How to Create Windows Installation Media for Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 using the Media Creation Tool

Table of Contents

1. Before You Begin
2. Creating Windows 11 Media
3. Creating Windows 10 Media
4. Creating Windows 8.1 Media

1. Before You Begin

You can download the Media Creation Tool directly from Microsoft (Relevant links are below depending on Version). This tool will work on Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7. It is not necessary to enter your Windows product key when creating the Install Media or ISO File.

Before you start, here is what you may need:

• You will need a computer with a stable Internet connection. The download is roughly 4 GB and the time it will take to download will vary based on your connection speed and other factors.
• You will need a USB flash drive with at least 4 GB of space. Microsoft recommends using an empty drive as any existing content will be deleted.

• A blank DVD with a DVD writer. This requires a DVD writer on the computer you are using to create the media, and a DVD player on the computer that you want to install on.

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2. Creating Windows 11 Media

If you must install or reinstall Windows 11, you can use the Windows 11 media creation tool to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

1. Open Microsoft support website: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

2. Under the “Create Windows 11 installation media” section, click "Download Now".

3. Double-click the MediaCrationToolW11.exe file to launch the tool.

4. Click “Accept” to agree to the terms.

5. (Optional) Clear the Use the recommended options for this PC option.
   
   (Figure 1. Clearing Use the recommended options for this PC option)

6. Click "Next".

   Note: If you are creating a Windows 11 USB for another device, you can also clear the “Use the recommended options for this PC” option to select the correct language, architecture, and edition.

7. Select the USB flash drive option.
   
   (Figure 2. Selecting USB flash drive option)

8. Click "Next".

9. Select the USB flash drive from the list.

   Note: Make sure that it does not have any important files as this process will erase everything on it.

10. Click "Next".

11. Click "Finish".

12. Once you complete the steps, you can start a device using UEFI with the USB drive to install Windows 11.

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3. Creating Windows 10 Media

If you must install or reinstall Windows 10, you can use the Windows 10 media creation tool to create your own installation media using either a USB flash drive or a DVD.

1. Download the relevant version from www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10 .

2. Select the appropriate version for the computer you will be running the tool on, either a 32-bit or 64-bit computer.

   Note: Either version of the tool will allow you create a 32-bit or 64-bit image.

3. Locate the downloaded file, Right click the .exe file and select "Run as administrator."

4. If you are upgrading your computer, select Upgrade this PC now, and follow the instructions to complete the upgrade.

5. If you want to create media for a different computer, select Create installation media for another PC, and click Next.

6. Select the Language, Edition (Pro, Home, and so on) and Architecture (32 or 64-bit) and click Next.

7. Select either USB flash drive or ISO file (This must be burned to a DVD after the ISO file is created).

   Note: If a USB flash drive is selected, ALL data will be wiped, and the drive should be at least 4 Gb in size.
   Note: If an ISO is created, then this will either be mounted, or burned onto a DVD.

8. After the image is downloaded and the media is created, select Finish.

9. The tool will clean up any temporary files and exit

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4. Creating Windows 8.1 Media

These steps as an example will create a USB flash drive for installing Windows 8.1 media. Please follow these steps:

1. Download the Windows 8.1 Media-Creation-Tool  directly from Microsoft.

2. Right click on the mediacreationtool.exe file that has downloaded and select "Run as administrator"

3. Choose the language, edition, and architecture for the media you want to create:

4. In the next Window, choose the type of installation media:
   
   (Figure 3: Windows Installation Media Creation Tool save location screen)

5. Choose the USB flash drive which you want to use as installation media. Make sure your USB flash drive is empty or move any files you want to keep off of it.

6. In the next step, the download for the setup file starts and a USB flash drive will be created:

With the created USB flash drive, you are now able to clean install your Windows 8.1. You can find a step-by-step guide for a clean installation of Windows 8.1 in this article.

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