How to create Windows 11 24H2 installer USB for unsupported PCs using Rufus

The easiest way to bypass hardware and Microsoft account requirements to install Windows 11 24H2 is using the Rufus tool, and here's how.

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Windows 11 24H2 unsupported USB
Windows 11 24H2 unsupported USB / Image: Mauro Huculak
  • To create a Windows 11 24H2 bootable USB for unsupported hardware, open Rufus, select the USB flash drive, click “Select,” choose the ISO file, click Open, click “Start,” and choose the “Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0” and the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” options, and click “OK.”

The Rufus tool allows you to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware, and in this guide, I will show you how to complete this process.

If you have a computer running Windows 10 or another version of the operating system, but it doesn’t meet the hardware requirements to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 (2024 Update), you can use the Rufus tool to build a custom installation media that bypasses (most) the hardware requirements, including the minimum memory requirement, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0. 

The tool also allows you to disable and bypass the internet requirements to set up a Windows 11 installation without a Microsoft account using a local account. Furthermore, starting on version 24H2, the setup enables BitLocker automatically during installation, and if this is something you don’t want, Rufus includes an option to prevent the system from turning on the feature.

You will still need a computer with at least TPM 1.2 and a processor with the “POPCNT” (Population Count) instruction. Otherwise, the computer won’t boot properly if this feature is missing at the time of the version 24H2 upgrade.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to use Rufus to create a bootable USB to install the Windows 11 2024 Update on virtually any hardware.

Important: Windows 11 24H2 is expected to be released sometime in September or October for existing devices. These instructions are meant for when the feature update is available, not before. It’s important to note that on June 18, the new version will only be available for the new Copilot+ PC, not existing devices.

Create unsupported Windows 11 24H2 USB with existing ISO file

If you want to create a USB bootable flash drive with the latest preview of the operating system, you can use these steps to download the ISO file and continue with these instructions.

To create a Windows 11 24H2 bootable USB for unsupported PCs using an existing ISO file, use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

  2. Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.

  3. Double-click the executable to launch the tool.

  4. Click the Select button.

    Rufus Windows 11 24H2 open ISO file

  5. Select the Windows 11 24H2 ISO option.

  6. Click the Open button.

  7. Continue with the default settings after the download.

  8. (Optional) Specify a name for the drive under the “Volume label” setting.

  9. Click the Start button.

  10. Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0” option to install version 24H2 on unsupported hardware.

    Rufus Windows 11 24H2 unsupported settings

  11. Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to bypass the internet requirement and create a local account.

  12. (Optional) Check the “Create a local account with username” option and specify an account name to create a local account automatically.

  13. Check the “Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption” option to prevent the setup from enabling BitLocker during the installation.

  14. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, Rufus will create a USB bootable media that bypasses the hardware requirements to install the Windows 11 2024 Update on virtually any computer hardware.

Create unsupported Windows 11 24H2 USB downloading ISO file

You can only download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file with Rufus after the future update becomes available in October. If you try to download the image before the update is available, you will only download version 23H2.

To create a Windows 11 24H2 bootable USB for unsupported PCs downloading ISO files with Rufus, use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

  2. Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.

  3. Double-click the executable to launch the tool.

  4. Click the Settings button (third button from the left) at the bottom of the page.

    Rufus open settings

  5. Use the “Check for updates” drop-down menu and select the Daily option under the “Settings” section.

    Rufus enable updates

  6. Click the Close button.

  7. Click the Close button again.

  8. Open Rufus again.

  9. (Optional) Use the drop-down menu and select the USB flash drive to create the installation media under the “Device” section.

  10. Use the drop-down menu and select the “Disk or ISO image” option under the “Boot selection” section.

  11. Click the down-arrow button (on the right side) and select the Download option.

    Rufus Windows 11 ISO download option

  12. Click the Download button.

  13. Select the Windows 11 option.

    Rufus Windows 11 24H2 ISO download

  14. Click the Continue button.

  15. Select the “24H2” option to choose the Windows 11 2024 Update under the “Release” section.

  16. Click the Continue button.

  17. Select the Windows 11 Home/Pro/Edu option.

  18. Click the Continue button.

  19. Select the language of Windows 11.

  20. Click the Continue button.

  21. Select the x64 architecture option.

  22. Click the Download button.

  23. Select the location to save the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file automatically.

  24. Continue with the default settings after the download.

  25. (Optional) Specify a name for the drive under the “Volume label” setting.

  26. Click the Start button.

  27. Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0” option to install version 24H2 on unsupported hardware.

    Rufus Windows 11 24H2 unsupported settings

  28. Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to bypass the internet requirement and create a local account.

  29. (Optional) Check the “Create a local account with username” option and specify an account name to create a local account automatically.

  30. Check the “Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption” option to prevent the setup from enabling BitLocker during the installation.

  31. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the tool will begin creating the installer for Windows 11 24H2 for unsupported devices.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].