Reinstalling Windows 11 Using MCT But Without USB.


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Mitch

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Location
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Windows 11 Home
Hi, Apologies for the basic question. I want to do a Repair Install of Windows 11 to keep files and apps, using the MCT but without using a USB drive. I've looked at Shawn's' tutorials and can download the MCT. There is an option to select USB or ISO. If I select ISO, what are the steps to download Windows and start the installation process? Shawn has a tutorial which shows how to start the W11 installation from a USB but I'm not sure where to go after selecting ISO in the MCT and how to start the installation. I'd be grateful if someone could fill in the missing steps for me. I tried a repair install from inside Settings which didn't work so I want to try downloading the ISO using the MCT and "Use Recommended Options For this PC". Thanks again for your help. Mitch.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
What is the problem requiring a Repair Install?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

win 10amd ryzen 5-2600ng skill sniper x 16gbnvidea gtx 1050
OS
win 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
home built
CPU
amd ryzen 5-2600
Motherboard
gigabyte b450m-ds3h
Memory
ng skill sniper x 16gb
Graphics Card(s)
nvidea gtx 1050
Monitor(s) Displays
benq fp 92
Hard Drives
samsung 860 evo 500gb m2 ssd
PSU
antec ea550g
Case
nzxt noctis 450
Browser
edge
Hi @joeandmarg0 The problem is the laptop freezing after trying to install the July CU. It was working beforehand but on the 3rd restart the spinning dots froze forcing a hard shutdown. I reinstalled twice and also a Repair Install from inside Settings with the same result. I wanted to try a direct download from Microsoft to see if that fixed things. Its a Dell laptop with an AMD Processor so I don't think it's affected by the Dell pause as the update was offered - but you never know. Thanks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
Mitch said:
I'm not sure where to go after selecting ISO in the MCT and how to start the installation.
Click to expand...

1.

Option One
Download Latest Windows 11 64-bit ISO using Media Creation Tool (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

2.

Mount (open) the Windows 11 ISO file. It will appear as a virtual drive, allowing you to access its files as if it were a physical disc.

Option One
Mount ISO or IMG file by Opening

www.elevenforum.com

Mount or Unmount ISO and IMG File in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to natively mount or unmount ISO and IMG image files in Windows 11. An ISO or IMG file is a DVD disk image file. When you mount an .ISO or .IMG file, it will be added as a DVD drive in File Explorer > This PC. ISO and IMG files cannot be mounted on removable...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Edit: Turn off Smart App Control if you see the "Smart App Control blocked an app that may be unsafe" notification.

www.elevenforum.com

Turn On or Off Smart App Control in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to manually turn on or off Smart App Control in Windows 11. Smart App Control (SAC) is a new security feature starting with Windows 11 build 22567. Smart App Control can work alongside your other security software, such as Microsoft Defender, for added...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

3.

Screenshot 2026-07-18 130601.webp

www.elevenforum.com

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 
Last edited:

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProAMD Ryzen 9 9950X3DKingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/sASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16G...
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel Core Ultra 9 275HX64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
Hi @Celery Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction. It's much appreciated. Mitch.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
Mitch said:
I tried a repair install from inside Settings which didn't work so I want to try downloading the ISO using the MCT and "Use Recommended Options For this PC".
Click to expand...
Is your PC a supported device for Windows 11? If it is, ignore the rest of this post.

If it is not, then both the repair install in Settings, and an in-place repair with an ISO will fail when they check the PC for compatibility. The workaround to bypass these checks is Option Three in this tutorial. Use it before starting the repair install.

www.elevenforum.com

Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements on Unsupported PC

This tutorial will show you how to bypass the Windows 11 CPU, RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 system requirements allowing you to clean install or upgrade to Windows 11 on a unsupported PC that doesn't meet these requirements. Installing Windows 11 on a device that does not meet Windows 11...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    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 in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    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.
Hi @Bree Yes its fully supported. Its a Dell Inspiron 16 5625 with an AMD Processor. All updates installed without any problem prior to the July CU. I thought it might be related to the pause on certain Dell machines but no list has been published. The update was offered so I assumed it was OK to install. Big assumption I know. Thanks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
Mitch said:
I thought it might be related to the pause on certain Dell machines but no list has been published.
Click to expand...
Possible, though all my various Dell Latitudes have updated to the latest CU successfully. More details that may help identify if yours is affected can be found here:

learn.microsoft.com

Windows 11, version 25H2 known issues and notifications

View announcements and review known issues and fixes for Windows 11, version 25H2
learn.microsoft.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    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 in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    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.
I wouldn't have thought it would have been affected as it doesn't have the Intel driver that seems to be causing the problem, unless the issue is wider than thought. No resolution has been published yet so I suppose it's a possibility. Our other 2 Dell Inspirons were updated OK.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
Just a final question if I may. The version language for this pc is English UK. Our other 2 Dells are English GB. Do both options appear in the drop down menu when downloading the W11 ISO when you have to choose language or can you still keep files and apps with both or do they both come under English International? Thanks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home
OS
Windows 11 Home
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