How to Create a Bootable Windows 11 USB with the Media Creation Tool

You want a USB drive you can boot from to install Windows 11 cleanly — or to rescue a PC that no longer starts.

Why: A bootable USB made with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool is the official, no-third-party-tools way to get genuine Windows 11 installation media. It’s the right tool for a clean install, reinstalling on a new drive, or running setup outside a broken Windows.

Fix 1: Build the USB with the Media Creation Tool

1. Plug in a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space. Everything on it gets erased, so move off anything you want to keep first.
2. Open the Download Windows 11 page.
3. Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, click Download Now to get MediaCreationTool.exe, then run it.
4. Accept the license terms. The tool pre-selects your language and edition (Windows 11) — leave the recommended options unless you have a reason to change them.
5. Choose USB flash drive, select your drive from the list, and click Next.
6. The tool downloads Windows 11 and writes the bootable media. When it says “Your USB flash drive is ready,” click Finish.

Note: the tool creates x64 media only — it can’t make installation media for Arm-based PCs.

Fix 2: Boot the target PC from the USB

1. Leave the USB plugged into the PC you want to install on. Power it off.
2. Power on and immediately tap the one-time boot menu key — commonly F12, F9, Esc, or F10 (the splash screen usually shows which). On a working Windows you can instead go to Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now, then Use a device.
3. Pick the USB drive from the boot menu. Windows Setup loads.
4. Follow the prompts. For a fresh install, choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) and select the target drive.

If the USB never appears, you may need to enable UEFI boot and Secure Boot in firmware (both are Windows 11 requirements anyway).

Fix 3: Activation — usually nothing to do

You generally don’t type a product key. If this PC previously ran activated Windows 10 or 11, the product key is embedded in the firmware and applies automatically when the edition matches. At the “Enter product key” screen you can click I don’t have a product key to continue; it activates with the digital license after install.

FAQ

Does this delete what’s on my USB drive? Yes. The tool reformats the drive — any existing content is permanently erased, so use a spare or empty stick.

Clean install vs. in-place upgrade — which do I get? Booting from the USB lets you do a clean install (wipes the target). If you instead run setup.exe from inside Windows, you can choose to keep files and apps.

Can I reuse the same USB later? Yes. It stays a reusable Windows 11 installer until you reformat it for something else.

Sources: Microsoft Support — Create installation media for Windows, Microsoft Support — Ways to install Windows 11