Clean install Windows 11 Pro
Installing Windows 11 Pro from a USB stick and activating it with your key
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Last Update hace 10 días
A clean installation wipes the drive Windows goes on and installs a fresh copy. You need a USB stick of 8 GB or more that can be wiped, your Windows 11 Pro key, and a backup of everything on the PC you want to keep. If the PC already runs Windows 11 Home and you only want Pro, the in-place upgrade in Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro is quicker and keeps your files.
Make the installation USB stick
- While the PC's current Windows still runs, go to Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page.
- Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, download the Media Creation Tool.
- Run it, choose your language and select the USB stick.
The tool downloads Windows 11 and makes the stick bootable. The same stick installs Home and Pro.
Install Windows
- Restart the PC with the USB stick plugged in and open the boot menu. The key depends on the manufacturer, and it's usually F12, F11, F8 or Esc, shown briefly on screen as the PC starts. Choose the USB stick.
- Follow the setup screens. When Setup asks for a product key, enter your Windows 11 Pro key, or choose I don't have a product key and add it later.
- If Setup asks which edition to install, choose Windows 11 Pro.
- When Setup asks where to install Windows, delete the old partitions on the target drive so Windows gets the whole disk, once you're sure the backup is complete. Select the unallocated space and continue.
- Setup copies files and restarts several times.
- When Windows asks you to sign in, connect to the internet and sign in with your Microsoft account. Windows 11 Pro for personal use needs internet access and a Microsoft account during setup.
A PC that came with Windows 11 Home
A PC sold with Windows 11 Home has the Home key stored in its firmware. Windows Setup reads that key and installs Home again without asking which edition you want. Let it finish, then upgrade to Pro from the desktop with Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro.
After the installation
- Check Settings > System > Activation. If Windows isn't activated, follow Activate Windows 11 Pro with your product key.
- Link the licence to your Microsoft account, as described in Link your Windows licence to a Microsoft account.
- Open Settings > Windows Update, install everything, restart and check again until nothing is left. Then open Advanced options > Optional updates and install the driver updates listed there.