Windows 11 installation: Everything you need to know

UPDATED 12/19/2024: You can install Windows 11 on your computer in two different ways, including performing an in-place upgrade or a clean installation, and each approach has different benefits.

The in-place upgrade will install the new version of Windows, preserving your files, settings, and apps (in most cases), and the process will be faster. On the other hand, a clean installation will give you a more stable setup, but since this process erases the hard drive, you will have to restore your files from the backup, reconfigure your settings, and reinstall your apps, which will take more time.

Also, if you have a computer that doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements, it’s still possible to install Windows 11 through the upgrade or clean installation process, but the setup will be in an unsupported state.

In this guide, you will find the information you need on how to choose and install Windows 11.

Windows 11 in-place upgrade

The in-place upgrade refers to the process of upgrading the current installation to Windows 11 (or Windows 10). When using this process, the new version of Windows will install, preserving your files, apps, and most of your settings.

Also, the setup will create a copy of the current installation in case something goes wrong and a rollback to the previous version is necessary.

Microsoft offers several ways to upgrade to Windows 11, depending on the version of the operating system (Windows 10, 8.1, or 7) installed on the computer.

You can upgrade to Windows 11 from 10 in at least four ways. You can perform the upgrade through the Windows Update settings, which Microsoft usually recommends. The process will download and install the new version of Windows like a monthly update, but it will take longer to complete because it is a new version, and reinstallation is necessary.

You can download and mount the ISO file to File Explorer, and then launch the Windows Setup and choose the option to keep your files, apps, and settings.

You can use the Windows 11 ISO file to upgrade a device running Windows 10, 8.1, or 7.

The other recommended upgrade method is using the Installation Assistant. This tool allows you to upgrade a laptop or desktop computer through a process similar to Windows Update. However, the difference is that you can use it to force the installation at any time. This option is only available for computers already running Windows 10.

After the installation, if something goes wrong or you are not ready for it, you can roll back to the previous version during the first ten days.

If you upgrade from Windows 7, the setup will not let you keep settings or applications. Only the files will be preserved.

Microsoft also releases feature updates for Windows 11, which are also upgrades for the operating system. The current version is 24H2, and you have multiple ways to perform the installation.

Windows 11 clean installation

A clean installation refers to the process of deleting everything on the hard drive and installing a fresh copy of Windows 11 without keeping your files, apps, and settings.

Usually, this is the best option for installing a new version of Windows because it minimizes the chances of issues during and after the installation. Also, it can help to fix existing problems with the current setup, such as performance issues, problems shutting down, booting up, etc.

Since the clean installation process erases everything on the computer, it’s the method of choice to upgrade from an older version, such as Windows 10, 8.1, 7, and even older, if the hardware meets the minimum requirements.

Microsoft offers multiple ways to perform a fresh installation. You can create a USB bootable media to start the computer and continue the setup.

Usually, this is the option to upgrade a system or install Windows on an empty hard drive. You can also connect the USB flash drive media to the computer while the operating system is running to start the setup and use the keep nothing option to perform a clean installation.

You can mount the ISO file to File Explorer, launch the installation setup, and choose the keep nothing option to perform a clean installation.

Alternatively, if the device is already running Windows 11 but is causing problems, you can perform a clean installation using the “Reset this PC” recovery option. This feature wipes out the hard drive and reinstalls Windows 11 without using additional tools. You can reinstall Windows using the locally available image or download a fresh image from the cloud.

The cloud option comes in handy if one or more installation files in the local image are damaged, or the computer uses a custom image from the manufacturer, and you want a clean installation without custom settings and pre-installed applications.

If the device does not boot, the Advanced startup options environment includes the same options available with the “Reset this PC” feature.

You can only use this option to reinstall the same version of Windows 11 already installed on the computer.

It’s also possible to install Windows 11 without bloatware. I’m referring to the default promotional apps that Microsoft includes on every setup. If you want to proceed with the installation without bloatware, you would simply need to choose the “English (World)” or “English (Europe)” option from the “Time and Currency format” setting and continue with the on-screen directions as normal to complete the clean install.

Another way to perform a clean installation that is fully decluttered of junk apps and unnecessary features is to use the Tiny11 Builder script to create a custom and unsupported USB flash drive and then use the installer to set up a minimal setup of Windows 11.

Although the default setup forces you to install Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, you can skip this requirement using the “Domain join instead” option during the setup for Windows 11 Pro. If you have the “Home” edition of the operating system, you can disable the internet connection to continue with a local account.

Windows 11 install on unsupported hardware

If you have a computer with unsupported hardware, you can still install Windows 11. However, this method is not supported because the device may experience performance and reliability issues. You won’t be offered an upgrade to the next version, and you may encounter more errors, such as a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) and problems with drivers.

If you want to proceed with the unsupported method on a device that doesn’t meet the minimum hardware requirements, you have multiple options. The easiest way is to create a USB bootable media with Rufus or Ventoy, which you can then use to start the computer and proceed with the installation.

You can also mount the ISO file of Windows 11 and then the MediaCreationTool.bat script to modify the Registry of the current installation to bypass all the upgrade system requirements. It’s also possible to launch the Windows Setup with a special command in Command Prompt.

Although installing the operating system on older hardware may not meet the system requirements, the computer will still need a processor supporting the “POPCNT” (Population Count) instruction requirement. Otherwise, the computer won’t boot. Usually, this will affect chips released before 2007.

Do you have any questions about the installation process? Let me know in the comments.

Update December 19, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.