Share via

How do I reinstall windows 11 to my newly added SSD without cloning?

Anonymous
2022-04-21T09:33:15+00:00

I recently bought an M.2 NVME SSD for my laptop which only had a 1TB HDD since I bought my laptop. So my windows 11 is in my HDD as of now and I would like to reinstall it in my SSD without cloning, So is there any way through which I can do this? I read an article regarding the same but it was for windows 10 and it mentioned that you will have to download the "Create Windows 10 Installation Media" from the official Microsoft website and simply take a bootable USB Pen drive and flash that ISO file in it and once done with this process restart and boot your system via that bootable pen drive and install in whichever newly added drive you want and you are done but the thing is for windows 11 there are two types of files available on Microsoft's official website and those are "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" and "Download Windows 11 disk Image (ISO)", So I am confused that which one should I use? the former one or the later one?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Install and upgrade

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

6 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. DaveM121 891K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-04-21T10:08:21+00:00

    Hi Aaruni Kale,

    I am Dave, I will help you with this.

    You cannot install Windows 11 on that drive from an ISO, you need to create a bootable USB, then boot your PC form that

    Click this link:

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

    Select the second option (Create Windows 11 Installation Media)

    Then run the media Creation tool that downloads and select the option to create a USB

    Wait for that process to complete.

    Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 11

    Since you previously had Windows 11 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

    Was this answer helpful?

    60+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. DaveM121 891K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-04-21T11:02:54+00:00

    Hi Aaruni Kale,

    No, you need to download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool from the link I provided.

    Then, insert an empty USB flash drive into your PC, then run that tool you downloaded.

    That tool will download the necessary files to your PC and create the bootable Windows 11 USB for you automatically.

    Was this answer helpful?

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. DaveM121 891K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-04-21T11:10:25+00:00

    Hi Aaruni Kale, glad to help!

    Was this answer helpful?

    9 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2022-04-21T11:08:34+00:00

    I appreciate your help Dave, I will follow the steps you have mentioned.

    Was this answer helpful?

    4 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2022-04-21T10:59:21+00:00

    So does that mean I don't need to download the Disk Image of windows 11 given on the link you provided and only download the create windows 11 installation media?

    And If I select the option you told "I am reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC" wont it install windows 10 instead of widows 11?

    Was this answer helpful?

    4 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments