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Create a Windows 11 Installation USB: Choose the Right Setup

Make a Windows 11 installer USB with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, then choose whether to upgrade from Windows, keep selected files, or start a clean install.

Jitsumi

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7 min

A bootable Windows 11 USB can upgrade a working PC, install Windows on a new computer, or start a fresh installation. The safest route depends on what you need to keep. Run setup.exe from a working Windows desktop when you want to review the options for keeping files and apps. Boot from the USB when you intend a clean install: Microsoft warns that this route removes files, apps and settings from the target device.

This guide reflects Microsoft's installation guidance available by 4 July 2026. The download page can offer a newer Windows release later, so check the current instructions before making media.

Scope: The steps below are for x64 PCs. As of 3 July 2026, Microsoft's Media Creation Tool created x64 installation media. Arm-based PCs use a separate Arm64 ISO route, and some devices may need manufacturer drivers to boot from it. Follow the device maker's instructions for Arm recovery or installation.

Choose the route before you make the USB

  • Upgrading a PC that already runs Windows: Check Settings > Windows Update first. Microsoft recommends waiting for the upgrade to be offered to your PC; a delay can mean it is not ready or a compatibility hold is in place.
  • Reinstalling while Windows still starts: Start Windows normally, connect the installer USB and open setup.exe from File Explorer. Setup lets you review whether to keep personal files and apps, keep files only, or keep nothing.
  • Installing on a new PC or starting fresh: Boot the target PC from the installer USB. This opens the clean-install route, which can erase the target drive. Make and verify a separate backup before continuing.
  • Trying to reach recovery tools: Installation media and a Windows Recovery Drive are different tools. A Recovery Drive opens Windows recovery options; installation media provides Windows Setup files. Neither one is a backup of your personal files.

If you want to keep files, do not boot from the USB and assume Setup will preserve them. Start setup.exe from inside Windows and confirm the keep option on screen.

Check the PC, USB and backup first

You need a reliable internet connection, a Windows PC that can run the Media Creation Tool, and a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space. Creating installation media deletes existing contents on the USB. Check the drive's name and capacity before selecting it; its letter alone is easy to confuse with another removable drive.

If the PC you want to install Windows on cannot start, create the USB on another working Windows computer. Keep files you want to save on a separate drive or cloud location. For a clean install, disconnect the backup drive before you start Windows Setup, then reconnect it after Windows is installed.

Check that the target PC meets Windows 11's requirements before upgrading or reinstalling. These include a compatible 64-bit processor, at least 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of available storage, UEFI firmware that is Secure Boot capable, and TPM 2.0. The full list also includes graphics and display requirements. Use Microsoft's PC Health Check and eligibility guidance instead of guessing from the PC's age or processor speed. Installation media is not a safe way around an unsupported-device warning.

If you are reinstalling Windows on a licensed PC, note whether it currently runs Home or Pro. The edition you reinstall needs to match the licence. Check the device's activation details and make sure you can access the relevant Microsoft account or product key before starting.

Create the Windows 11 installation USB

  1. On a working Windows PC, open Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page.
  2. Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, select Download Now to get the Media Creation Tool.
  3. Run the downloaded tool and accept its licence terms.
  4. Choose the option to create installation media for another PC. Select the language, edition and architecture for the computer you plan to install on. Keep the recommended options only when they match that computer.
  5. Choose USB flash drive. Check the listed name and capacity, select the correct USB drive, then let the tool download and write the Windows files.
  6. When the tool reports that the media is ready, safely eject the USB. Label it with the date you created it so you know when it may be time to make fresh media.

The tool's USB selection is destructive to that USB, not a way to back up its existing contents. Do not proceed until you have copied anything you need from it.

Keep selected files and apps by starting Setup in Windows

Use this route only when Windows still starts and you can sign in.

  1. Insert the installation USB and open it in File Explorer.
  2. Run setup.exe. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows asks.
  3. When Setup reaches Ready to install, select Change what to keep and read the selected option carefully:
    • Keep personal files and apps preserves personal data, apps and Windows settings.
    • Keep personal files only removes installed apps and Windows settings.
    • Keep nothing removes personal files, apps and settings.
  4. Continue only when the selected option matches your plan. If the keep option you need is missing, cancel Setup and check that the media, language and Windows edition are appropriate for the current installation. Do not choose Keep nothing just to get past the screen.
  5. Select Install and leave the PC connected to power. Windows can restart several times.

A backup is still sensible before reinstalling, even when Setup offers to keep files. The keep choice is part of an installation process, not a substitute for a copy you can restore independently.

Boot from USB only when you intend a clean install

A clean install is useful for a new PC or when you deliberately want a fresh Windows installation. Microsoft warns that booting from the media and installing a fresh copy removes files, apps and settings from the target device.

  1. Confirm that your backup is complete and can be opened. Disconnect external backup drives.
  2. Shut down the target PC, connect the USB and open the PC's boot-device menu as it starts. The key and menu vary by manufacturer and model; check the device maker's instructions rather than trying random firmware settings.
  3. Select the USB device and follow Windows Setup. Read each deletion warning before confirming an install.
  4. If Setup lists more than one drive, identify the target by its capacity and model. Do not delete or format partitions on a drive you cannot identify. If you are unsure, stop and get help before changing the disk.
  5. After Windows is installed, complete the setup screens, connect to the internet, check activation and install available Windows updates.

If the USB does not appear in the boot menu, consult the PC manufacturer's boot instructions. If Windows Setup says the PC does not meet the requirements, stop and check eligibility. For an upgrade on a working PC, Windows Update may offer a safer route when the device is ready.

The practical rule is simple: run `setup.exe` from inside Windows when you need to choose what stays; boot from USB only for a clean install you are prepared for. Back up first, then make the install choice on purpose.

Sources checked for the 6 July 2026 publication date

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