windows 11 download stuck

Question

via win 11 media creation tool / 64 bit laptop........ i tried twice to get a clean download of win 11. in middle of process of download it stuck at a restart point.i have used this usb media crreation tool before without issue. since this happened on 2 laptops i its a media creation tool issue. i took 1 of the puters in for repair....do you have suggestions

Answer 1

Hi dennis ward,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that the Windows 11 download using the Media Creation Tool gets stuck at a restart point on multiple laptops, and you are looking for alternative suggestions.

Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following.

To better narrow this down:

1, At the point where it gets stuck, does the screen show a percentage or just remain on “Restarting” with no progress?

2, Are the laptops connected via Wi‑Fi or Ethernet during the download and preparation phase?

In the meantime, you can try these steps:

1, Temporarily disable non‑essential firmware features in UEFI

• Enter UEFI/BIOS and temporarily disable Fast Boot
• If present, disable Intel VMD or RAID and keep storage in AHCI mode
• Save changes and retry creating or using the installation media

2, Fully reset Windows Update components on the source PC used to create the USB

• Open Command Prompt as administrator
• Stop the Windows Update and Background Intelligent Transfer services
• Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder
• Restart the services and recreate the media

3, Use a different USB port and avoid USB hubs

• Plug the USB drive directly into a rear or primary USB port
• Avoid USB‑C adapters or docking stations during installation

4, Disconnect all non‑essential peripherals during setup

• Remove external drives, SD cards, printers, and secondary displays
• Leave only keyboard, mouse, and power connected

5, Start setup from boot instead of within Windows

• Boot directly from the USB drive using the boot menu
• Proceed with installation without launching setup.exe from Windows

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.  

Answer 2

Hello

During the clean install process, did you delete every single partition in Disk 0?

HOw long ago did you make this flash drive? I just did mine yesterday and it installed fine from the same tool.

Answer 3

The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool can occasionally fail or hang during download or at a restart point. Since this happened on two different laptops, the most reliable workaround is to avoid using the tool’s “direct” path and instead use an ISO-based or clean-install approach.

Try these steps in order:

1. Use the updated Media Creation Tool or ISO

• Go to the official Windows 11 software download page: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11
• Under Create Windows 11 Installation Media, select Download Now to get the latest MediaCreationTool.exe and recreate the USB.
• If problems persist, instead use the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) option on the same page and create the USB with a different tool or by using the Media Creation Tool on another working PC.

2. Create installation media on a different working PC

• On a working PC, follow the documented steps to create installation media:
  • Download and run the Media Creation Tool.
  • Select Create installation media for another PC.
  • Choose the correct language, edition, and architecture (64-bit).
  • Let it create a fresh bootable USB.
  This avoids any corruption that might exist on the original machines.

3. Boot from the USB and perform a clean install (advanced) If the goal is a clean installation and the download/upgrade path keeps failing:

• Back up all personal files first. A clean install removes:
  • Personal files
  • Apps
  • Manufacturer customizations
  • Any changes made in Settings
• Connect the USB to the target laptop and boot from it (change boot order in BIOS/UEFI if needed).
• When Windows 11 Setup starts, choose language/keyboard, then proceed with Install Windows 11.
• If prompted for a product key, select I don’t have a product key, then choose the same edition that was licensed on the device; activation will occur automatically later.

4. If Windows won’t start or recovery options fail If the system is unstable or will not start properly after a failed attempt:

• Use the same USB installation media to boot.
• On the first setup screen, instead of installing, select Repair your computer to access recovery options.
• If none of the recovery options work, use the USB to reinstall Windows completely as described above.

If repeated failures occur even with a freshly created USB from another PC, the issue is likely hardware-related (disk, RAM, or USB port) on the affected laptops rather than the Media Creation Tool itself.

---

References:

• Create installation media for Windows
• Reinstall Windows with the installation media
• Recovery options in Windows
• Troubleshoot problems updating Windows
• Resolved issues in Windows 10, version 22H2
• How to create and use installation media to load the Recovery Environment
• Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11 considerations