Turn on the PC on which you want to clean install Windows 11 and enter the boot device selection menu. USB flash drive ready? Cup of tea to hand? Great, now let’s go ahead and boot from the drive. Step 2 – Boot your PC from the USB installation stick This process can take a while, so now is as good a time as any to put the kettle on. Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool will then proceed to download Windows 11 to the USB drive in preparation for step two. Take a moment to double-check the selection all content on said drive will be deleted. Select ‘USB flash drive’ as your media of choice, and then select your preferred USB drive from the list. Once downloaded, run the file MediaCreationToolW11.exe and follow the on-screen wizard as follows:Īccept the licence terms (credit to those who read the whole lot!), then choose the applicable language and Windows edition. Head to the official Windows 11 Download Page and download the free Media Creation Tool ( direct link). Please note this applies to like-for-like installations, so Windows 10 Home users can upgrade free of charge to Windows 11 Home, but not to Windows 11 Pro.

If your PC currently runs a licensed version of Windows 10, Windows 11 will activate automatically after installation. Windows 11 is a free upgrade from Windows 10. Just a USB stick with at least 8GB of space, and of course a PC on which to carry out the installation. We’ve spent the past few days upgrading our various test platforms with minimal fuss, but unless you’re an enthusiast eager to try a new toy, there’s no harm in waiting for the OS to mature before taking the plunge. The same is true of Windows 11 – Microsoft is already scrambling to resolve performance limitations with AMD Ryzen processors – yet on the whole, the software feels relatively stable. It has become common practise to receive bug fixes, patches and course corrections after the initial release. The days of bulletproof operating systems are seemingly behind us.

Windows 11 install tool