Today we present this manual on how to install Windows 11, the new version of this operating system that comes with visual and performance improvements and some hardware limitations that we can skip.
As usual in Microsoft systems lately we have several options to upgrade or install from scratch the system on our tower, miniPC or tablet with the latest version of Windows in a few simple steps. As an alternative we may be interested in expanding the system disk drive with another unit for which it is interesting to consult our Guide to migrating Windows to another disk, so we will not lose any data in the process.
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Prerequisite information and requirements
Notes the installation of Windows 11
- If we have Windows 10 the license of Windows 11 is the same, free update.
- If we are interested we can buy a cheap Windows 10/11 license on AliExpress.
- We can do the entire Windows installation without serial number omitting it.
- When downloading Windows from its official website will always be the latest version with all existing patches.
- Normally the Windows serial number is stored in the BIOS when reinstalling and rebooting this will be activated.
- In Windows 11 Home it is obligatory to have a Microsoft account, in the Pro we can create a local account without it.
Minimum requirements
- Processor of 1 GHz with two cores or more compatible with 64 Bit.
- 64 GB of free system space.
- 4 GB of RAM for basic use.
- UEFI Secure Boot.
- TPM 2.0 security module.
- DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with WDDM 2.0 driver.
- If on a tablet 9″ screen with HD resolution.
- Windows 11 Home requires mandatory internet connection.
- Windows 11 Pro does not require internet connection to install it.
- You can download the official App to check the system requirements.
- In the case of not fulfilling these requirements we can Skip TPM and SecureBoot limitations.
- If you need more information you have all the requirements on the Microsoft website.
Create USB drive with Windows 11
From the Windows 11 download website we have three different options to install this operating system.
Wizard to upgrade from Windows 10
In the first option we have the possibility of downloading an installation assistant that will guide us in the upgrade process from Windows 10 to Windows 11, an automatic process that will explain step by step what we must do.
- Note: We can also run Setup.exe from an installation media or an ISO, see next points.
Create USB flash drive with Windows 11 installer
In the second option we will have a wizard to create the Windows 11 installation support, basically the classic option to create a USB pendrive to install Windows. With this we will have a USB unit that will be able to be used from zero in a PC or to execute from her Setup.exe to launch the update of Windows.
Download Windows 11 ISO image
With this option we can download an ISO image with Windows 11 to create an installation media such as a USB pendrive or launch an update by running Setup.exe inside the ISO. This option is the most versatile and if we have some knowledge of how to use an ISO is the most recommended.
Burn ISO file to a USB flash memory
- Insert in our PC a flash memory of at least 8GB. It will be completely erased.
- Download and install the app Rufus
- Execute it and click on SELECT to load the ISO image file
- By default when selecting the ISO the program changes the options to the appropriate ones.
- Press Start and Windows 11 will be recorded in our Flash memory
Install Windows 11 from scratch
If our mini PC does not boot or we want to cleanly install the system we can use a USB memory stick with Windows 11 that we have created in the previous step. For our device to detect the USB stick we need to connect it to a USB port (preferably rear) and reboot the system.
- First we need to create an installation USB drive with the previous steps.
- At power on press the key correct to enter the BIOS, usually ESC, Delete, F1, F2 or Delete, we have to go testing.
We can also launch the BIOS by running as administrator the command line and then run: shutdown /r /fw - Once in the BIOS we launch from the advanced options menu:
Save and Exit > Boot override > UEFI USB Partition 1 - This procedure is only recommended using if we can not update with the previous methods, it could cause us problems of drivers of the Wifi and other devices.
Install Windows drivers easily
Once Windows is installed it is necessary that all the hardware components have the drivers installed correctly, for it we have several options that help us in an efficient way with this task.
- Read our, Windows Drivers Installation Guide.
Improve Windows 11 taskbar
If we do not like the default taskbar of Windows 11 we can easily change it for one with a behavior much more similar to the one we had in Windows 10. The process is very simple, we only have to download the Explorer Patcher program that we indicate and install it to improve the functionalities.
- Download Explorer Patcher and run it (project website).
- Accept permissions.
- Configure it to our taste by right clicking on Windows Taskbar > Properties.
– Taskbar Style = Windows 10
– Combine Taskbar Icons = Always combine - To update it go to Windows toolbar > Properties > Updates > Update and restart.
