How to Install Windows 11 on a New PC: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Install Windows 11 on a New PC

Getting Windows 11 up and running on a brand-new machine can feel a bit like trying to put together flat-pack furniture without the instructions—pretty bloody confusing at first! But it’s just a matter of having the right tools and a bit of patience. Basically, you’re making a bootable USB, booting from it, and following a few prompts. Seems easy enough, right? But here’s a bit of a heads-up on what to expect so you’re not left scratching your head wondering why it feels like this process was meant to give you grief.

Create a Bootable USB Drive

First off, grab the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft’s official site—gotta make sure it’s legit, or things could go pear-shaped. Then, you’ll need to make a bootable USB. Tools like Rufus are usually the go-to. It’s free, simple to use, and doesn’t ask too many questions — unless you’re trying to run it on an ancient PC.

To use Rufus:

Rufus.exe

If that’s not your jam, you can always go old-school with the Windows Media Creation Tool. Just:

• Download the Media Creation Tool for Windows 11 from Microsoft’s site
• Run it, accept the license stuff
• Choose Create installation media for another PC
• Select your language, version, and architecture (32/64-bit)
• Plug in a USB stick (at least 8GB), then select it
• Click Next and let it do its thing

And just like that, your USB is ready to go!

Plug It Into Your New PC

Pop the USB into your new PC and turn it on. To get into the boot menu or BIOS/UEFI, you’ll need to:

• On startup, smash F2, F12, DEL, or ESC—it depends on the brand, so check your manufacturer’s instructions
• Some machines might let you access BIOS by holding Shift + Restart once Windows begins to boot—but that’s not so handy on a brand-new PC without Windows yet.

Navigating the BIOS/UEFI Menu

Once inside, look for the Boot or Boot Priority section. You want to set that USB stick as the first boot device. In UEFI, it’s usually just a matter of dragging the USB to the top of the list. Don’t forget to save your changes (often F10) before you exit. If you run into issues, disabling Secure Boot or enabling CSM (Compatibility Support Module) can help—because, of course, Windows likes to keep you on your toes with this stuff.

Start the Installation

Once the BIOS is sorted, restart the PC. It should boot from the USB and you’ll see the Windows logo. From there, just follow the prompts. Pick your language, time zone, and keyboard layout—then hit Next and Install now. For a clean install, you might want to wipe the existing partitions, but be careful not to delete the wrong one. To wipe the disk:

Press Shift + F10 during setup to open Command Prompt, then run:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0  # or whichever disk you want Windows on
clean
exit

This will wipe everything so you can start fresh. If you prefer, you can just format an existing partition during the setup process—no need to go nuclear.

Wrap It Up with Final Setup

After the installer does its thing, your PC will restart a couple of times. When you hit the Windows 11 setup screen, you’ll need to choose some basics—region, language, your account, and Wi-Fi. To connect to Wi-Fi, just select your network, hit Connect, and enter the password. Or you can skip that and set up a local account if you prefer—that’s up to you.

It’ll ask for your Microsoft account details, but if you’re not into that, pick Offline account and follow the prompts. Sometimes, you might need to look for a “Limited experience” or similar link—that’s a sneaky little option to set it up without tying it to Microsoft.

Once that’s sorted, Windows will finish setting itself up. It’s a good idea to check for updates straight after:

Open Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates

This ensures you get the latest drivers and security patches from the get-go.

And that’s about it! Once it’s all done, your new PC should be good to go. Don’t forget to update your drivers afterwards to keep everything running smoothly. It’s not always a walk in the park, but once you get through the tricky bits, it’s pretty satisfying seeing your shiny new setup. And if things go awry, often rechecking the USB creation or tweaking BIOS settings does the trick. It’s a bit of a slog at times, but with a bit of patience, you’ll get there.