How to Install Windows 11 Without a USB Drive

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

  1. Visit the Microsoft Homepage: Go to the official Microsoft website to download the Windows 11 installer.
  2. Select the Correct Version: Download the 64-bit version, ensuring you select English as your preferred language.
    How to Install Windows 11 Without a USB Drive

Step 2: Prepare the Target Hard Drive

Access the Installer Files

  1. Mount the Installer: After downloading, mount the Windows 11 installer. This allows you to access the files within it.
  2. Locate the install.wim File: Navigate to the mounted drive to find the install.wim file, which is crucial for the installation.
    How to Install Windows 11 Without a USB Drive

Partition the Hard Drive

  1. Open Command Prompt: Launch a command window with administrative rights.
  2. List Available Drives: Use the command diskpart and then list disk to display the hard drives. Identify Disk 1 as the target for installation.
  3. Select Disk 1: Use select disk 1 to focus on the target disk.
  4. Delete Existing Partitions: If Disk 1 has existing partitions, delete them using the command clean.
  5. Convert to GPT: Set the drive to GPT format with the command convert gpt.
    How to Install Windows 11 Without a USB Drive

Create Partitions

  1. 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).
  2. 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).

Step 3: Install Windows 11

Navigate to the Installation Files

  1. Exit Diskpart: Type exit to leave the Diskpart utility.
  2. 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

  1. List Available Versions: Use the command dism /get-wiminfo /index:1 to check the installation versions in install.wim.
  2. Select Your Version: For Windows 11 Pro, use index 6.
  3. Apply the Image: Use the command:
    bash
    dism /apply-image /imagefile:E:\sources\install.wim /index:6 /applydir:H:\

    How to Install Windows 11 Without a USB Drive

Create Boot Files

  1. Setup Boot Files: Use the command:
    bash
    bcdboot H:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI

Step 4: Finalize Installation

  1. Connect the Hard Drive: Shut down your computer, remove Disk 1, and connect it to the target computer.
  2. Boot the Target Computer: Power on the target machine; it should boot into the Windows 11 installation process.
  3. 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.

Check Also

iOS 18’s Best Features

iOS 18’s Best Features

Exciting New Features in iOS 18 Apple has just launched the new iPhone, and along …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *