How to create a Windows 11 installation USB drive

Your PC will not boot, it keeps crashing, or you simply want a clean install. What you need is a USB drive that can start Windows 11 on its own. Microsoft provides both the tool that builds it and the installation files free of charge on its own site.

Below we walk through creating the drive with the Media Creation Tool, downloading the official ISO instead, the minimum drive size, and the recovery drive distinction that trips most people up.

1. Check that the target PC can run Windows 11 Before building the drive, confirm the target machine meets the minimum specification. Microsoft's published minimums are: a 1 GHz or faster 64-bit processor with 2 or more cores, 4 GB of RAM, a 64 GB or larger storage device, UEFI and Secure Boot capable system firmware, TPM version 2.0, a DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with a WDDM 2.0 driver, and a 720p display larger than 9 inches diagonally. Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro for personal use both require an internet connection and a Microsoft account during initial setup.
2. Prepare and empty the USB drive Plug in a drive with at least 8 GB of capacity. Everything on it will be erased, so copy off any photos, documents or old backups first. A blank drive is cleanest. On machines with a single USB port, a hub can cause trouble during setup, so plug the drive straight into the computer.
3. Open the official download page In your browser, go to Microsoft's Windows 11 download page. It offers three options: the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, Create Windows 11 Installation Media, and Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO). The Installation Assistant upgrades the PC you are on and does not build a USB drive. You want the middle option. Download the tool only from this official page, never from third-party sites in search results.
4. Download and run the Media Creation Tool Click "Download Now" under the installation media section; MediaCreationTool.exe will be saved. Run the file and accept the licence terms. The tool asks for administrator permission and spends a moment getting ready.
5. Choose the language and edition The tool first shows a language and edition screen, prefilled with your current PC's settings. If you want to install in a different language, clear the "Use the recommended options for this PC" box and pick the language by hand. This choice cannot be changed later during setup.
6. Select the USB flash drive option The next screen offers "USB flash drive" and "ISO file". Choose USB flash drive and continue. Double-check that you picked the right drive letter; selecting the wrong disk wipes it. The tool then downloads, verifies the files and makes the drive bootable. Depending on your connection this step can take half an hour, so do not let the machine sleep.
7. Alternative: download the ISO and write it yourself If you are installing into a virtual machine, burning a DVD, or using a machine the tool does not support, use the ISO option on the same page. Download the disc image, then write it to the drive with a USB imaging tool. After downloading, comparing the file against the hash value published on the page is the surest way to confirm it arrived intact.
8. Boot from the USB drive Plug the drive into the target PC and restart it. As soon as the vendor logo appears, press the key that opens the boot menu; depending on the brand that is F12, F9, F10, Esc or Del, and it is usually printed at the bottom of the screen. Pick the USB drive from the list. If Windows still starts normally, you can also reach the device selection screen from Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup by choosing "Restart now".
9. Back up your data before installing In setup, "Upgrade" keeps your files while "Custom" formats the partition you select. For a clean install, copy everything you care about, including the desktop, Documents, Downloads and browser bookmarks, to an external drive or the cloud. Once installation starts there is no going back. If a product key is requested and your device is digitally licensed, choose "I don't have a product key"; the licence reattaches itself online after setup.
10. Do not confuse a recovery drive with installation media A recovery drive is a different thing. Search for "Recovery Drive" from Start or run recoverydrive.exe, leave "Back up system files to the recovery drive" selected, pick your USB drive and choose "Create". That drive belongs only to the PC that made it: it carries the manufacturer's customizations and restores that machine to its factory settings. An installation USB is generic and installs Windows 11 from scratch on any compatible PC. Neither contains your personal files, and neither replaces a backup.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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