1. Download the Windows 11 ISO

2. Format the USB Drive

  • Insert your USB drive into a USB port on your computer.
  • Open File Explorer (Windows + E), right-click on your USB drive, and select Format.
  • Choose the file system:
    • FAT32: Recommended for older PCs or BIOS compatibility.
    • NTFS: Suitable for larger ISO files or modern PCs.
  • Click Start to format the drive.

3. Create a Bootable USB Drive with Rufus

  • Download and launch Rufus from its official website.
  • Select your USB drive under Device.
  • Under Boot Selection, click Select and choose the downloaded Windows 11 ISO.
For Older PCs: Adjust These Settings
  1. Partition Scheme:
    • Choose MBR if your PC does not support UEFI. For newer PCs, select GPT.
  2. File System:
    • Choose FAT32, especially if your BIOS doesn't recognize NTFS.
  3. Bypass Windows 11 Requirements:
    • In recent versions of Rufus, enable the option to Bypass TPM and Secure Boot checks.
    • This allows Windows 11 to install on systems without TPM or Secure Boot.
  • Click Start, confirm data erasure on the USB drive, and let Rufus create the bootable drive. This process may take a few minutes.

4. Boot from the USB Drive

  • Insert the USB drive into the target PC and restart it.
  • Access the boot menu (usually by pressing F12, Esc, or another key displayed during startup).
  • Select your USB drive as the boot device.

5. Install Windows 11

  • Follow the on-screen prompts to install Windows 11:
    • Select your language, edition, and target disk for installation.
    • If you're bypassing hardware requirements, ignore warnings and continue with the installation.