How to create Windows 11 bootable USB to bypass requirements with Rufus

Rufus now creates USB media to bypass Windows 11 requirements during an in-place upgrade and clean installation.

Windows 11 USB with requirements bypass
Windows 11 USB with requirements bypass

On Rufus, you can create a Windows 11 bootable USB that bypasses the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and memory requirements on unsupported hardware, and in this guide, you will learn how.

Although you can use the Media Creation Tool, Rufus makes it easier to create a USB flash drive to install Windows 11 since you can provide an existing ISO file, or you can use the option to download the files directly from Microsoft. Furthermore, the tool now includes some configuration settings that allow you to bypass the system requirements during a clean install and in-place upgrade.

This guide will teach you the steps to use Rufus to create a bootable media to install Windows 11.

Create Windows 11 bootable USB with requirement bypass 

To create a Windows 11 bootable USB to bypass system requirements, use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

  2. Click the link to download the latest version.

  3. Double-click the rufus.4.x.exe file to launch the tool.

  4. Under the “Device” section, use the drop-down menu and select the flash drive to create the Windows 11 bootable USB media.

  5. Click the Select button.

    Rufus bypass settings

  6. Select the Windows 11 ISO file.

  7. Click the Open button.

  8. Select the “Standard Windows Partition” option in the “Image option” setting.

  9. Select the GPT option in the “Partition scheme” setting.

  10. Select the UEFI (non CSM) option in the “Target system” setting.

  11. Under the “Volume label” section, specify a descriptive name for the Windows 11 bootable USB flash drive – For example, Windows 11 Bypass.

  12. Use the default settings for the File system and Cluster size options.

  13. Check the Quick format option.

  14. Check the “Create extended label and icon files” option.

  15. Click the Start button.

  16. Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0” option to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

    Rufus bypass RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0

  17. (Optional) Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to use a local account and bypass the internet requirements.

  18. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, Rufus will create a bootable USB media that will bypass the requirements to upgrade or install a fresh copy of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

As you can see in steps 16 and 17, Rufus provides some additional settings to configure the installation, but it’s up to you to decide which is the best option for your setup.

About the author

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 15 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 21 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].