How to use the Windows 11 creation tool

Most people with computers use Windows daily, roughly 69% of all desktop PC users. But most people don’t even know how to install Windows on a new system since most pre-built OEM systems and laptops come with Windows pre-installed. Thankfully it’s not as difficult as you might think.

Here’s everything you need to know about using the Windows 11 creation tool to create different types of bootable media or automate its use across networks.

Essential things to do before using the creation tool

Before creating Windows 11 installation media, you need to understand when bootable media is actually necessary and ensure both systems (the one creating the media and the target installation PC) meet specific requirements.

System requirements for both PCs

You’ll be working with two systems, and each has different requirements. The computer you use to create the bootable USB or ISO needs:

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 running normally
• Administrative privileges to run the Media Creation Tool
• Stable internet connection for downloading Windows 11 files(approximately 5–6 GB)
• Blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB capacity (16 GB recommended), or sufficient storage space to save an ISO file
• Adequate bandwidth: Microsoft recommends sustained throughput of at least 10–15 Mbps to prevent download failures and checksum mismatches

The device where you’ll install Windows 11 must meet Microsoft’s hardware requirements:

• Processor: 64-bit CPU at 1 GHz or faster, on Microsoft’s supported CPU list.
• RAM: Minimum 4 GB.
• Storage: At least 64 GB available disk space.
• Firmware: UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability.
• TPM: TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
• Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics with WDDM 2.0 driver.
• Display: HD display (720p) greater than 9″ diagonally.

If hardware or firmware doesn’t meet these requirements, particularly missing TPM 2.0 or legacy BIOS instead of UEFI, the installer will block installation or produce unpredictable behavior, leading to failed installs, missing security features, or inability to receive future Windows updates.

» Here are our guides to disabling Windows updates and manually re-enabling Windows updates

Organizational policies and permissions

For managed environments, validate these considerations before creating installation media:

• Administrative privileges: Confirm you have local admin rights on the machine where you’re running the Media Creation Tool.
• Domain or Azure AD compliance: If devices are domain-joined or Azure AD-enrolled, ensure you understand re-enrollment procedures post-installation.
• BitLocker encryption: Suspend BitLocker before installation to prevent boot-loop recovery prompts. Document recovery keys in case they’re needed.
• Security baselines: Export current security configurations (firewall rules, Defender settings, & group policies) so they can be reapplied after installation.
• IT Asset management: Verify device inventory and patch management policies won’t be disrupted by the reinstallation.

» Don’t miss our guide to group policy management with Atera

Step-by-step guide to the Windows 11 creation tool

WARNING: If you can still boot to Windows 11 and all you need to do is resolve some minor issues, then a fresh install from bootable media might not be necessary over a simple reinstallation. It makes sense if you’re upgrading from Windows 10, dealing with serious malware issues, or fresh-installing Windows on a new device, but if all you need is to fix some minor corruption or slow devices, then read our guide on how to reinstall Windows 11.

Creating your Windows bootable media with the Windows media creation tool

1. Download the Windows 11 media creation tool from Microsoft

Make sure you choose the right download (create installation media, not installation assistant).

2. Insert the USB device or DVD into the PC, then run the installation tool you downloaded

3. Accept the license agreement > select language and Windows edition or simply check “Use the recommended options for this PC” > hit Next

4. Choose which media drive you want to install > hit Next

Tip: Many modern PCs don’t include disk drives anymore and the ISO file is only better in certain situations. If it’s just a single personal PC you’re installing Windows on or doing a clean install on a physical PC, choose USB flash drive and move on. If you’re intending to install Windows 11 on virtual machines or bulk installing across networks, choose ISO file and see the next methods.

5. Select the drive you want to use > hit Next

6. Wait for the process to finish > hit Finish

» On macOS instead? Here’s how to create a bootable USB for Mac

ISO files vs. USB drives

USB drives are simpler than ISO files. Bootable USB drives work independently of the operating system and support UEFI/Secure Boot configurations automatically, handle all formatting and partition configuration automatically, and are physically portable.

