Booting from a USB drive is a convenient way to install or repair Windows 11 on your computer. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB drive and booting from it on a Windows 11 computer. Let’s get started!
Prerequisites
Before you can boot from a USB drive, you will need the following:
- A USB drive with at least 8 GB of storage
- A Windows 11 ISO file
- A tool to create a bootable USB drive (e.g., Rufus)
Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive
First, you need to create a bootable USB drive using the Windows 11 ISO file. We will use Rufus, a popular and reliable tool for this purpose. You can download Rufus from the official website: https://rufus.ie/
Follow these steps to create a bootable USB drive:
- Insert the USB drive into your computer
- Open Rufus and select your USB drive under the “Device” section
- Select the “Disk or ISO image” option under “Boot selection” and click on the “Select” button to choose your Windows 11 ISO file
- Ensure the “Partition scheme” is set to “GPT” and the “Target system” is set to “UEFI (non-CSM)”
- Click on the “Start” button to begin the process
Rufus will format the USB drive and create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive. This process may take a few minutes.
Step 2: Boot from USB Drive
Once the bootable USB drive is created, you can boot your computer from it. To do this, follow these steps:
- Insert the bootable USB drive into the computer you want to install or repair Windows 11 on
- Restart your computer and press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS/UEFI settings menu. This key varies between manufacturers; some common keys are F2, F10, F12, and Del. Check your computer’s manual or the manufacturer’s website for the correct key
- Once inside the BIOS/UEFI settings menu, navigate to the “Boot” section and adjust the boot priority/order so that the USB drive is listed first
- Save the changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings menu. Your computer should now boot from the USB drive
If your computer successfully boots from the USB drive, you should now see the Windows 11 installation screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to install or repair Windows 11.
Conclusion
Booting from a USB drive is a simple and effective way to install or repair Windows 11 on your computer. By creating a bootable USB drive using Rufus and adjusting your BIOS/UEFI settings, you can quickly and easily boot from a USB drive and get your Windows 11 system up and running. Good luck!
