Installation and Upgrade Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media

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Win11USB Banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB flash drive used to install Windows 11 with UEFI support.

You can use a Windows 11 installation USB flash drive to clean install, upgrade, reset, or repair Windows 11.

The installation USB can also be used as a recovery drive to boot to WinRE (aka: advanced startup).

Reference:

Create installation media for Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to create installation media for installing or reinstalling Windows.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com

You must be signed in as an administrator to create a bootable Windows 11 installation USB.

The USB flash drive needs to be at least 8 GB or larger in size.




Contents

  • Option One: Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media with Media Creation Tool
  • Option Two: Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media with Rufus [Good on unsupported hardware]
  • Option Three: Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media in Command Prompt




Option One

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media with Media Creation Tool


This will be for a Windows 11 Version 25H2 build 26200.8457 USB.


1 Click/tap on the Download button below, and click/tap on the Download Now button at Microsoft's site below Create Windows 11 Installation Media. (see screenshot below)


Windows_11_MCT-1.png

2 Save the mediacreationtool.exe file version 10.0.26100.7019 to your desktop, and run it.

Windows_11_MCT-2.webp

3 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

4 Click/tap on Accept for the license terms. (see screenshot below)

Windows_11_MCT-3.png

5 Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box. (see screenshot below)

Leaving the Use the recommended options for this PC box checked will have the Media Creation Tool download an ISO that's the same language, edition, and architecture as the current PC.


Windows_11_MCT-4.png

6 Select (dot) USB flash drive, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Windows_11_MCT-5.png

7 Connect your USB flash drive, click/tap on the Refresh drive list link, select the USB flash drive, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

This USB flash drive will be formatted and lose all data on it.


Windows_11_MCT-6.png

8 It will now start Downloading Windows 11 and Creating Windows 11 media. (see screenshot below)

Windows_11_MCT-7.png

9 Click/tap on Finish when the USB flash drive is ready. (see screenshot below)

Windows_11_MCT-8.png




Option Two

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media with Rufus


This is a good option if you are installing Windows 11 on a PC with unsupported hardware.


1 If you have not already, you will need to download a Windows 11 ISO file.

2 Download the latest version of Rufus, and save its .exe file to your desktop.


The "portable" version is a standalone exe file that doesn't install anything to your PC. For Rufus FAQs, see: rufus FAQ on GitHub


3 Connect the 8 GB or larger USB flash drive.

This USB flash drive will be formatted and lose all data on it.


4 Run the Rufus .exe file, and click/tap on Yes if prompted by UAC.

5 Change the following settings in Rufus, and click/tap on Start when finished. (see screenshot below)
  • Under Device, select the USB flash drive you want to format and use.
  • Under Boot selection, click/tap on the SELECT button, and navigate to and select the Windows 11 ISO file.
  • Under Image option (if available), select Standard Windows installation.
  • Under Partition scheme, select GPT.
  • Under Target system, select UEFI (non CSM).
  • Under Volume label, you can enter any name you like for the USB flash drive, or leave the default name.
  • Under File system, select FAT32 or NTFS.
  • Under Cluster size, select the (Default) (ex: 4096 bytes) it has listed.
Rufus-1.webp

6 Check or uncheck the "Customize Windows installation" options you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
  • Remove Requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 – Check this option if you want to install Windows 11 on a computer with unsupported hardware.
  • Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account - Check this option to skip the Microsoft Account requirement. Windows 11 will not ask you to sign in with a Microsoft Account during the initial setup.
  • Create a local account with username – Rufus will create local account with the specified username in the new installation.
  • Set regional options using the same values as this user's – Rufus will copy the current regional settings to the new installation.
  • Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions) - Windows Setup will not ask you to "Choose privacy settings for your device" during installation.
  • Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption - Windows will not automatically turn on BitLocker or Device Encryption for your OS drive if setting up a Microsoft account during installation.
  • Use "Windows CA 2023" signed bootloaders (requires KB5025885 or Mosby) - Must select a 25H2 ISO for this option to be available.
Rufus-1b.webp

7 Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-2.png

8 Rufus will now start creating the bootable USB flash drive. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-3.png

9 When finished, click/tap on Close to close Rufus. (see screenshot below)

Rufus-5.png




Option Three

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media in Command Prompt


This option will use the dual FAT32 and NTFS partitions on the USB since the install.wim file for Windows 11 is usually over 4GB in size that prevents using only the FAT32 file system.


learn.microsoft.com

Install Windows from a Flash Drive

Install Windows from a Flash Drive
learn.microsoft.com

1 If you have not already, you will need to download a Windows 11 ISO file.

2 Connect the 8 GB or larger USB flash drive.

This USB flash drive will be formatted and lose all data on it.


3 Open an elevated Windows Terminal, and select Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

4 Type diskpart into the elevated terminal, and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 18)

5 Type list disk into the elevated terminal, press Enter, and make note of the Disk # (ex: 3) for the USB flash drive from step 2.

6 Type select disk # into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

Substitute # in the command above with the actual Disk # (ex: 3) from step 5) above for the USB flash drive.

For example: select disk 3


7 Type clean into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

8 Type convert mbr into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

9 Type create partition primary size=1024 into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

10 Type create partition primary into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

11 Type select partition 1 into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

12 Type format fs=fat32 quick into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

13 Type assign letter=X into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

14 Type active into the elevated terminal and press Enter.

15 Type select partition 2 into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

16 Type format fs=ntfs quick into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

17 Type assign letter=Y into the elevated terminal, and press Enter.

18 You can now close the elevated Windows terminal.

diskpart.png

19 Open File Explorer (Win+E) to This PC. You will see the USB has two partitions. Partition "X" with FAT32 file system, and partition "Y" with NTFS file system. (see screenshot below)

File_Explorer_USB.png

20 Mount the ISO file from step 1.

21 Perform the following steps to copy the mounted ISO contents to the USB X: (FAT32) partition:
  1. Click/tap on the mounted ISO in the navigation pane of File Explorer to open it.
  2. Select everything except the sources folder in the mounted ISO.
  3. Right click or press and hold on the selected files.
  4. Click/tap on Show more options (Shift+F10).
Copy-1.png

22 Click/tap on Send to, and click/tap on the USB Drive (X: ). (see screenshot below)

Copy-2.png

23 Perform the following steps to copy the "boot", "efi", "support", and "sources" folder from the mounted ISO to the USB Y: (NTFS) partition:
  1. Click/tap on the mounted ISO in the navigation pane of File Explorer to open it.
  2. Select the boot, efi, support, and sources folder in the mounted ISO.
  3. Right click or press and hold on the selected folders.
  4. Click/tap on Show more options (Shift+F10).
Copy-3.png

24 Click/tap on Send to, and click/tap on the USB Drive (Y: ). (see screenshot below)

It may take a while to finish copying the "boot", "efi", "support, and "sources" folders to the USB Y: (NTFS) partition.


Copy-4.png

25 Open the USB X: (FAT32) partition, and create a new folder (Ctrl+Shift+N) named sources. (see screenshots below)

sources-1.png
sources-2.png

26 Open the Y:\sources folder from the USB Y: (NTFS) partition, and Cut (Win+X) the boot.wim file. (see screenshots below)

move_boot.wim-1.png
move_boot.wim-2.png

27 Paste (Ctrl+V) the boot.wim file from the USB Y: (NTFS) partition in step 24 into the new sources folder in the USB X: (FAT32) partition from step 23. (see screenshot below)

move_boot.wim-3.png

28 The Windows 11 bootable USB installation media is now ready.

29 You can unmount the ISO file.

30 You can now close all File Explorer windows.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
what build of rufus are you using? titlebar is cut off

EDIT:
.https://rufus.ie/downloads/

there have been a few issues with 4.6 not creating bootable images correctly (but i havent seen it missing any options before). go to that link and get the 4.5p.exe (portable build of 4.5. try that and see if that option shows
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
terrylived said:
Did same for 4.5p , wierd
Click to expand...
what build of windows 11 are you burning? this addresses why it wasnt showing on 21H2 iso, but i've still never seen this before... so maybe someone else can shed more light if you have a 23h2 or 24h2 iso

.https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/issues/1958


EDIT:
worst case... you can just SHIFT+F10 on the network setup wizard and run:
Code: 
%systemroot%\System32\oobe\BypassNRO.cmd
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
Windows 11 version 24H2
Was iso downloaded
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win10 win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    dell
terrylived said:
Windows 11 version 24H2
Was iso downloaded
Click to expand...
in the rufus portable folder, open the "rufus.ini" with notepad and compare... you can try overwriting if you want. option shows for me with 24h2 iso:

Code: 
Locale = en-US
CommCheck64 = 221376218
UpdateCheckInterval = -1
ShowAdvancedDriveProperties = 1
ShowAdvancedFormatOptions = 1
LastUpdateCheck = 13327697158
CheckForBetas = 1
WindowsUserExperienceOptions = 16711837
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
Locale = en-US
CommCheck64 = 10981453
UpdateCheckInterval = 86400
LastUpdateCheck = 13384825719
ShowAdvancedDriveProperties = 0
ShowAdvancedFormatOptions = 1
PreferredSaveImageType = vhdx
WindowsUserExperienceOptions = 16711709
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win10 win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    dell
Sorted it.
Deleted ini file
Restarted rufus
Redownloaded 22h2 as iso
And bingo now can see
Appreciate help 👍
 

Attachments

  • 17403614509422424129065560954439.webp
    17403614509422424129065560954439.webp
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win10 win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    dell
Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26100.4349 now available to download as ISO or USB with MCT.

www.elevenforum.com

Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media

This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB flash drive used to install Windows 11 with UEFI support. You can use a Windows 11 installation USB flash drive to clean install, upgrade, reset, or repair Windows 11. The installation USB can also be used as a recovery drive to boot to...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

www.elevenforum.com

Find Build and Version of Windows 11 Installation ISO or USB

This tutorial will show you how to see full details such as language, edition, build, version, architecture, and more for a Windows 11 installation ISO or USB. A Windows 11 ISO file is a disc image file that can be used to create a Windows 11 installation USB or DVD to install Windows 11 with...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

26100.4349.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Brink said:
Windows 11 version 24H2 build 26100.4349 now available to download as ISO or USB with MCT.
Click to expand...
Note that if you use the MCT to make an ISO for 26100.4349 it will create one with an install.esd that is larger than the Fat32 4GB file size limit, unlike earlier 24H2 ISOs. You can no longer mount the ISO and just copy it to a USB to make an install USB, as you could with the MCT's previous 26100.2033 ISO.

1750965299000.webp


If you need to make a 26100.4349 USB then you can only make it directly with the MCT. It will make one with a split windows image install.swm/install2.swm to stay within the Fat32 4GB limit.

1750965030559.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
It will make one with a split windows image install.swm/install2.swm to stay within the Fat32 4GB limit.
Click to expand...

the two swm files are the same size as the esd.

did you watch what it was doing?

Does it split the esd directly or does it convert, split, reconvert

maybe /split-image can split esd directly. I haven't tried

the install.wim version is bigger

installwim-4349.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (Build 26200.8524)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Pro Max Tower T2 FCT2250
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 285 5.6 GHz
    Motherboard
    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
    Memory
    32.00 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Integrated Graphics (128 MB)
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell P2714H Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x 512GB M.2 XG10d SED KIOXIA PCIe solid state drive (Internal)
    1 x 2TB Seagate ST2000DM008-2UB102 HDD (Internal)
    1 x 1TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 4TB Seagate STGX4000400 External HDD
    1 x 6TB WD Elements AE 2689 External HDD
    PSU
    500 Watts
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600
    Mouse
    Microsoft USB Basic Optical Mouse v2.0
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    BaseBoard Manufacturer Dell Inc.
    BaseBoard Product 022RY57
    BaseBoard Version A01
SIW2 said:
the two swm files are the same size as the esd.

did you watch what it was doing?

Does it split the esd directly or does it convert, split, reconvert

maybe /split-image can split esd directly. I haven't tried
Click to expand...
There's little you can watch while the MCT is working, just the '% done' count. Wherever the MCT is downloading the components and creating the installer (that would be C:\$WINDOWS.~BT, C:\$Windows.~WS, and C:\ESD) it's all done by the time it starts copying the files to the USB (or writes the ISO) and it all gets cleaned up when you close the MCT.

SIW2 said:
the install.wim version is bigger

View attachment 137840
Click to expand...
If you download the ISO direct from Microsoft you get one with an install.wim. If you use the MCT it downloads the components and uses them to build the ISO on your PC. Two reasons this install.wim is larger, firstly the MCT's .esd format uses heavier compression than .wim. Second, the direct download ISO's install.wim contains more editions than the MCT's install.esd. The MCT does not include Pro for Workstations, for example.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
You can always convert an ESD to WIM.

