How to Reinstall Windows 11: Reset or Clean Install from USB

What are the ways to reinstall Windows 11?

Microsoft lists 2 ways: "Reset this PC" right inside Windows, with or without your files, and reinstalling with installation media. With media, you can either reinstall from the running system or boot from the flash drive and erase everything, which is called a clean install.

The options at a glance:

When resetting, Windows also asks where the files come from: with "Cloud download", Microsoft says Windows downloads a fresh copy that should include the latest updates. With "Local reinstall", Windows uses the files already on the PC, which is faster on a slow internet connection but may not include the latest updates.

What should I back up before reinstalling?

Back up all personal files before you start: documents, photos, game saves and project folders. Microsoft recommends an external drive, a USB flash drive or cloud storage such as OneDrive. Also write down your BitLocker recovery key and link your Windows license to your Microsoft account.

Checklist before you start:

1. Back up files: To an external hard drive or SSD, a large USB flash drive or the cloud. How to do this properly for the long run is covered in the guide 3-2-1 backup.
2. Link your license: Under Settings, System, Activation, check that your digital license is linked to your Microsoft account. Microsoft calls this essential.
3. Check your edition: Settings, System, About shows whether you have Windows 11 Home or Pro. Reinstall the same edition, or your license will not match.
4. Have your BitLocker key ready: If your drive is encrypted, you need the key. More in the BitLocker section.
5. Note your logins: For your Microsoft account, Wi-Fi and important programs.

If you back up your old data to an external drive, watch the file system. Which one works for Windows and other devices is explained in the guide exFAT vs NTFS.

How do I reset Windows 11 from Settings?

Open Settings, System, Recovery and select "Reset PC" under Recovery options. Choose "Keep my files" or "Remove everything", then cloud download or local reinstall. Windows then restarts several times and sets itself up fresh.

The 2 options according to Microsoft:

• Keep my files: Windows is reinstalled, apps and settings are removed, and personal files such as documents and photos stay. Turning on "Restore preinstalled apps" brings back the PC maker's programs.
• Remove everything: Windows is reinstalled, and personal files, apps and settings are deleted. Microsoft suggests this for a fresh start or before selling the PC. The "Clean data" option wipes the drive more thoroughly. It takes longer, but Microsoft notes this wipe does not meet government or industry standards.

If Windows no longer starts, use the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). According to Microsoft, you select Troubleshoot there and then "Reset this PC". Important: the screen may stay black for a long time, sometimes more than 15 minutes according to Microsoft. Do not restart the PC yourself during that time, or the reset may fail.

If you want to erase a drive securely before selling it, the options are in the guide Wipe a drive.

How do I create a Windows 11 USB drive?

You need a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB, a PC with a reliable internet connection and Microsoft's Media Creation Tool. On Microsoft's Windows 11 download page, select "Download Now" under "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" and run MediaCreationTool.exe.

Step by step:

1. Get a flash drive: At least 8 GB according to Microsoft. Everything on the drive is deleted, so Microsoft recommends a blank one.
2. Download the tool: On Microsoft's Windows 11 download page, select "Download Now" under "Create Windows 11 Installation Media".
3. Run the tool: Run MediaCreationTool.exe. According to Microsoft, the tool guides you through creating the media, and you pick your USB flash drive as the target.
4. Wait: The tool downloads Windows 11 and writes it to the flash drive.

According to Microsoft, you might need a 25-character product key during setup, but not with a digital license. How to clear or format a flash drive first is shown in the guide Format a USB drive.

How much does a USB drive for installing Windows cost?

The cheapest USB flash drive with at least 8 GB on amazon.com currently costs $9.99 (SanDisk Cruzer Blade Drive 32 GB, 32 GB). Windows 11 does not need more than 8 GB, but a larger drive often costs little more and is useful for backups afterwards (as of Oct 29, 2026 at 5:17 PM UTC).

Cheapest new USB flash drives from well-known brands on amazon.com, as of Oct 29, 2026 at 5:17 PM UTC

For an installation drive, reliability matters most. A fast drive shortens creating the media and the install a little. What to look for when buying is covered in the guide Best USB flash drive. You can find all offers under USB flash drives.

How do I clean install Windows 11 from USB?

Boot the PC from the USB flash drive, select "Install Windows 11" and confirm that everything will be deleted. Then pick the target drive, Windows copies the files and restarts several times. After that, set up Windows again with your account, Wi-Fi and privacy settings.

Microsoft describes 2 ways to use the media:

• From within Windows: You run setup.exe from the flash drive. You can then choose "Keep personal files and apps", "Keep personal files only" (all apps are removed) or "Keep nothing".
• Boot from the flash drive (clean install): You start the PC from the flash drive. According to Microsoft, a clean install removes personal files, apps, manufacturer customizations and all changes made in Settings.

To boot from the flash drive, open the boot menu or the BIOS while the PC starts. Which key to press is in the manual for your PC or motherboard. A practical tip: if several drives are installed, note the size and name of the target drive so you do not erase the wrong one.

According to Microsoft, Windows 11 Home requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account during initial setup. Have your Wi-Fi password or a network cable ready.

How do I install Windows 11 on a new SSD?

Install the new SSD, boot from the USB flash drive and select the new SSD as the target during setup. If no drive shows up, the Intel VMD driver is often missing. According to ASUS, you then load the Intel RST driver from the flash drive or turn off VMD in the BIOS.

Step by step:

1. Install the SSD: How to do this for M.2 and 2.5 inch drives is explained in the guide Install an SSD.
2. Boot from the flash drive: Through the boot menu or the boot order in the BIOS.
3. Pick the target: Select the new SSD in the drive list. If it is new and empty, it shows up as unallocated space.
4. No drives visible: If setup says Windows cannot find any drives, ASUS lists 2 fixes: load the "Intel RST VMD Controller" driver from the flash drive with "Load driver", or turn off the VMD controller in the BIOS. ASUS notes that without VMD the PC can no longer use RAID.
5. Finish setup: Windows sets itself up, then you install drivers and programs.

If you would rather move your old system than reinstall, cloning is the faster way. The guide Clone a drive shows how. How to split an SSD into several sections afterwards is covered in the guide Partition a drive.

What are the Windows 11 requirements?

According to Microsoft, Windows 11 needs a compatible 64-bit processor with at least 2 cores and 1 GHz, 4 GB of RAM, a storage device with at least 64 GB, UEFI with Secure Boot capability and TPM 2.0. It also needs DirectX 12 graphics and a 720p display.

The minimum requirements at a glance:

64 GB is the minimum. With updates, programs and games, space runs out quickly. How much you really need is worked out in the guide How much storage do I need. A 1 TB NVMe SSD currently starts at $146.99 on amazon.com (Adata Legend 710 1 TB), a 1 TB SATA SSD at $119.67 (SP Silicon Power A55 Boost 1 TB). The TB index for M.2 NVMe SSDs stands at $133.85 per TB. All offers under M.2 NVMe SSDs and internal 2.5 inch SATA SSDs.

Does Windows 11 activate automatically after reinstalling?

Usually yes. According to Microsoft, Windows usually activates automatically after reinstalling once the PC is online. After a major hardware change such as a new motherboard, Windows no longer finds a matching license. Then the Activation troubleshooter helps, using your linked Microsoft account.

What matters:

• Digital license: According to Microsoft, it is tied to your PC's hardware. You do not need a product key then.
• Same edition: According to Microsoft, the license and key only reactivate the same edition, so Home as Home and Pro as Pro.
• New motherboard: Under Settings, System, Activation, select "I changed hardware on this device recently" in the troubleshooter, sign in with the linked Microsoft account, pick your device and select "Activate". According to Microsoft, this only works with the linked account.
• Not linked: For a clean install, Microsoft advises canceling setup and linking your key to your account first if you have not done so yet.

Labels in Settings may differ slightly depending on your Windows version.

What do I need to know about BitLocker?

If your drive is encrypted with BitLocker, you need the recovery key before resetting. According to Microsoft, without it you cannot complete a reset from the Windows Recovery Environment. The key is a 48-digit number.

Where to find the key, according to Microsoft:

• Microsoft account: Sign in at aka.ms/myrecoverykey from another device and match the key using the key ID.
• Work or school account: At aka.ms/aadrecoverykey, then Devices and "View BitLocker Keys".
• Printout or USB flash drive: If you saved the key when turning on BitLocker.

Microsoft adds that its support cannot retrieve a lost key. So save it beforehand, ideally in 2 places. If you have already backed up your files to an external drive, this no longer affects you when erasing everything, but it still does with "Keep my files".

How does ratioDB compare USB flash drives and SSDs?

ratioDB regularly pulls the amazon.com prices for every listed storage device and converts them to price per GB or TB, with 1 TB equal to 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. The price index is the median of the 10 cheapest new offers in a form factor.

The tables in this guide only show new single units from well-known brands. Used and refurbished offers are labeled and never count toward the index. ratioDB does not test devices itself, and all installation steps come from Microsoft and ASUS. All rules are on the Methodology page, all SSDs under SSD prices per TB.