While most of the time, the guide to download Windows ISO and then clean install or upgrade remains the same, the minimum requirement for Windows 11 has changed it a bit. So if you are planning, here is how to download Windows 11 ISO, then clean, install, or upgrade.
How to Download Windows 11 ISO & Clean Install or Upgrade
To install Windows 11 cleanly or upgrade in place, you need an ISO file that you can boot from. You can find an ISO file in a few different ways.
- You can get the ISO file of Windows 11 directly from Microsoft’s website.
- Furthermore, you could use a UUP dump tool to get the updater files from Microsoft’s servers and build your ISO that is up-to-date with the latest insider build that is even more recent than the release build.
- You can also create an ISO that bypasses Windows 11’s requirement for TPM by using Aveyo’s open-source Universal MediaCreationTool.
Once we get the ISO files from whichever method you prefer, we can then use that ISO to create a bootable USB for Windows 11 or install the OS on a virtual machine.
A) How to Download Windows 11 ISO
Let me guide you through all three methods of obtaining the ISO; follow the methods mentioned below:
1] Get the ISO from Microsoft’s website:
It is the most straightforward method that you can use:
- Visit the Windows 11 ISO page on Microsoft’s website.
- Scroll down to the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) section, and from the dropdown, select Windows 11.
- You will be navigated to the Select the product language section; choose a language of your choice from the dropdown.
- Hit Confirm and click on the 64-bit Download button.
The download will now begin on your computer.
2] Create an ISO file for Windows 11 by using UUP Dump
An ISO file for Windows 11 can be created using UUP Dump by taking a copy from a public preview. In addition, the tool has more than a few other tools and scripts that help you get the latest build from Microsoft and create an unofficial ISO file for installation.
When Microsoft first began testing Windows 11, it did not offer an official way to download an ISO file of the operating system. It was only possible to get one by using the UUP Dump tool, which gives you a script for downloading the necessary files from Microsoft and creating an ISO out of them.
To get the ISO file for any preview version of Windows 11 using UUP Dump, follow the methods below:
- Click here to open UUP Dump official website.
- From the menu, click on the Download tab.
- Please scroll down and locate the version of Windows 11 you want and click on it.
- Now the download page will open, select Language, and click on next.
- Then, you can choose which editions you want to include in your ISO. If you wish your ISO file to be small, I suggest choosing only one edition of your choice.
- Finally, check the Download and convert to ISO option and click on Create download package.
- Once done downloading, you will have a small zip on your PC. It will be used to download Windows 11 ISO.
- Extract the ZIP file and open the cmd file located inside.
- Click the run anyways option if Windows recognized this as an unrecognized app.
- The command prompt window will open and run a batch file to download all the necessary files to create your Windows 11 ISO file. If your Internet connection is slow, it may take several minutes for this process to complete.
Once the process is complete, your ISO will be downloaded in the same place your uup_download_windows.cmd file is located.
3] Download ISO using MediaCreationTool that Bypass TPM Check (Incompatible Devices)
If you install Windows 11 in a virtual machine or install Windows 11 on a computer without TPM support, you should use AveYo’s Universal MediaCreationTool, which automatically disables the TPM check.
- From MediaCreationTool’s Github page, you can download the MediaCreationTool.zip file.
- Extract the zip and locate the bat file inside it and run it. If Windows prompts for an unrecognized app, click on the run anyways.
- MCT version menu will open; click on the 11 option there.
- Now, in the MCT preset menu, you can either click on Auto Setup (to upgrade your current machine to Windows 11 without needing a bootable drive, we will talk about this later in the article), or if you want ISO, click on Create ISO option.
- If Windows asks you to allow PowerShell to make changes, click Yes.
Your ISO file will now start downloading, and even if you don’t have TPM, you can install Windows 11 from this ISO.
If you need to install it on MacBook (Intel), follow this guide.
B) How to Clean Install Windows 11
Follow these three steps to clean install Windows 11
1] Create a Bootable USB Drive for Windows 11 on Compatible Devices:
- Open your ISO file and copy all the data inside it to your USB.
- Download and Install RUFUS from here.
- Under ‘Device’, choose the USB for which you want to make bootable.
- Under ‘File system’, select NTFS, and under ‘Partition scheme’, choose MBR.
- Choose the ISO file under ‘Boot selection’, to the right of the ‘Boot selection’ box.
- You will need to click “Start” to begin the process — the time it takes to complete will depend on your USB stick’s speed.
Note: Make sure to use the ISO created using the MediaCreationTool.bat file if your device is not compatible, i.e., missing TPM 2.0 or any other requirement.
2] Boot from the USB Device
When the USB stick is finished, you can use it to install Windows 11 on any device that supports it.
- Connect the USB stick to the target device
- Restart the device
- Before the Windows logo appears, hold the F8 key to enter Boot Mode (The Key might change depending on your device)
- Then, click the button labeled ‘Use a device’ and select your USB stick
3] Install Windows 11
Once you restart Windows PC, it will boot from the USB Device and start the installation process. Since this is a clean installation, all the System Drive or the C Drive data will be wiped clean, including apps and personal data.
You will need to click on Install Now button on the Windows installer and then let it complete the job unless you reach the setup screen. Once there, you can use your Microsoft account to set up Windows PC.
C) How to Upgrade to Windows 11
Depending on if your device is compatible or not, follow one of the methods to upgrade. Make sure to backup your data.
Upgrade Compatible Devices
Microsoft made it easy to install Windows 11 on your PC if you are compatible; follow the instructions below to upgrade to Windows 11:
- Visit the Windows 11 page on Microsoft’s website.
- Scroll down to the Windows 11 Installation Assistant section, and click on Download.
- Once the download is done, open the application.
- The application will first ask you to install Microsoft’s PC Health Check app to check compatibility.
- Once it verifies that your device is compatible, you can click on Accept and Install in Windows 11 Installation Assistant.
- It will download and install Windows 11 on your PC.
Upgrade Incompatible Devices
To install Windows 11 on devices that are not supported, you need to use the MediaCreationTool method that we discussed earlier.
- From MediaCreationTool’s Github page, you can download the MediaCreationTool.zip file.
- Extract the zip and locate the bat file inside it and run it. If Windows prompts for an unrecognized app, click on the run anyways.
- MCT version menu will open; click on the 11 option there.
- Now, in the MCT preset menu, you can click on Auto Setup rather than Create ISO; this will download the ISO file and upgrade your PC to Windows 11.
This method will prevent any TPM or Secure Boot check, and you can install Windows 11 without any hassle of creating a bootable USB.
