Creating a bootable USB drive on Windows 11 is similar to the process on previous versions of Windows. You can use a bootable USB drive to install or repair the operating system, or run live environments like Linux distributions. To make a bootable USB drive, you’ll need a USB flash drive with sufficient storage capacity (at least 8GB) and a Windows 11 ISO file or other bootable image file. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Obtain the Windows 11 ISO file:
- If you don’t have the Windows 11 ISO file, you can download it from the official Microsoft website or through other reliable sources.
- Insert the USB flash drive:
- Plug the USB flash drive into an available USB port on your computer. Make sure there’s no essential data on the drive as the process will erase all existing data.
- Open the “Create a Recovery Drive” tool:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
- Type “Create a Recovery Drive” and select the matching option that appears in the search results.
- Starting the Recovery Drive creation process:
- In the “Recovery Drive” window, make sure the checkbox labeled “Back up system files to the recovery drive” is checked. This ensures that your USB drive will be bootable.
- Click “Next.”
- Selecting the USB drive:
- Your connected USB drive should be detected automatically. If not, make sure it’s properly connected and click the “Refresh drive list” option.
- Select the USB drive from the list, and then click “Next.”
- Confirm the deletion of files:
- A warning will appear, informing you that everything on the USB drive will be deleted. Ensure you’ve backed up any important data from the drive and then click “Create.”
- Creating the bootable USB drive:
- Windows 11 will now begin creating the bootable USB drive. This process may take some time, depending on the speed of your USB drive and computer.
- Completing the process:
- Once the process is finished, you’ll see a message saying “The recovery drive is ready.” Click “Finish.”
Your bootable USB drive is now ready to use. You can use it to install or repair Windows 11 or run other bootable environments.
Remember, using a bootable USB drive to install or repair Windows can be a sensitive process, so proceed with caution. Always back up your important data before performing any major system changes.