How to Boot from USB on Windows 11 [Complete Guide]

Overview of how to boot from USB in Windows 11:

Before starting the tutorial, you will need a reliable USB drive and a formatting tool, such as Partition Master. This tool stood out in our tests due to its clean interface and user-friendliness, making it particularly suitable for beginners.

Now, let's learn how to boot from USB in Windows 11. In this article, we'll break the entire process into three stages. First, prepare your USB to make a bootable USB.

Step 1️⃣: Format the USB drive as FAT32

Creating a bootable USB has specific requirements for the file system; your USB flash drive must be formatted to FAT32. However, if the USB is over 32 GB, Disk Management or CMD won't let you format it to FAT32. In this case, you need a third-party formatting tool. Our tests confirm that Partition Master is a stable formatting tool capable of formatting 64/128/256 GB USBs to FAT32. Download the tool and follow the guide below.

Step 1: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the partition of the external hard drive/USB/SD card that you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click “OK”.

<Step 3> Click Yes in the warning dialog box to continue.

Step 4. Click on the “Perform 1 Task” button on the top left corner to preview the changes and hit “Apply” to start formatting the external hard drive/USB/SD card.

FAT32 is the best USB format to boot Windows 11; now, let's move on to the second phase and learn how to make a bootable USB.

2️⃣ Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

If you are not technically savvy, creating a bootable USB can be complicated; we need to choose trustworthy third-party software for this. To create a bootable USB, you can use the OS2GO utility. The following link will help you learn how to use it to create a bootable USB:

Read that article for more information: How to Create a Bootable USB from an ISO on Windows 10

Phase 3: How to Boot from USB in Windows 11 - Two Scenarios

In Windows 11, you might encounter two main scenarios where you'd need to boot from USB. One is when your computer is functioning correctly, and you can access the boot disk settings from the "Settings" app. The other is when your computer is malfunctioning or has crashed and won't work normally, requiring you to enter BIOS and boot from USB via the boot menu. Let's delve into each method in detail.

Scenario 1: The computer starts up normally from Settings

Windows Settings can help you boot from USB; follow this tutorial to boot into Windows 11 from USB while your computer is running normally.

Step 1. Insert the bootable USB drive into your Windows 11 computer. Press Windows + I to open Settings, then choose System > Recovery.

Step 2: Click the Restart now button under Advanced startup. Windows 11 will warn you that your PC will restart and prompt you to save your work.

Step 3. Your computer will restart and enter the Recovery Environment. In the Choose an option window, select Use a device.

Step 4: Your computer should list the available bootable devices, including the USB drive you previously connected to your computer. Click on it and select it.

Finally, your computer should reboot and start from the USB drive you set.

Scenario 2: Your computer won't start - from the Boot Menu

If your computer doesn't turn on, you need to access the BIOS to boot Windows 11 from USB. Connect the USB flash drive to the PC you want to perform a clean install of Windows 11 on. Then, restart your computer while holding down the Shift key to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). In the Windows Recovery Environment, select to boot from the USB drive.

Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Connect the bootable USB drive to the appropriate USB port. Then, press the power button to start your laptop/desktop. As it begins to load, press and hold the appropriate boot menu key, such as ESC, F2, F8, or F10 (the key may vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and model), to enter the BIOS settings.

Step 2: In the boot menu, find the “boot order” option and move the bootable USB drive to the top of the list.

Step 3: Save your changes and exit by pressing F10. Your computer will automatically restart and boot from the USB drive.

Conclusions

If you want to boot Windows 11/10 from a USB flash drive but have no idea how to do it, you can easily achieve this by following the methods in this tutorial. Firstly, prepare a qualified USB flash drive and format it to FAT32; create a bootable USB; finally, change the boot order and set the bootable USB as the boot drive. Then, you can boot Windows 11 from USB. It's worth mentioning that if your computer isn't functioning properly, you'll need to enter BIOS to boot from USB.

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FAQ: How to Boot from USB in Windows 11

There are several reasons you might need to boot Windows 11 from a USB drive, such as installing a new system, troubleshooting, or having the same setup across multiple PCs. Read on for more questions and answers about the process.

**1. Why won't Windows 11 boot from USB?** There could be several reasons why Windows 11 is unable to boot from a USB drive. Here are some common issues and solutions: 1. **Incorrect USB Drive Creation**: Make sure you have used the right tool, such as Microsoft's Media Creation Tool or Rufus, to create the Windows 11 installation media. Follow official guidelines for the process. 2. **BIOS Settings**: Check your computer's BIOS settings and ensure the boot order is set to prioritize USB devices. Enter BIOS and locate the "Boot" or "Startup" menu to adjust the order. 3. **USB Drive Issue**: Test the USB drive on another computer to see if it boots normally. If not, you might need to recreate the installation media. 4. **Hardware Compatibility**: Windows 11 has higher hardware requirements. Verify that your computer meets the system requirements for Windows 11. 5. **USB Port Problem**: Try plugging the USB drive into different ports; sometimes, certain ports may not support booting. 6. **Damaged ISO File**: Ensure the downloaded Windows 11 ISO file is intact. Redownload and verify the ISO file's checksum. 7. **Secure Boot and TPM Issues**: Windows 11 requires hardware with Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 support. Confirm that these features are enabled on your computer. If none of these steps resolve the issue, consider contacting your computer manufacturer or a professional technician for assistance.

Not all USB drives are considered bootable USB devices. By default, regular USB drives are not bootable. Hence, Windows 11 might not be able to boot from a USB due to the following reasons:

• The USB drive is not bootable
• No bootable USB drive is detected in the BIOS
• The USB drive is too old
• The USB drive has been accidentally damaged
• The USB drive format is unsupported
• The boot order is incorrect

How to boot Windows 11 from USB in BIOS?

Plug the USB flash drive into the PC you want to do a clean install of Windows 11 on. Then, restart the computer while holding down the Shift key to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). After you're in the Windows Recovery Environment, choose to boot from the USB drive.

3. When do we need to boot Windows 11 from USB? We typically need to boot Windows 11 from a USB drive in the following situations: 1. **Installing or reinstalling Windows 11**: If you want to perform a clean installation or upgrade to Windows 11, you would create a USB bootable drive using the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool to initiate the setup process. 2. **Troubleshooting and repair**: When your computer encounters severe issues that prevent it from starting up normally, you can use the Windows 11 Recovery Environment (WinRE) by booting from a USB drive to troubleshoot and fix problems, such as performing system restore points, resetting your PC, or addressing boot issues. 3. **Testing and development**: For IT professionals and developers, they might frequently boot from USB to test different versions of Windows 11 or for system deployment purposes. 4. **Demonstrations and presentations**: In situations where there's no built-in operating system or when you want to quickly switch between different system configurations, booting Windows 11 from a USB drive can facilitate showcasing or demonstrating system features. 5. **Coexisting multiple systems**: If you have other operating systems installed on your computer and wish to try Windows 11 without affecting your existing setup, you can boot it from a USB drive. To boot Windows 11 from a USB drive, you'll need to change your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings to prioritize booting from USB devices. This is usually done by pressing a specific key (such as F2, F10, F12, or Delete) during the computer's startup to access the BIOS settings.

The reasons for booting from USB are as follows:

• Boot a new Windows installation. Use the USB drive to install the new system without affecting the running version.
• Troubleshoot. A second reason is if your computer's operating system won't start due to viruses, malware, or other issues, displaying a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) for Windows 11, or crashing frequently. In that case, you'll need a bootable USB disk to start your computer correctly.
• Boot a new computer with an old system on a USB drive to enjoy the same configuration on a different machine.