Installing Windows 11 can often be a hassle, especially when you don’t have a USB drive handy. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Windows 11 directly to a secondary hard drive using a Windows 10 or 11 system.
Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have the following:
- A computer with Windows 10 or Windows 11.
- Two hard drives installed: Disk 0 (current OS) and Disk 1 (target for installation).
- Internet access to download the Windows 11 installer.
Step 1: Download the Windows 11 Installer
- Visit the Microsoft Homepage: Go to the official Microsoft website to download the Windows 11 installer.
- Select the Correct Version: Download the 64-bit version, ensuring you select English as your preferred language.
Step 2: Prepare the Target Hard Drive
Access the Installer Files
- Mount the Installer: After downloading, mount the Windows 11 installer. This allows you to access the files within it.
- Locate the install.wim File: Navigate to the mounted drive to find the
install.wim
file, which is crucial for the installation.
Partition the Hard Drive
- Open Command Prompt: Launch a command window with administrative rights.
- List Available Drives: Use the command
diskpart
and thenlist disk
to display the hard drives. Identify Disk 1 as the target for installation. - Select Disk 1: Use
select disk 1
to focus on the target disk. - Delete Existing Partitions: If Disk 1 has existing partitions, delete them using the command
clean
. - Convert to GPT: Set the drive to GPT format with the command
convert gpt
.
Create Partitions
- Create a Boot Partition:
- Use the command
create partition efi size=512
to create a 512MB EFI partition. - Format it as FAT32 with
format quick fs=fat32
. - Assign it a drive letter (e.g.,
assign letter=Z
).
- Use the command
- Create the Windows 11 Installation Partition:
- Use the command
create partition primary
to utilize the remaining space. - Format this partition as NTFS with
format quick fs=ntfs
. - Assign it an unused letter (e.g.,
assign letter=H
).
- Use the command
Step 3: Install Windows 11
Navigate to the Installation Files
- Exit Diskpart: Type
exit
to leave the Diskpart utility. - Access the Mounted Installer: Navigate to the mounted drive (e.g., drive E) and then to the
sources
folder.
Use DISM to Apply the Image
- List Available Versions: Use the command
dism /get-wiminfo /index:1
to check the installation versions ininstall.wim
. - Select Your Version: For Windows 11 Pro, use index 6.
- Apply the Image: Use the command:
bash
dism /apply-image /imagefile:E:\sources\install.wim /index:6 /applydir:H:\
Create Boot Files
- Setup Boot Files: Use the command:
bash
bcdboot H:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI
Step 4: Finalize Installation
- Connect the Hard Drive: Shut down your computer, remove Disk 1, and connect it to the target computer.
- Boot the Target Computer: Power on the target machine; it should boot into the Windows 11 installation process.
- Set Up a Local Account: If desired, use
Shift + F10
to open Command Prompt during the installation and create a local account by following specific commands.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can successfully install Windows 11 without needing a USB drive. After the installation, remember to install the necessary drivers and software for your system to ensure optimal performance. This method not only simplifies the process but also saves you the hassle of preparing a USB drive.