[W11] [GUIDE] How to clean install Windows 11 natively

[MrCutiePatootie]

Hello everyone.

 

I’ve been watching everyone’s thoughts on Windows 11 and can’t help but notice that everyone’s been installing it via Windows 10 upgrade, or via VM. Like, ugh it’s not natural!

 

This is how you natively clean install Windows 11.

Note that this will erase all your data, so be sure to use a spare SSD.

 

Assuming you already have the USB installer, boot into it until you get to the setup.

From the setup screen:

 

1. Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.

2. Type ‘diskpart’ and press Enter.

3. Create your partitions via diskpart:

     3a. Type ‘list disk’ press Enter.

     3b. Select your disk ‘sel disk x’ where x = your primary drive. Type ‘clean’ to format the drive. Type "convert gpt" if your drive wasn't already formatted as GPT.

     3c. Type ‘create partition efi size=100’ press Enter.

     3d. Type ‘format quick fs=fat32 label=“System”’ press Enter.

     3e. Type ‘assign letter=“S”’ press Enter.

     3f. Type ‘create partition msr size=16’ press Enter.

     3g. Type ‘create partition primary’ press Enter.

     3h. Format partition by entering command ‘format quick fs=ntfs label=“Windows”’, press Enter.

     3i. Type ‘assign letter=“W”’ press Enter.

4. See all your volumes by typing ‘list vol’ and you should see the partitions you just created. The EFI partition may not show up and that’s ok, and you should see your Windows and System partitions with assigned letters. Take note of the assigned letter for your USB installer.

5. Exit diskpart by typing ‘exit’ and press Enter.

6. Type ‘dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\sources\install.wim’ and press Enter. (Where X is your USB installer)

7. You should be presented a list of Windows 11 versions assigned via Indexes. Select a version of Windows you want to install and take note of the index number.

8. Now type in ‘dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:X:\sources\install.wim /Index:n /ApplyDir:W:\’ (Where X is your USB installer, n is the Index number, and W is the Windows partition we created in diskpart). Press Enter and wait.

9. Create the boot loader by typing ‘bcdboot W:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI’ (Where W is the Windows partition, S is the system partition we created in diskpart.)

10. Reboot and enjoy Windows 11 in it’s native glory.

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Kilrah
Formatting. Added convert gpt pointed out by Kilrah.

[Kilrah]

As explanation this basically does what the GUI installer would through the command line, and in the process bypasses the checks that the installer does.

 

You should not need this if you have a fairly recent system with a TPM, either discrete or integrated e.g. Intel PTT available since 4th gen Core, in this case just make sure TPM/PTT is enabled in UEFI. On AMD it seems it's called fTPM. 

 

One extra note, before step 3c you may need to do "convert gpt" if your drive wasn't already formatted as GPT.

[Tan3l6]

Use Rufus. Even installs on external drives (SSDs)

[Kilrah]

Just now, Tan3l6 said:

Use Rufus. Even installs on external drives (SSDs)

Rufus is the first step to make the install drive, but won't do anything about the unsupported hardware message.

[Tan3l6]

1 minute ago, Kilrah said:

Rufus is the first step to make the install drive, but won't do anything about the unsupported hardware message.

Will test that right now...

[Tan3l6]

Installing with Rufus on a "compatible system" to an external SSD/drive it boots fine on an "incompatible" system (8GB Q8200 system) MBR, not GPT though.

[MrCutiePatootie]

2 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

Installing With Rufus on a "compatible system" to an external SSD/drive it boots fine on an "incompatible" system (8GB Q8200 system)

The guide is primarily to those having troubles installing Windows 11. It's a workaround to bypass the "This PC can't run Windows 11" error that comes up after selecting a Windows version to install.

[MrCutiePatootie]

25 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

One extra note, before step 3c you may need to do "convert gpt" if your drive wasn't already formatted as GPT.

Thanks for pointing this out!

[Kilrah]

10 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

Installing with Rufus on a "compatible system" to an external SSD/drive it boots fine on an "incompatible" system (8GB Q8200 system) MBR, not GPT though.

Again you don't "install with Rufus", Rufus just creates the install media. Yes you can move an already installed system to another machine, but this is about installing on a machine where it doesn't let you. 

[Tan3l6]

15 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Again you don't "install with Rufus", Rufus just creates the install media. Yes you can move an already installed system to another machine, but this is about installing on a machine where it doesn't let you. 

Nope, not only install media.

 

 

also the "incompatible system" just needs "windows to go" installation from a compatible system...

I tried on my Q8200 system to install from an 11 USB installer stick and installation failed. Made Windows to go with Rufus and the drive I installed Windows 11 to, boots into 11 fine, and it works.

 

With Rufus and an external SSD you need to selct "List USB hard drives" btw.

[Kilrah]

Then be clear, what people typically use rufus for is creating the install media - should have mentioned you were making a WTG install. 

 

And it's still not the same as making a native install which this is about. With a small variation of this guide you can install directly on the Q8200

[Tan3l6]

9 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

Then be clear, what people typically use rufus for is creating the install media - should have mentioned you were making a WTG install. 

 

And it's still not the same as making a native install which this is about. With a small variation of this guide you can install directly on the Q8200

Well i did mention that it was installed on external drive/SSD. (or did i forget?)

Also the external drive can be made to local install most likely with WinToUSB (have not tested it yet) 

So it's a matter of convenience what method to use.

