How to create a portable Windows 11 USB drive

Creating a portable Windows 11 USB drive is a handy skill to have, especially if you want to try out Windows 11 on different machines or perform a fresh install. Steps to create a portable Windows 11 USB drive:

1. Stick your USB drive into the computer. Make sure there’s nothing important on it, because this process will wipe everything clean.
2. Double-click on the Media Creation Tool to run it. You might need admin rights to kick it off.
3. Once it opens, you’ll see a couple of options. Click on “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file).”
4. The tool will prompt you to select your preferred language, edition, and architecture (64-bit is what most folks need). Make sure to pick the right options, or you might end up trying to run a version that doesn’t fit your needs.
5.  When asked, choose “USB flash drive.” The tool will show your connected drives, so pick the correct one (double-check it’s the right one, so you don’t mess up). It’s crucial to ensure you select the USB drive that you’re okay with formatting. The tool will wipe it in the next step.
6. After selecting your USB, let the Media Creation Tool do its thing. It will download Windows 11 and create the bootable USB drive for you. This part might take a bit, depending on your internet speed and the USB drive’s speed.
7. Once it’s done, you’ll get a message saying the drive is ready. Don’t just pull it out! Click the little arrow in your taskbar, find the USB drive icon, and safely eject it. Trust me, this prevents potential file corruption.
8. If you want to install Windows 11 on another machine, plug in your newly created USB drive and boot from it. You might need to press a key like F12, F2, or DEL (it varies by manufacturer) when starting up to select the USB drive as the boot option.