For those asking why it matters, it is because some Windows tools such as certain DISM operations, can only be performed on a WIM file, not on ESD files.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
If you've already downloaded Media Creation Tool to install 24H2, you don't need to download MCT again. It's the same file.

MS pushed a different products.cab to a hidden URL that MCT checks every time it runs. Running it now will get you a new install version.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Rufus 4.10 now available. :alien:

Rufus - The Official Website (Download, New Releases)

Rufus is a small application that creates bootable USB drives, which can then be used to install or run Microsoft Windows, Linux or DOS. In just a few minutes, and with very few clicks, Rufus can help you run a new Operating System on your computer...
rufus.ie
github.com

Releases · pbatard/rufus

The Reliable USB Formatting Utility. Contribute to pbatard/rufus development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com

Version 4.10 (2025.09.24)
  • Add Dark Mode support (courtesy of @ozone10).
  • Add support for creating Windows CA 2023 compatible media (requires a Windows 11 25H2 ISO). For more on this, see this Rufus FAQ entry.
  • Add support for saving an existing drive to ISO (UDF only).
  • Improve error reporting when saving to VHD/VHDX (with thanks to @Kazkans).
  • Improve persistence support for Linux Mint.
  • Fix UEFI DBX updates being reported in some timezones, even when there are none.
  • Fix a situation where no file system can be selected in ISO mode.
  • Fix a crash when trying to process Windows ISOs with very long paths.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Windows 11 version 25H2 build 26200.6584 now available to download as ISO or USB with MCT.

www.elevenforum.com

Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to download an official Windows Server or Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO file from Microsoft. Microsoft provides ISO files for Windows Server and Windows 11 to download. You can use these ISO files to clean install or in-place upgrade Windows 11. The Flight Hub...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

www.elevenforum.com

Find Build and Version of Windows 11 Installation ISO or USB

This tutorial will show you how to see full details such as language, edition, build, version, architecture, and more for a Windows 11 installation ISO or USB. A Windows 11 ISO file is a disc image file that can be used to create a Windows 11 installation USB or DVD to install Windows 11 with...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

MCT.webp
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    TerraMaster F8 SSD Plus NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Amazon Basics Wired Full Keyboard MD005
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 4
    Internet Speed
    2 Gbps Download and 100 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
Which partition scheme (MBR or GPT) and file system format (FAT32 or NTFS) should be used for a USB drive before running the Media Creation Tool (MCT), so that it can successfully create a bootable USB drive? I always use GPT/NTFS with rufus but it's for after creating the USB. MCT sometimes gives an error because it can't format my USB. I don't know why.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Huawei MateBook D15
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 3500U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Vega 8
    Screen Resolution
    FHD
    Hard Drives
    256GB Samsung SSD + 1TB HDD
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 21H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MSI GS73 6RF Stealth Pro
    CPU
    intel core i7 6700HQ
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce GTX1060 (6GB)
    Screen Resolution
    FHD
    Hard Drives
    128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Sheikh said:
Which partition scheme (MBR or GPT) and file system format (FAT32 or NTFS) should be used for a USB drive before running the Media Creation Tool (MCT), so that it can successfully create a bootable USB drive? I always use GPT/NTFS with rufus but it's for after creating the USB. MCT sometimes gives an error because it can't format my USB. I don't know why.
Click to expand...
The MCT will always make an MBR Fat32 USB that can boot in both UEFI and Legacy mode.

You do not need to partition or format the USB in advance, the MCT can do that for you. It will always fail if the USB has a GPT layout. This part of the MCT has not changed since Windows 10.

Bree said:
the Media Creation Tool fails with error code 0x80004005 - 0xA001A if the USB you ask it to use has a gpt partition....

...After failure, the USB is left 'unalocated'. You can create a new simple volume using Disk Management to make it accessible again but, critically, its is STILL using a gpt partition layout. Only DISKPART or a tool like MiniTool Partition Wizard can make it MBR again.

The MCT only fails after it has downloaded all the files it needs, verified them and created the media in preparation for copying it to the USB. It is not until this point that it attempts (and fails) to format the USB.

Unfortunately, the MCT cleans up after itself at close, so you have to do the whole download over again next time you run it.
Click to expand...
USB flash drive --assign drive letter back to dynamic from static - Windows 10 Help Forums - post #30
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
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