Windows 11 Install USB

Is your laptop or desktop compatible with Windows 11? A general rule is that PC’s made after 2018 should be compatible.
PC World has a list of compatible CPU’s here.
For laptops, search google with the make and model number of your machine to see if it’s compatible with Windows 11.

NOTE: The Windows 11 Install USB doesn’t include a product key. You can use Windows 11 with a product key with few limitations, otherwise you’ll have to purchase a Windows 11 key online.

NOTE: The Windows 11 Install USB that Appsticks prepares for you is meant to install a new version of Windows 11 to your hard drive and not meant for an upgrade of an existing Windows install. Please back up any important files from a previous Windows installation before proceeding.

To use Windows 11 Install USB, your desktop or laptop must boot from USB and not from your hard drive.

There are a number of ways to do this:

BOOT MENU (TRY THIS FIRST)

Different manufacturer’s used different keys to access a boot menu that will allow you to easily boot from USB:

• Dell - Press and hold the F12 key when your screen displays startup information
• HP - Press and hold the F9 or the ESC key when your screen displays startup information
• Acer - Press and hold the F12 key when your screen displays startup information
• Lenovo - Press and hold the F12 or (Fn + F12) key when your screen displays startup information
• ASUS - Press and hold the ESC key or the F8 key when your screen displays startup information

When the boot menu appears, you will see several lines representing boot devices on your PC. Different manufacturers present this information in unique ways. On most computers, look for a line that contains the phrases UEFI and/or USB. Move the cursor to that line and press the ENTER key to boot the Windows install USB.
If you see multiple lines that contain USB and or UEFI, try selecting each one until you find the right line that will boot into the Windows Install application.
If you don’t see UEFI or USB at all, try booting from the bottom most boot option.

FROM THE BIOS SCREEN

If you can’t use the boot menu, you may have to adjust your BIOS settings to boot into the Windows Installation disk.

Different manufacturers use different keys to access the BIOS/UEFI:

• Dell - Press and hold the F2 key when your screen displays startup information. Older Dell's may use Fn+ESC or or Fn+F1
• HP - Press and hold the F1, F10, F11, or F12 key when your screen displays startup information. Older HP's might use F2 or ESC.
• Lenovo - Press and hold the F1 or F2 key when your screen displays startup information
• ASUS - Press and hold the F2, DEL, ESC, or F10 key when your screen displays startup information
• Acer - Press and hold DEL or F2 key when your screen displays startup information

Once you’ve entered the BIOS, browse through its configuration options until you find a page called “Boot” or similar. There, you should see the boot order used by your computer. In this list, you must choose the USB flash drive to be the first device used for booting. Remember that the USB option can be named differently on your PC: check for Removable Devices, USB-HDD, or similar names. Moving the USB flash drive to the top of the boot list is usually done using the keyboard keys +, -, F5, or F6. Your BIOS should display some helpful information about this topic.

After you’ve selected the USB flash drive as the first boot option, save your settings (usually done by pressing F10 on your keyboard) and Exit the BIOS/UEFI environment. Your computer will restart and then automatically boot from the USB flash drive.

WINDOWS 11 INSTALLATION

At the beginning of the setup process, you’ll need to choose the language to install, the time and the keyboard or input method. In most cases, you won’t need to change anything here, but if you do, click the down arrow to display a list of options, and then click the option that you want to select it. Then Click “Next” to continue.

Choose language to install, time and currency format, and keyboard and input method.
On the next screen, click “Install Now.”

You’ll briefly see a screen that lets you know that the setup is starting. After that, the Windows Setup window will appear. If the Windows Installer asks for a product key, enter the product key in the text box if you have one. If you don’t have a product key, then you can still run a slightly limited version of Windows 11 that works—you’ll just need to enter a product key later to unlock everything.

If you entered a product key, press “Next.” If not, click “I don’t have a product key.”

If you didn’t enter a product key on the previous screen, you’ll need to select which Windows 11 version to use. If you don’t have a product key and are planning on purchasing one, a professional key for example, select “Windows Pro” as the version to install. Select “Windows Home” if you are planning to purchase a home key. Note: if you purchase a product after installation, the key will need to match the version you installed;. a “Pro” key will only work with a “Windows Pro” installation, etc.

On the next screen, check the box next to “I Accept the License Terms,” and then click “Next.”

The next screen asks you to select which type of installation you want to perform. Since we’re doing a fresh install, click “Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced).”

Next, choose where you want to install Windows 11. If you have a brand new hard drive, it might say “Drive 0 Unallocated Space” under Name. If you have multiple drives, select the drive that you want to install the OS on, and then click “Next.”

Select drive you want to install Windows on.

Finally, the Wizard will begin installing the Windows files. The amount of time that the installation takes depends on the hardware you’re using.