Question about Windows 11 clean install with rufus

Make a bootable Windows 11 USB, change the boot order and start clean installing Windows 11. This is the general procedure for Windows 11 installation. Detailed guide: https://www.appleinsidez.com/install-windows-11-from-usb

P.S. I highly recommend using a fast USB drive for this task!

Don't panic, it's not that complicated! To use Rufus to make a Windows 11 bootable USB disk and complete a clean install of Windows 11, the steps are basically as follows:

Use Rufus to make a bootable disk
Open Rufus, plug in your USB drive, and select the ISO file of Windows 11. Don't forget to select "Remove TPM restrictions" in the options so that old computers can also install Windows 11. This step is critical and directly determines whether you can successfully clean install Windows 11.

Set the boot priority
After making the bootable disk, plug the USB drive into the computer, enter the BIOS after restarting, and set the USB drive as the first boot item. If this step is wrong, the bootable disk will not work.

Start the installation
After booting, you will enter the Windows installation interface, select "Custom installation", and then format the target disk (note to back up the data). Then just click "Next" all the way to complete the clean install of Windows 11 with rufus!

If Rufus still can't do it, you can try other tools, such as Microsoft's official Media Creation Tool or WinBootsMate, which are also very useful. Hope you have a smooth clean install of Windows 11! 💪

Why does Windows 11 clean installation with Rufus fail?

• Rufus may not be compatible with your USB drive or the specific hardware you're trying to install Windows 11 on.
• Rufus might create a USB drive with an incorrect file format, which can lead to errors during the installation process.

Now, let's switch gears and explore the benefits of using the Media Creation Tool for your Windows 11 clean install.

Advantages of using the Media Creation Tool:

• The Media Creation Tool will create a USB drive that's compatible with your hardware and the latest software updates.
• The tool will guide you through the process, eliminating the risk of errors or incorrect file formats.

Disadvantages of using the Media Creation Tool:

• If you're not super careful, you could wipe your data on the drive. When you do a clean install, you're essentially formatting the drive and starting fresh.
• After the clean install, you're likely going to have to hunt down and install all those device drivers manually, especially if you’ve got some old hardware. Windows 11 has pretty solid driver support, but be prepared to dig around for some older peripherals that might be stuck in 2010.

Don't use Rufus. It broke my two USB drive when using it for creating Windows 11 bootable USB. Ettcher is a much better choice! It is a cross-platform application available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its primary purpose is to write image files to storage devices in a safe, efficient, and user-friendly manner. Whether you're creating a bootable USB for installing an operating system, setting up a live Linux environment, or preparing a recovery drive, Ettcher streamlines the process with its intuitive interface and robust functionality.

How to Use Ettcher to Burn an ISO to USB:

1. Select the appropriate version for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
2. Download the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your computer.
3. After installation, launch the app from your applications menu or desktop shortcut. In the interface, click the "Flash from file" button.
4. Navigate to the location of your desired ISO file, select it, and click "Open". Plug the USB flash drive into an available USB port on your computer. It will automatically detect connected storage devices.
5. Ensure you select the correct USB drive to avoid data loss on other drives. Click "Select target" and choose your USB drive from the list. Initiate the flashing process by clicking the "Flash!" button.
6. Once completed, it will display a "Flash Complete" message.

With the bootable USB created, you can now use it to clean install Windows 11 without Rufus! For more advanced features or troubleshooting, refer to the official documentation.

I’ve used Rufus for a bunch of installations, and it just gets the job done without a hitch. A while back, I tried creating a bootable USB for Windows 11 using Etcherr, and while it worked eventually, it took longer to figure out the settings and I had to read a bunch of extra docs. I ended up restarting and redoing it with Rufus.

Both UNetboootin and Etcherr are more geared toward Linux distributions and other operating systems. They don’t have the out-of-the-box support for Windows ISO files like Rufus does. This means you might run into issues, or you might not get all the features you need (like GPT partitioning options) to prepare a Windows installation drive properly.

Windows 11 clean install with Rufus, it formats the drive correctly for Windows installations, like using NTFS or FAT32, depending on what’s needed. UNetboootin and Etcherr can work, but they could format the drive differently or not optimize it for Windows, which means you might face boot issues or installation hiccups. No one wants to deal with that during a clean install!

If your USB isn’t booting, ensure it was created correctly. Make sure you used the correct settings in Rufus. It’s also worth trying different USB ports (preferably USB 2.0 ports). Ensure that Secure Boot is disabled if you are using a non-certified installation method. Check if your system supports UEFI and that it has been configured properly.

If you continue having issues with Windows 11 clean install with Rufus, you can also try the following tools:
1. Windows Media Creation Tool: This is an official tool provided by Microsoft that can create a bootable USB directly.

• Download and run the Media Creation Tool.
• Select "Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC".
• Follow the prompts to create the bootable USB.

2. UNetboootin or Etcherr: These are alternative tools for creating bootable USB drives, though they might not have specific Windows support like Rufus.

If the bootable USB created by Rufus does not work, then you should try out the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool instead. As an official tool developed by Microsoft, it ensures that you're getting a genuine and unaltered version of Windows 11. In addition, it receives updates and support directly from Microsoft. This ensures compatibility with the latest hardware and software.

How to Create a Bootable USB Using the Media Creation Tool for Windows 11 Clean Install:

Step 1: Visit the official Microsoft Download Page. Scroll down to the "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" section. Click on the "Download now" button to download the Media Creation Tool (MediaCreationToolW11.exe).

Step 2: Locate the downloaded MediaCreationToolW11.exe file and double-click to run it. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click "Yes" to allow the tool to make changes to your device.

Step 3: On the "What do you want to do?" screen, select "Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC".

Step 4: Select language, edition, and architecture. 

Step 5: Select "USB flash drive" as the media type you want to use. Click "Next".

Step 6: Insert your USB flash drive into the PC. The tool will display a list of available USB drives. Select the correct one. Warning: All data on the selected USB drive will be erased. Click "Next".

Step 7: The Media Creation Tool will begin downloading the necessary Windows 11 files. This process may take some time depending on your internet speed. Once the download is complete, the tool will automatically create the bootable USB drive.

Step 8: After the process is finished, you will see a "Your USB flash drive is ready" message. Click "Finish" to exit the tool. Safely eject the USB flash drive from your PC.

Step 9: Insert the Bootable USB into the PC where you want to install Windows 11. Restart the PC and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings.

Step 10: The PC will boot from the USB drive. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 11. Choose your preferences, enter your product key if prompted, and complete the installation process. 

As you can see, if Windows 11 clean install with rufus, the Media Creation Tool is a great alternative to fix this problem. However, you can't use this USB to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware!