How to Install Windows 11 on a New PC🔥

Windows 11 is the second most frequently used operating system, next to Windows 10. According to statistics, the number of users of Windows 11 is increasingly growing because of the end of Windows 10 life in 2025. When you buy a new PC and want to install Windows 11 on it or want to install Windows 11 onto your old computer but do not know how? Don't worry. We will detail how to install Windows 11 on new PC without operating system. Hurry up and learn!

What to Do Before Installing Windows 11

Windows 11 does not run on all computers; therefore, if you want to install it on your computer, you need to prepare something. Here is a list:

• Check for compatibility/PC health check. Windows 11 does not run on all computers; therefore, if you want to install it on your computer, you need to ensure your computer meets the Windows 11 minimum requirements.
• Back up your data. If your PC is a used one, you need to back up data on it in case something goes wrong. Free backup software - EaseUS Todo Backup - is recommended here.
• Prepare a USB drive. You'll need an empty USB drive that's at least 8GB to create the Windows 11 bootable USB.
• Check Internet connection. A good Internet connection can ensure you enjoy a smooth Windows installation process.

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How to Install Windows 11 on New PC Without USB (Disk Cloning)

The easiest and quickest way to install Windows 11 on a new computer is to migrate Windows 11 to a new hard drive rather than installing Windows 11 from a USB flash drive. This is called cloning, which can help copy your Windows installation to an SDD or HDD. You must apply third-party cloning tools for this since Windows has no such cloning settings.

EaseUS Disk Copy, a dedicated and renowned tool in the cloning field, can meet all your needs. This ultimate cloning software offers full-around solutions to cloning a hard drive.

EaseUS hard drive cloning software can let you clone your system, disk, partition, etc., and transfer data from one SSD to another without losing anything. It enables you to upgrade to a larger hard drive and quickly migrate data from one PC to another. 

EaseUS disk cloning software lets you clone, upgrade, replace, or back up your hard drive without trouble. Ensure you download it today to your computer and help you transfer your Windows 11 to another computer.

Here is how to install Windows 11 on new laptop without operating system using EaseUS Disk Copy:

Before cloning:

• If your computer has only one slot, connect the target disk to your machine via a USB-to-SATA/NVMe adapter.
• If your computer has an extra slot, install the target disk into the empty slot properly, and make sure it is compatible.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Disk Copy and choose Disk Mode.

Install EaseUS Disk Copy cloning software on your Windows computer, then launch it and select Disk Mode from the left panel.

Step 2. Select the source drive.

Select the drive you want to copy, then click Select.

Step 3. Choose the target disk.

Choose the disk that you want to clone data to, and click Select. Note that the used space of the source disk should be less than the target disk capacity.

*At this step, you can also click the option "Save as an image file" to store your disk as a compressed image file, which can be restored without any data loss.

Step 4. Adjust disk layout.

Specify the target disk layout as your preference. You can choose among:

• Autofit the disk: makes some changes by default on the destination disk layout so that it can work at its best.
• Copy as the source: create a 1-to-1 copy of your source disk; the layout is the same as the source disk.
• Edit disk layout: allows you to manually resize/move the partition layout on this destination disk.

*If the target disk is an SSD, the option "Auto-alignment to 4K" will be checked automatically to optimize the performance of your SSD.

Step 5. Start cloning.

Click Proceed, and a message will appear, warning you that data will be lost. Confirm the message by clicking Continue.

Now, it will start executing the cloning task.

*The time it takes to clone a hard drive depends on how much data is on the source disk, and it will also be affected by the disk types, USB connection, etc.

Note: If you want to migrate only Windows 11 to another drive, select System Mode in the main menu. The System Mode feature will clone the Windows and its related partition to another drive, not the entire disk.

This video demonstrates how to clone a hard drive using EaseUS Disk Copy:

How to Install windows 11 on a New PC with USB (Clean Install)

If you want to learn how to install Windows 11 on new PC build from a USB drive without cloning, you can also get your answer here. In this part, you will learn how to install Windows 11 on new PC with USB via the Media Creation Tool. The following are the detailed steps to install Windows 11 on a new PC without operating system.