However, ISO files offer flexibility that direct USB creation doesn’t provide:

• Virtual machines: If you’re installing Windows 11 on VMware, Hyper-V, or VirtualBox, ISO files mount directly into the hypervisor without requiring physical media. This makes ISO the standard choice for VM deployments.
• Network deployment: Organizations with robust network infrastructure can store ISO files on DFS shares, network storage, or internal repositories, then distribute them to multiple sites. Each location pulls from a local cache instead of hammering WAN bandwidth or requiring USB drives to be physically shipped.
• Offline environments: In bandwidth-limited or air-gapped networks, you can download the ISO once from a connected system, verify its integrity, then transfer it through controlled procedures to isolated networks.
• Archival and version control: ISO files can be cataloged with specific build numbers, stored in version-controlled repositories, and maintained for compliance or rollback purposes.
• Multiple media types: Once you have an ISO, you can burn it to a DVD (though rare in modern deployments), mount it from network locations, or use third-party tools like Rufus to create customized bootable USB drives with specific partition schemes.
• Integration with deployment tools: Enterprise IT deployment systems like MDT, SCCM, and Windows Deployment Services consume ISO files more readily than pre-created USB drives, allowing the ISO to be absorbed into existing imaging ecosystems.

Creating an ISO file is the same for the first few steps of downloading and running the media creation tool. Then, follow these steps:

1. Choose ISO file > Next

2. Choose where to save the ISO file > give it a descriptive name like “Win11_22H2_English_x64” > Click save

3. It’ll take 15-45 minutes to download the tool, depending on your internet speed

4. Note the location > Finish

Though most organizations don’t use optical drives anymore, you still have the option to burn the ISO file to a disc if you’re worried about archival or compliance purposes. Here’s how:

1. Right-click the ISO file

2. Select Burn disk image

3. Insert a blank DVD (minimum 8 GB capacity, typically dual-layer)

4. Follow the steps in the wizard

Installing Windows from a USB device

The first thing you’ll need to do if you’re using the USB bootable media is create prepare the PC you’re intending to install it on. Follow these steps:

1. Insert the bootable USB into the device

2. Reboot and enter UEFI/BIOS (usually by spamming Delete, F2, F12, or Esc during startup)

3. Ensure Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 are enabled (unless your compliance model requires specific exceptions)

» If you need help, check out our guide to confirming if Secure Boot is enabled or disabled

4. Set the USB drive as the primary boot device

5. Save and exit BIOS

6. Boot up the PC, and it should load the Windows Setup screen where you can pick your language, time format, and keyboard preferences

7. Choose “Install Windows 11” or “Repair this PC”

• Repair this PC: Installs Windows over itself, fixing corrupted files, apps, and settings while preserving your personal data. Some IT issues, like high-risk malware or severe corruption, might be left behind.
• Install Windows 11: Does a full, clean install. Essentially a factory reset that will require you to do the full setup and reinstall all files, apps, drivers, and link accounts.

8. Accept the license agreement

9. Select a location to install Windows 11

If the PC is completely new, then all you’ll need to do is pick the drive you want to install it on. If you’re doing a fresh install on a PC or drive that’s already in use, then here’s what to keep in mind:

• If you just want to reinstall on the existing partition, select the disk and partition where Windows is installed and click “Format partition” to erase everything on it.
• If you want to completely wipe everything and start fresh, you’ll need to delete all the existing partitions by selecting each one and clicking “Delete Partition”.

10. Click Next to begin the installation, which takes about 10-30 minutes depending on how fast the system is

Once finished, the system will automatically restart (don’t press any keys when it says “Press any key to boot from USB”), then show a “Getting ready” message with a percentage completion screen. Once that’s finished, you’ll have to go through the Windows setup.

Using a Windows 11 installation media ISO file

Once you’ve created an ISO file with the Media Creation Tool, you have several options for using it depending on your deployment scenario.

Mounting the ISO in Windows for in-place upgrades

If Windows is currently running and you want to upgrade or repair the installation without wiping data:

1. Navigate to where you saved the ISO file in File Explorer

2. Right-click the ISO file > Mount

3. Windows assigns a virtual drive letter (usually appears as a new drive in File Explorer)

4. Open the mounted drive and run setup.exe

5. Follow the on-screen prompts to perform an in-place upgrade

This approach preserves your files, apps, and settings while refreshing Windows 11 system files. It’s useful for repairing corrupted installations or upgrading from Windows 10 without losing data.

Creating a bootable USB from ISO using Rufus

For situations where you need more control over partition schemes and file systems, such as managing mixed hardware fleets, Rufus provides options the Media Creation Tool doesn’t offer, including:

• Partition scheme control: You can explicitly choose between GPT (for UEFI systems) and MBR (for legacy BIOS), ensuring compatibility across different hardware types.
• File system flexibility: Windows 11 installation files often exceed 4 GB, which breaks FAT32’s file size limit. Rufus handles NTFS formatting while maintaining UEFI boot compatibility.
• Firmware targeting: Specify whether the USB boots in UEFI mode, legacy BIOS mode, or both, preventing boot failures on specific configurations.
• Faster creation: Rufus typically creates bootable media faster than the Media Creation Tool when working from an existing ISO.

