Making a Windows install USB
Before you can reformat, you need an install USB. There are two ways to make one, and the choice between them is clear-cut.
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Contents
What you need
- A USB stick of 8GB or more. Everything on it will be erased.
- A second, working PC. You cannot build it on the machine you are about to wipe.
- An internet connection. The Windows files come to about 5GB, so expect twenty minutes to an hour.
Nothing on the USB survives
Building an install USB rewrites the whole stick, not just a few files. Move anything you want to keep somewhere else first. Using an empty stick rather than the one you carry around is the safer habit.
Two ways — which one
Short version: if the PC meets the Windows 11 requirements and you intend to sign in with a Microsoft account, the Media Creation Tool is simpler. If either of those is a problem, Rufus is the answer.
- Media Creation Tool
- The official Microsoft tool. It downloads Windows and writes the USB in one pass, which makes it the simplest route. The USB it produces enforces the Windows 11 requirements as they stand.
- Rufus
- Writes an ISO you download separately onto the USB. That is one extra step, but just before it writes, it offers to remove the TPM, Secure Boot and Microsoft account requirements. Open source, free for personal and business use.
Windows 11 asks for TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. PCs from before 2017 often fail on TPM, though enabling it in the motherboard settings frequently fixes that. If it still refuses, Rufus and its bypass options are where you end up.
Building it
Plug in the USB and empty it
Use a stick of 8GB or more. Move anything you still need off it now — there is no going back after this point.
Get the tool
The Media Creation Tool comes from Microsoft’s official download page; Rufus from rufus.ie. If you are using Rufus, download the ISO from that same Microsoft page while you are there.
Write the USB
In the Media Creation Tool, choose “Create installation media for another PC”, point it at the USB, and it handles the rest. In Rufus, select the ISO and press Start — a dialog then asks which requirements to remove. Tick only the ones you actually need.
Check the result
When it finishes, the USB contains folders named sources and boot. Seeing those means it worked. Keep the stick — it installs any number of PCs.
Booting from the USB
Plugging the USB in and switching on simply loads the Windows already installed. You have to pick the boot device yourself: tap the key below repeatedly the moment the PC powers on and a boot menu appears. The key differs by manufacturer.
- Samsung · LG laptops
- Boot menu F10 · BIOS F2
- ASUS
- Boot menu F8 · BIOS DEL
- MSI · ASRock
- Boot menu F11 · BIOS DEL
- GIGABYTE
- Boot menu F12 · BIOS DEL
- HP
- Boot menu F9 · BIOS ESC then F10
- Dell · Lenovo
- Boot menu F12 · BIOS F2
Pick the entry with UEFI in front of the USB name. The same stick often appears twice, once as UEFI and once plain; on any recent PC, UEFI is the right one. If you miss the key and Windows boots as usual, restart and try again.
What about the product key
Setup asks for a product key partway through. If you are reinstalling on a PC that already ran Windows, you can usually press “I don’t have a product key”.
- Windows 10 and 11 activation is tied to the motherboard. Reinstall on the same PC and it activates itself the moment it reaches the internet.
- If the licence is linked to a Microsoft account, signing in brings the activation with it. Check Settings → System → Activation before you wipe the machine.
- A new motherboard can break automatic activation. With the licence linked to an account, the troubleshooter’s “I changed hardware on this device recently” moves it across.
- Buying Windows for the first time, you can enter the key during setup or afterwards — either works.
Common questions
Can I reformat without a USB at all?
Yes — Windows has Reset this PC under Settings → System → Recovery, and it needs no USB. But it only works while Windows still starts, and damaged system files can carry over. For a genuinely clean install, or when Windows will not boot, you need the USB.
Can I keep the USB for later?
Yes, and the same stick installs other PCs too. Windows keeps moving, though, so if it has been sitting in a drawer for a year, rebuilding it saves you a long update afterwards.
Is bypassing the requirements with Rufus a problem?
It installs and runs. Microsoft states that such a configuration is not supported and may not receive updates. If the PC meets the requirements, do not bypass them.
Which drive do I erase during setup?
Only the one the old Windows was on. Go by the size shown and the “Primary” label, and leave the disks holding your data alone. If you are unsure, physically disconnecting the data disks before you start is the one method that cannot go wrong.
What comes first after installing?
Check that the network adapter has a driver, then run Windows Update before anything else. The rest of the order is in “What to install after reformatting, in order”.
Once Windows is installed
Pick the programs you use and we build the installer files. No hunting through vendor websites one by one.
Choose programs