How do I create installation media for Windows 11?
Is windows 11 media creation tool still a good choice for making bootable USB?
Windows 11 pro install from a flash drive?
windows 11 media creation tool
Videos
Tried running it today on two different client machines, and all i get is a brief Windows logo flash and then… nothing. No error, no dialog, no logs that i can see. Just a silent fail.
Anyone else seeing this, or did i just hit the unlucky lottery?
Update:
It's getting better and better...
Now I can't even download the ISO anymore.
All I get is a chef's kiss quality Microsoft error page:
"We encountered a problem processing your request. Please try again later."
Reference ID: [insert absurd GUID here]
At this point, even Rufus is starting to feel like a critical infrastructure tool.
Seriously, how does Microsoft manage to break their own installer and their ISO download in the same two weeks?
(X-Ref: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5584581/cant-download-the-windows-11-iso)
“Try using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool,” they said.
“This method bypasses the web-based ISO download and is more reliable,” they said.
*rofl*
And the best part?
This all happens on the exact day Windows 10 support officially ends.
You literally couldn't script better timing.
I’m trying to download windows 11 pro onto a flash drive using Microsoft’s media creation tool. I can only see an option to download windows 11. If I do that and purchase a windows 11 pro key will that work and I’ll have pro upon activation? Or do I have to download windows 11 pro from the Microsoft site and if so, where can I find that? Thanks.
Hi Kevin Duane,
At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario.
As an additional note, before creating the installation media, please prepare a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space, because the content on the USB drive will be deleted during the process.
Before reinstalling Windows, I recommend backing up your personal files to an external drive or cloud storage to help avoid data loss. If you are reinstalling Windows 11 on the same device, please make sure to select the same Windows edition that is currently licensed on the device, such as Windows 11 Home. Windows activation should complete after the device is connected to the Internet if the correct edition is installed and the device already has a digital license.
I hope you can successfully create the Windows 11 installation media and reinstall Windows. Thank you so much for your understanding.
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The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool is available from the official Microsoft software download website.
To get it and use it to reinstall Windows 11:
- Go to the Windows 11 download page: Download Windows 11.
- Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, select Download Now to download MediaCreationTool.exe.
- Run MediaCreationTool.exe and follow the prompts to create either:
- A bootable USB flash drive, or
- An ISO file you can use for a clean install or repair install.
If reinstalling on a device that already has a Windows 11 digital license, choose the same edition of Windows 11 that is currently licensed. During setup, if asked for a product key, select I don't have a product key; Windows 11 will activate automatically after installation when online and signed in with the Microsoft account linked to the digital license.
References:
- Create installation media for Windows
- Reinstall Windows with the installation media
- Activate Windows
- Windows 11, version 25H2 update history
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