How to use Rufus to create bootable Windows 11 24H2 USB

Rufus is the best option to create a bootable media to install Windows 11 (version 24H2), and here's how.

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@Pureinfotech
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Rufus Windows 11 24H2 USB
Rufus Windows 11 24H2 USB / Image: Mauro Huculak

You can use the Rufus tool to create a bootable USB flash drive to install Windows 11 24H2 (2024 Update) on supported and unsupported hardware, and in this guide, I will show you the steps to complete this process. The Rufus tool is similar to the Media Creation Tool, but you also have the option to use an existing ISO file or download the setup files directly from the Microsoft servers.

In addition, you can also use the tool to create a USB installation media for older versions, such as Windows 10 and 8.1. In the past, you were able to download older releases of Windows 11 and 10, but that’s no longer the case. You can now only download the latest version of each available version. However, you can still use other tools to get older versions of Windows. 

Furthermore, it’s the best tool for creating bootable media that bypasses the requirement to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware or install the operating system without a Microsoft account using a local account.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to use Rufus to download the ISO file and create bootable media to install Windows 11 24H2 on supported or unsupported 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 Windows 11 24H2 USB for supported hardware with Rufus

To create a Windows 11 24H2 USB bootable media, connect a USB flash drive with 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

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

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

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

    Rufus open settings

  5. Choose the Daily option in the “Check for updates” setting and under the “Settings” section.

  6. Click the Close button.

  7. Click the Close button again.

  8. Open Rufus again.

  9. (Optional) Choose the USB flash drive under the “Device” section.

  10. 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.

  14. Click the Continue button.

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

    Rufus Windows 11 24H2 ISO download

  16. Click the Continue button.

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

  18. Click the Continue button.

  19. Select the language for Windows 11 installation.

  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. Choose the “Standard Windows 11 Installation” option under the “Image option” setting.

  25. (Optional) Continue with the default settings after the download.

  26. (Optional) Specify a name for the drive (for example, Windows 11 24H2 Setup) under the “Volume label” setting.

  27. Click the Start button.

  28. Clear all the options from the “Windows User Experience” page to create an installation media without modifications.

    Rufus user experience settings

  29. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the bootable USB will be created to install the latest version of Windows 11 on a device that meets the minimum requirements.

If you read this guide before version 24H2 was released, you can download the latest ISO file through the Windows Insider Program and then use the “Select” option instead of the “Download” option to select the image to create the bootable media, as in the steps below.

Create Windows 11 24H2 USB for unsupported hardware with Rufus

The Rufus app can also create a bootable USB to bypass the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and memory requirements to install Windows on unsupported hardware. Furthermore, it’s also possible to use the tool to bypass the internet requirements as well as the Microsoft account during setup.

To create a Windows 11 24H2 bootable USB for unsupported hardware, use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

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

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

  4. Choose the flash drive to create the Windows 11 24H2 bootable USB media under the “Device” section.

  5. Select the “Disk or ISO image” option under the “Boot selection” section.

  6. Click the Select button.

    Rufus open Windows 11 24H2 ISO file

  7. Select the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file.

  8. Click the Open button.

  9. Select the “Standard Windows 11 Installation” option under the “Image option” section.

  10. Select the GPT option under the “Partition scheme” section.

  11. Choose the UEFI (non-CSM) option under the “Target system” section.

  12. (Optional) Specify a descriptive name for the bootable USB flash drive under the “Volume label” section.

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

  14. Check the Quick format option.

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

  16. Click the Start button.

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

    Rufus setting for unsupported hardware

  18. (Optional) Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to set up Windows 11 24H2 without a Microsoft account using a local account.

    Rufus set up WIndows 11 without MSA

  19. (Optional) Check the “Create a local account with username” option and specify the account name to install the operating system with a local account.

  20. (Optional) Clear the “Set regional options to the same values as this user’s” option to use the current language as the default for new installations.

  21. (Optional) Clear the “Disable data collection” option to prevent Microsoft from collecting some of your data.

  22. (Optional) Check the “Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption” option.

    Rufus disable BitLocker on Windows 11 24H2

    Quick note: Starting on version 24H2, Microsoft will force encryption on new installations. Although it’s recommended to use encryption to improve the security of the data, if you don’t want to use this feature, you can turn off this option.

  23. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, Rufus will create a bootable USB media to install version 24H2 on unsupported hardware.

Alternatively, you can use the Ventoy tool to create a USB media drive and then simply download and drop the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file into the drive to make it bootable.

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].