in your USB drive (8 GB or larger)
- Run Rufus (no installation needed for the portable version)
Configure Rufus Settings
Set the following options in Rufus:
- Device – Select your USB flash drive
- Boot selection – Click SELECT and choose the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded
- Image option – Standard Windows installation
- Partition scheme – GPT (for UEFI systems, which Windows 11 requires)
- Target system – UEFI (non CSM)
- File system – NTFS
- Cluster size – Leave as default
Click START. Rufus will display a dialog with Windows User Experience options where you can choose to remove the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and RAM requirements. This is useful for installing on older hardware (see Step 7 for details). Select your preferred options and click OK.
Rufus will warn that all data on the USB drive will be destroyed. Confirm and wait for the process to complete – it typically takes 5 to 15 minutes depending on your USB drive speed.
Step 3: Create a Bootable Windows 11 USB on Linux
Linux users have several solid options for creating a Windows bootable USB. We cover two methods – WoeUSB for a straightforward approach, and Ventoy for a flexible multi-ISO setup.
Method 1: WoeUSB
WoeUSB creates Windows bootable USB drives from Linux. Install it on Ubuntu or Debian-based distributions with pip:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git p7zip-full python3-pip wimtools
sudo pip3 install woeusb-ngIdentify your USB drive device name. Plug it in and run:
lsblkLook for your USB drive in the output – it is usually /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc. Make sure you identify the correct device to avoid overwriting the wrong disk:
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda 8:0 0 476.9G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 512M 0 part /boot/efi
├─sda2 8:2 0 475.5G 0 part /
└─sda3 8:3 0 976M 0 part [SWAP]
sdb 8:16 1 14.9G 0 disk
└─sdb1 8:17 1 14.9G 0 part /media/user/USBUnmount the USB drive if it is mounted, then write the Windows 11 ISO to it. Replace /dev/sdb with your actual device and adjust the ISO path:
sudo umount /dev/sdb*
sudo woeusb --device /path/to/Win11.iso /dev/sdb --target-filesystem ntfsThe process takes 10 to 20 minutes. WoeUSB will format the drive, copy the installation files, and set up the boot configuration automatically.
Method 2: Ventoy
Ventoy takes a different approach – instead of writing one ISO to the drive, it prepares the USB so you can simply copy ISO files onto it. You can have multiple ISOs (Windows 11, Linux distros, recovery tools) on a single USB drive and choose which one to boot from a menu. The current version is Ventoy 1.1.10.
Download the latest Linux release from the official Ventoy site and extract it:
wget https://github.com/ventoy/Ventoy/releases/download/v1.1.10/ventoy-1.1.10-linux.tar.gz
tar xzf ventoy-1.1.10-linux.tar.gz
cd ventoy-1.1.10Install Ventoy to your USB drive. This only needs to be done once – future ISO additions do not require reinstalling Ventoy:
sudo ./Ventoy2Disk.sh -i /dev/sdbAfter installation completes, the USB drive gets two partitions. Mount the larger partition (the data partition) and copy your Windows 11 ISO file to it:
cp /path/to/Win11.iso /media/user/Ventoy/That is it. When you boot from this USB, Ventoy shows a menu listing all ISO files on the drive. Select the Windows 11 ISO to start the installer.
Step 4: Create a Bootable Windows 11 USB on macOS
macOS does not natively support creating Windows bootable USBs since Boot Camp Assistant was removed in macOS on Apple Silicon. The recommended approach is to split the ISO and copy it manually.
Format the USB Drive
Open Disk Utility and format the USB drive as MS-DOS (FAT32) with a GUID Partition Map scheme. Name it something simple like WINUSB.
Alternatively, format from Terminal. First, identify your USB drive:
diskutil listFind your USB drive (for example /dev/disk4) and format it. Replace the disk number with your actual device:
diskutil eraseDisk MS-DOS WINUSB GPT /dev/disk4Copy Windows Files to USB
Mount the Windows 11 ISO by double-clicking it in Finder. macOS mounts it as a virtual drive. Then copy all files except the large install.wim file (which exceeds the FAT32 4 GB file size limit):
rsync -avh --progress --exclude=sources/install.wim /Volumes/CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9/ /Volumes/WINUSB/The install.wim file in Windows 11 ISOs is typically larger than 4 GB, so it must be split. Install wimlib using Homebrew and split the file:
brew install wimlibSplit the install.wim file into chunks under 4 GB and write them to the USB:
wimlib-imagex split /Volumes/CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9/sources/install.wim /Volumes/WINUSB/sources/install.swm 3800This splits the file into chunks of 3800 MB each. The Windows installer automatically detects split .swm files during installation. Eject the USB drive when the copy is complete.
Step 5: Boot from USB Drive (BIOS/UEFI Settings)
With the bootable USB ready, plug it into the target computer and configure it to boot from USB. The exact key to press during startup varies by manufacturer.