Part 1. Create a Windows 11 Bootable USB Drive

You must first create Windows 11 installation media, such as a bootable USB drive, to install Windows 11 from a USB drive. To this end, you can use 3 free bootable USB creator tools: EaseUS OS2Go, Rufus, and Windows Media Creation Tool.

It is worth noting that you must download a Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft's site to  create an Windows 11 installer on  USB drive via Rufus. Therefore, EaseUS OS2Go stands out, which can help you create a bootable USB with/without the ISO. You can refer to the following article to create a Windows bootable USB drive.

Part 2. Boot Your New PC from USB

To boot your PC from the Windows 11 bootable USB, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Insert the bootable USB into your computer you want to install Windows 11.

Step 2. Restart that computer, and press the BIOS key (usually, F1, F2, F10, ESC, or DEL keys) to access the BIOS settings.

Step 3. Under the Boot tab, select USB as the first boot drive.

Step 4. Save the changes, exit the BIOS settings, and restart your computer.

Your PC will boot from the bootable USB successfully.

Part 3. Clean Install Windows 11 on New PC

After your computer boots from the USB, you can start installing Windows 11 on a new PC from scratch. This is called clean install or fresh install. The steps to Windows 11 on a new hard drive are as follows:

Step 1. Set the Windows 11 preferences when you see the Windows 11 Setup window when the PC restarts and press Next.

Step 2. Tap Install now.

Step 3. Select I don't have a product key. (You can also input the product key if you have one.)

Step 4. Select the Windows 11 version you want to install and click Next.

Step 5. Click I accept the Microsoft License Terms and then tap Next.

Step 6. Press Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).

Step 7. Choose a hard drive on which you want to install Windows 11, press Next, and then follow the on-screen guide to complete the Windows 11 installation process.

Here is also a video on how to do a clean installation of Windows 11 from Microsoft's official website.

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To Wrap Things Up

How to install Windows 11 on new PC? Have you got your ideas now? This article describes the 2 most common ways to help install Windows 11 on a new computer: cloning OS to another drive and performing a clean installation of Windows 11. You can choose one according to your own needs.

It is worth noting that if you want to save time and effort, migrating your Windows 11 to a new computer will be easier and quicker. Cloning can help you transfer everything from one hard drive/computer to another without reinstalling Windows and apps. You will only need a reliable disk cloning tool like EaseUS Disk Copy to help you. Ensure you download it on your PC to help you install Windows and clone your hard drive with ease!

FAQs on How to Install Windows 11 on New PC

1. How to install Windows 11 without current operating system?

How to install Windows 11 on new PC without operating system? To do that, you can try cloning your Windows 11 to another computer or performing a universal restore to transfer Windows 11 to another PC. You can also clean install Windows 11 on a new PC.

2. How can I Install Windows 11 on a new hard drive?

The best and easiest way to install Windows 11 on a new drive is to clone your Windows 11 on your PC to that new drive. This is because you do not have to reinstall Windows and programs after that, which can save your time and effort.

3. How do I install Windows 11 onto my second drive?

To install Windows on a secondary hard drive, you can utilize the Windows Media Creation Tool to perform a clean installation or clone your Windows 11 to the second drive.

4. How do I install Windows 11 on unsupported PC hardware?

To install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, you can create a Windows 11 installation media that bypasses Windows 11 requirements using Rufus, Ventoy, or EaseUS OS2Go. If you are using Windows 10 and want to install Windows 11 on your PC, you can also use EaseUS Disk Copy to help you migrate to Windows 11 while bypassing Windows 11 requirements and keeping your data.

5. Do I need to activate Windows 11 after upgrade?

No, you don't need to activate Windows 11 after an upgrade from an already activated Windows 10, as the activation status will transfer with the upgrade. However, if your Windows 10 was not activated, it will not become activated after upgrading to Windows 11.