[Kilrah]

Variant for installing natively on a legacy/BIOS system:

 

Note that this will erase all your data, so be sure to use a spare SSD.

 

Assuming you already have the USB installer, boot into it until you get to the setup.

From the setup screen:

 

1. Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.

2. Type ‘diskpart’ and press Enter.

3. Create your partitions via diskpart:

     3a. Type ‘list disk’ press Enter.

     3b. Select your disk ‘sel disk x’ where x = your primary drive. Type ‘clean’ to format the drive. Type "convert mbr" if your drive wasn't already formatted as MBR.

     3c. Type ‘create partition primary’ press Enter.

     3d. Type 'active' press Enter

     3e. Format partition by entering command ‘format quick fs=ntfs label=“Windows”’, press Enter.

     3f. Type ‘assign letter=“W”’ press Enter.

4. See all your volumes by typing ‘list vol’ and you should see your Windows partition with assigned letter. Take note of the assigned letter for your USB installer.

5. Exit diskpart by typing ‘exit’ and press Enter.

6. Type ‘dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\sources\install.wim’ and press Enter. (Where X is your USB installer)

7. You should be presented a list of Windows 11 versions assigned via Indexes. Select a version of Windows you want to install and take note of the index number.

8. Now type in ‘dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:X:\sources\install.wim /Index:n /ApplyDir:W:\’ (Where X is your USB installer, n is the Index number, and W is the Windows partition we created in diskpart). Press Enter and wait.

9. Create the boot loader by typing ‘bcdboot W:\Windows /s W: /f BIOS’ (Where W is the Windows partition.)

10. Type 'bootrec /fixmbr' to install the MBR

11, fitting. Reboot and enjoy Windows 11 in it’s native glory from another era...

[WkdPaul]

6 hours ago, Kilrah said:

*snip*

Thanks BTW, kept making typos on a few command lines, your post avoided me some Google search

 

 

It's now installed on an old HP with a i7 3770 ,16GB of RAM, an R9 290x, and 1TB of spinning rust ! :

[Zuesdicon]

On 6/17/2021 at 4:00 PM, Org13-Xanadu said:

Hello everyone.

 

I’ve been watching everyone’s thoughts on Windows 11 and can’t help but notice that everyone’s been installing it via Windows 10 upgrade, or via VM. Like, ugh it’s not natural!

 

This is how you natively clean install Windows 11.

Note that this will erase all your data, so be sure to use a spare SSD.

 

Assuming you already have the USB installer, boot into it until you get to the setup.

From the setup screen:

 

1. Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.

2. Type ‘diskpart’ and press Enter.

3. Create your partitions via diskpart:

     3a. Type ‘list disk’ press Enter.

     3b. Select your disk ‘sel disk x’ where x = your primary drive. Type ‘clean’ to format the drive. Type "convert gpt" if your drive wasn't already formatted as GPT.

     3c. Type ‘create partition efi size=100’ press Enter.

     3d. Type ‘format quick fs=fat32 label=“System”’ press Enter.

     3e. Type ‘assign letter=“S”’ press Enter.

     3f. Type ‘create partition msr size=16’ press Enter.

     3g. Type ‘create partition primary’ press Enter.

     3h. Format partition by entering command ‘format quick fs=ntfs label=“Windows”’, press Enter.

     3i. Type ‘assign letter=“W”’ press Enter.

4. See all your volumes by typing ‘list vol’ and you should see the partitions you just created. The EFI partition may not show up and that’s ok, and you should see your Windows and System partitions with assigned letters. Take note of the assigned letter for your USB installer.

5. Exit diskpart by typing ‘exit’ and press Enter.

6. Type ‘dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:X:\sources\install.wim’ and press Enter. (Where X is your USB installer)

7. You should be presented a list of Windows 11 versions assigned via Indexes. Select a version of Windows you want to install and take note of the index number.

8. Now type in ‘dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:X:\sources\install.wim /Index:n /ApplyDir:W:\’ (Where X is your USB installer, n is the Index number, and W is the Windows partition we created in diskpart). Press Enter and wait.

9. Create the boot loader by typing ‘bcdboot W:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI’ (Where W is the Windows partition, S is the system partition we created in diskpart.)

10. Reboot and enjoy Windows 11 in it’s native glory.

 

See this link they have an Solution to come up with only easy method

 

Install Windows 11 on Any Laptop, PC – Telegraph

[NTDaws]

For those who need to bypass TPM requirements or any hardware requirements. Here is a video version of the command line install here.

 

[whm1974]

So this is just a Windows 11 Beta then? If so when is Microsoft going to release it?

[Kilrah]

End of year for OEMs, beginning of next for retail.

[Padblaze]

is there a way to download it without losing all my apps and data from my pc ?

also, how do I find the ISO

[m9x3mos]

11 hours ago, Padblaze said:

is there a way to download it without losing all my apps and data from my pc ?

also, how do I find the ISO

If you enroll your computer in the windows insider dev channel you will get it through windows update. 

There is no official iso download that I have found yet. 

Only links that were provided to ones uploaded by themselves. 

Maybe try creating one with uupdump.net tool that downloads the files from Microsoft and constructs an iso from them. 

If you use that, I would suggest only creating an iso for a single type (ie home or pro). I had issues when I was trying to do multiples. 

[Edgar R. Zakarian]

NICE, thank you!