Follow these steps:

1. Download Rufus from rufus.ie (the portable version requires no installation)

2. Insert your USB drive

3. Launch Rufus as administrator

4. Rufus may ask you to for approval to install updates. Click yes to ensure you have the most up-to-date functionality

5. Configure these settings:

• Device: Select your USB drive from the dropdown.
• Boot selection: Click SELECT and choose your Windows 11 ISO file.
• Partition scheme: GPT for UEFI-based systems (modern PCs, required for Windows 11), or MBR for legacy BIOS systems (older hardware).
• Target system: UEFI (non-CSM) for modern systems using GPT and BIOS or UEFI for maximum compatibility with MBR.
• File system: NTFS (recommended) as it handles large install.wim files that exceed FAT32’s 4 GB limit, FAT32 only for specific legacy compatibility needs.
• Cluster size: Leave at default (4096 bytes).
• Volume label: Optional; use descriptive names like “Win11_Setup”.

6. Click START

7. Rufus may ask to download additional files for bootability; click Yes

8. Configure the customization settings:

• Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0: Allows installation on hardware that doesn’t meet Windows 11’s official requirements. Use this only if you understand the security implications and need to install on unsupported hardware.
• Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account: Bypasses the Microsoft account requirement during setup, allowing you to create a local account instead (particularly useful for Windows 11 Home, which normally requires a Microsoft account).
• Create a local account with username: Pre-configures a local user account with the specified username, skipping that step during Windows setup.
• Set regional options to the same values as this user’s: Automatically configures region, language, and keyboard settings to match your current system.
• Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions): Pre-selects privacy settings to minimize data collection, skipping the privacy configuration screens during setup.
• Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption: Prevents Windows 11 from automatically enabling BitLocker encryption (useful if you manage encryption separately or don’t want automatic encryption).
• Use “Windows CA 2023” signed bootloaders (requires a compatible target PC): Uses newer bootloaders that may improve compatibility with certain systems.

9. For most standard deployments, just click OK to proceed without customizations

10. Confirm the warning that all USB data will be destroyed

11. Wait for completion (typically 5–15 minutes)

12. Click CLOSE when finished

13. Safely eject the USB drive

Enterprise deployment with ISO files

Large organizations generally use a “seed and scale” approach with ISO files:

1. Generate a validated ISO using the Media Creation Tool once
2. Verify integrity with SHA-256 hash checks
3. Store centrally on DFS shares, SCCM distribution points, or network repositories
4. Distribute via network: Push to multiple sites through Intune, PDQ Deploy, or DFS Replication
5. Create bootable media on-demand: Use Rufus or PowerShell scripts to clone the ISO to USB drives when physical media is needed
6. Integrate with deployment tools: Load into MDT, SCCM, or Windows Deployment Services for automated installations

This transforms one Media Creation Tool download into a repeatable, scalable deployment solution. For organizations managing deployment workflows at scale, Atera streamlines this process even further by offering the following:

• Automated integrity checks: Atera can run essential scripts that verify ISO file hashes before distribution, preventing corrupted downloads from propagating across your infrastructure.
• AI Copilot script generation: Need to verify UEFI/GPT compatibility before deployment? AI Copilot generates PowerShell scripts that query firmware type, partition scheme, and Secure Boot status across your entire fleet.
• Deployment tracking: Atera’s RMM platform allows you to deploy PowerShell scripts remotely to multiple endpoints, monitor reimaging progress, track completion status, and validate post-installation configurations, all from a single, centralized location.
• Centralized driver management: Rather than exporting drivers individually from each device before reinstallation, enterprise teams using Atera maintain centralized driver repositories accessible during deployment.

» Don’t miss our guide to updating firmware

Choosing the right Windows 11 installation approach

The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool gives you complete control over clean installations when built-in reset options won’t work, your system won’t boot, you’re deploying to new hardware, or you need to enforce standardized configurations. Success hinges on thorough preparation, validating hardware compatibility, configuring firmware correctly, and understanding your deployment requirements.

Creating installation media is just the beginning. The real challenge is managing Windows 11 devices at scale because it means maintaining security baselines, responding to end-user issues, and ensuring ongoing compliance. Atera’s Agentic AI platform addresses this through a multi-layered approach: Robin autonomously resolves end-user requests (handling up to 40% of IT workload without human intervention), AI Copilot accelerates technician response by generating scripts from plain language, and automated workflows handle routine maintenance.

» Interested? Start a free trial with Atera