Access the Boot Menu
Power on (or restart) the PC and press the boot menu key repeatedly as soon as the manufacturer logo appears. Common boot menu keys by brand:
| Manufacturer | Boot Menu Key |
|---|---|
| Dell | F12 |
| HP | F9 or Esc |
| Lenovo | F12 or Fn+F12 |
| ASUS | F8 or Esc |
| Acer | F12 |
| MSI | F11 |
| Gigabyte | F12 |
| Intel NUC | F10 |
Select your USB drive from the boot menu. If using UEFI (required for Windows 11), look for the entry prefixed with “UEFI:” followed by your USB drive name.
UEFI Firmware Settings
If the USB does not appear in the boot menu, you may need to enter the UEFI firmware settings (commonly called BIOS setup). Press the setup key during startup (usually F2, Del, or F10) and check:
- Boot Mode – Set to UEFI (not Legacy/CSM). Windows 11 requires UEFI
- Secure Boot – Enable it if your system supports it (Windows 11 requirement). If installing on unsupported hardware, see Step 7
- Boot Order – Move USB to the top, or use the one-time boot menu instead
Save changes and exit. The system will restart and boot from the USB drive.
Step 6: Install Windows 11 from USB
Once the PC boots from the USB drive, the Windows Setup wizard starts. Follow these steps to complete the installation.
Language and Region
Select your preferred language, time and currency format, and keyboard layout. Click Next, then click Install now.
Product Key and Edition
Enter your Windows 11 product key if you have one. If you are reinstalling on a PC that previously had Windows activated, click I don’t have a product key – Windows will activate automatically after installation when connected to the internet. Select the edition that matches your license (Home, Pro, Education, etc.).
Installation Type
Choose one of the two installation types:
- Upgrade – Keeps your files, settings, and applications. Only available when running setup from within an existing Windows installation
- Custom: Install Windows only – Clean installation. Select this for a fresh install from USB
Partition the Drive
The disk partition screen shows all available drives and partitions. For a clean install on the entire disk:
- Delete all existing partitions on the target drive (this erases all data on that drive)
- Select the resulting Unallocated Space and click Next
- Windows automatically creates the required partitions (EFI System, MSR, and primary)
If you want to dual boot with Linux, do not delete the Linux partitions. Instead, create a new partition from available unallocated space or resize an existing partition beforehand using a tool like diskpart.
Complete the Installation
Windows copies files, installs features, and restarts several times. This process takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on your hardware. Do not remove the USB drive until the PC boots into the Windows setup experience (OOBE) where you configure your account, privacy settings, and preferences.
Step 7: Bypass TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot Requirements
Windows 11 officially requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. If your hardware does not meet these requirements, there are two proven methods to bypass the check.
Method 1: Rufus Bypass (Easiest)
When creating the bootable USB with Rufus, click START and Rufus shows a “Windows User Experience” dialog. Check these options:
- Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0
- Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account (optional, for local account setup)
Rufus patches the installer automatically. No registry edits needed.
Method 2: Registry Edit During Installation
If you already have a standard bootable USB (created with Media Creation Tool or another method), you can bypass the check during installation:
- Boot from the USB and reach the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” screen
- Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt
Run the following command in the Command Prompt to open the Registry Editor:
regeditNavigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup. Create a new key called LabConfig under Setup. Inside LabConfig, create three DWORD (32-bit) values:
| Value Name | Value Data |
|---|---|
| BypassTPMCheck | 1 |
| BypassSecureBootCheck | 1 |
| BypassRAMCheck | 1 |
Close the Registry Editor and Command Prompt. Click the back arrow on the setup screen and proceed with the installation. The TPM and Secure Boot checks are now bypassed.
Step 8: Post-Installation Setup
After Windows 11 finishes installing and you complete the initial setup wizard, there are a few important tasks to handle right away.
Install Drivers
Windows 11 includes drivers for most common hardware, but you should install manufacturer-specific drivers for optimal performance. Check your PC or motherboard manufacturer’s support page for:
- Chipset drivers
- Graphics drivers (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel – download from the GPU manufacturer’s site)
- Network/Wi-Fi drivers (if Windows did not detect your network adapter automatically)
- Audio drivers
Open Device Manager to check for any devices with missing drivers – they show a yellow warning icon.
Run Windows Update
Connect to the internet and run Windows Update immediately. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install all available updates including cumulative updates and driver updates. Restart when prompted. The latest Windows 11 version 24H2/25H2 includes monthly security patches that address critical vulnerabilities.
Windows Activation
If you entered a product key during installation, Windows should already be activated. To verify, go to Settings > System > Activation. If you see “Windows is activated with a digital license,” you are good.
For PCs that had Windows 10 or 11 previously activated, the digital license is tied to your hardware. Windows activates automatically once connected to the internet – no product key entry needed.
Create a Recovery Drive
With Windows 11 installed and working, create a recovery drive as a safety net. Search for “Recovery Drive” in the Start menu, follow the wizard, and use a separate USB drive (not the installation USB). This lets you repair or reinstall Windows without downloading the ISO again.
Conclusion
You now have a bootable Windows USB drive and a working Windows 11 installation. The USB drive can be reused for future installations or kept as a recovery tool. Keep your system secure by enabling BitLocker drive encryption, setting up regular backups through Windows Backup, and keeping Windows Update running on schedule.
