How to Download Windows 11 Using the Media Creation Tool

Simple for even beginners to use

Are you excited to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10? Microsoft rolled out the Windows 11 automatic update to all computers that met the minimum system requirements a while ago.

However, you may still want to download the new version of Windows with the media creation tool if your computer hasn’t received the update yet or if you have a machine that doesn’t have continual internet access.

Check for Updates First

Before you download Windows, check the Windows Update section to see if it’s already available for your PC and you’ve just missed the notification. You can do this on Windows 10 by searching forcheck for updatesin the Start Menu and then selecting the best match.

If the update isn’t available, you’ll need to download Windows 11. Start by verifying whether your PC meets the minimum system requirements for downloading the new operating system.

Check Your PC for Minimum Health Requirements

There areseveral methodsto check if you can install Windows 11 on your PC. However, the easiest way is to use thePC Health Check app. Download, install, and run the program, and then click theCheck nowbutton.

The app will help you check the system’s readiness to run Windows 11, which includes checking for a supported CPU, the number of cores on the processor and its clock speed, and TPM (Trusted Platform Module), among other things. Unless your PC is ancient, it should be able to meet all requirements and run Windows 11.

PC Health Check will list TPM as a missing requirement in many cases. However, your hardware likely has TPM capabilities, and you just need to enable it in your BIOS. Note that you’ll also need toenable Secure Boot—a UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) feature—from the BIOS.

Use Windows 11 Media Creation Tool to Download Windows 11

Once you’ve verified that your PC can run Windows 11, you can now use the media creation tool for downloading Windows on your PC and create a bootable USB drive or DVD.

If you select the USB flash drive, make sure you’ve inserted a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of free space into your PC before moving forward. If you select the ISO file, you don’t need to worry about anything else for now. Once you’ve chosen, clickNext.

Select a device and then clickNext. The tool will start downloading Windows 11 and automatically create the installation media. Make sure your internet connection is stable, so there are no interruptions in the download.

Alternatively, if you choose to download the ISO file, make sure you have a blank DVD that you can burn the ISO file to after the download finishes. When you click theNextbutton after selecting the ISO file download option, you’ll be required to select a download location. Select a folder and let the tool finish downloading Windows ISO.

Once the media creation tool completes downloading the ISO, it will show you where the ISO is stored and give you the option toOpen DVD Burner. When you click on theOpen DVD Burneroption, it will only show you a command that you’ll need to run in the Command Prompt to burn the ISO.

Note down the command and execute it. Alternatively, if you prefer a more graphical method versus using the Command Prompt, just selectOKand exit the program.

Upgrade to Windows 11 from Your New Installation Media

Open the installation media on your PC and double-click onsetup.exeto launch the installation wizard. Select theNextbutton on the first screen. Next, selectAcceptto accept the license terms.

You’ll now see theReady to installscreen, where the wizard will give you a summary of what it will do. For instance, in this case, it will show that you’ve chosen toInstall Windows 11 ProandKeep personal files and apps. If you prefer, you canChange what to keep, or select theInstallbutton to start the installation.

Let the wizard run the upgrade and reboot. Once the process completes, you should be ready to use Windows 11 and explore its new features.

Clean Install Windows 11

Once you’ve created the installation media, the process ofinstalling a clean copy of Windows 11is the same as any other method. You boot into the installation media and follow the instructions from the installation wizard.

Media Creation Tool Makes it Easy

Media creation tool makes the process of creating bootable installation media seamless. It’s quick, and with on-screen instructions, it’s simple even for beginners.

Note that when you install a fresh copy of Windows 11, you should also provide the product key for Windows 11 that you received when you purchased the copy. If you don’t have one, you can skip entering the product key at the time of installation, andactivate Windows 11later.

Arjun is a freelance writer based in India. After working as an equity research analyst, Arjun decided to do something that he has been passionate about – tech. He gets excited talking about and explaining how to solve everyday tech problems. His area of expertise is Windows and is a go-to for all things Excel.Read Arjun’s Full Bio

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