Windows 11 has officially been released to the public. Well for starters it is a free upgrade for those who are on Windows 10 provided their PC meets the system requirements of Windows 11. The new OS has a lot of cool new features and has better UI and under the hood performance. The OS update is slowly rolling out to compatible devices in a staged manner. However, you can jump the waiting line to download and install the update right away. Here is a guide on how to install Windows 11 using ISO or Media Creation Tool.
It doesn’t matter if you are running on Windows 10 or enrolled up in the Windows 11 beta, you can easily sideload the stable version of Windows 11 on your PC. Unless you like to wait around till Windows automatically decides your system is fit for installing the update. Once you have the Windows 11 ISO in hand, it is simply easy to go ahead with the installation process. Read on to know how to sideload Windows 11 on your PC right now.
How to Install Windows 11 using ISO
Before we begin sideloading Windows 11 stable on your PC, there are a few things you will need to know.
- You need to have a Microsoft account.
- Your data and installed programs will not be removed or deleted, but still take backup of important data.
- There is enough space on your storage drive to install Windows 11.
- Make sure your PC has 64-bit CPU.
- Check the language set on your PC, the same you will have in Windows 11 installing process.
- With all of these points in mind, let’s proceed to install Windows 11 on your system right away.
- If you want to upgrade from an unlicensed Windows 10, then you have to use the bootable USB Drive method, Guide here. You can also follow bootable method if the mount methods show incompatible PC.
Windows 11 Installation Process
- First, you’ll need to download the Windows 11 ISO. You can do that by using the media creation tool.
- You can also download the ISO file directly from Microsoft.
- With the ISO file downloaded to your system, it’s now time to begin with the installation.
- Right-click on the downloaded ISO and select Mount from the context menu. If you have a USB drive and want to clean install using bootable drive then jump to this guide.
- The system will now create a virtual drive that can be accessed from the File Manager itself.
- Now, go ahead and open the mounted ISO file.
- Click on the setup.exe file to start the setup process.
- The setup will now display a screen that says preparing.
- After that, the setup will request that it needs to go online to check for any updates if need before the installation. Click the Next button.
- On the next screen, it will check for updates if any, and download them.
- Once the updates have been downloaded, the setup will now ask to restart at a later time.
- Now, you will see the various licenses and terms, so agree to the terms to proceed further.
- The setup will now ensure that your system is ready for the Windows 11 Installation.
- When the setup is ready, it will now begin installing.
- Your system will now restart and jump right into the setup screen.
If you are upgrading from a Windows 10 system:
Well, you will be greeted with the all-new out-of-the-box experience setup screen. The setup is more bright and has colorful icons around. You will be able to select your input, region, language, and other basic one-time setup options. You will also be required to sign in with a Microsoft account to access various other features of Windows. The setup will also take you through setting up the purpose of the system. The choices are to choose between using the system for gaming, productivity, family, or office. Once you have gone through aloof it, the screen will now show you a finishing setup and preparing Windows screen. This can take around between 4 to 6 minutes. Once it has been completed you will be taken to the desktop of Windows 11, with the system ready for your use.
If upgrading from Windows 11 Insider Preview:
Well, in this case, the setup will just begin installing the update. You will see your system restart a few times. Once the setup has been completed, you will see the new blue finalizing screen. In a few minutes from there, you will be taken to the desktop of Windows 11, which is now ready for your use. The stable update of the Windows 11 build is the same as the build that was released on the 16th of September to Insider Channel. The build number is 22000.194.
And this is how you can sideload Windows 11 on your PC right away and easily. The whole setup process of upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 will take around an hour and a half. If upgrading from Windows 11 beta to the stable version, can take around 50 minutes or less. These times usually depend on the hardware that you have, mainly the hard disk or SSD installed.
Windows 11 Guide: