How to use Rufus to create bootable Windows 11 25H2 USB

Rufus allows you to create a Windows 11 25H2 bootable USB using either an existing ISO or a direct download from Microsoft.
The tool works for both supported PCs and unsupported hardware setups.
It can bypass TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and Microsoft account requirements during Windows setup.
Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool is still available but offers less flexibility compared to Rufus.

You can use the Rufus tool to create a bootable USB flash drive for installing Windows 11 25H2 (2025 Update) on both supported and unsupported hardware. In this guide, I will walk you through the steps to complete this process.

Although you can use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool, Rufus is a third-party tool that works similarly and also lets you use an existing ISO file or download the setup files directly from Microsoft servers. Additionally, you can use the tool to create a USB installation media for older versions, such as Windows 10.

The tool is best suited 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 for installing Windows 11 25H2 on both supported and unsupported hardware.

Create Windows 11 25H2 USB with Rufus for supported PCs
Create Windows 11 25H2 USB with Rufus for unsupported PCs
Download Windows 11 25H2 ISO file
Pureinfotech’s Take

Create Windows 11 25H2 USB with Rufus for supported PCs

The Rufus tool provides two methods for creating installation media. You can provide an existing ISO file or use the utility to download the installation files from Microsoft’s servers.

Rufus with existing ISO file

To create a Windows 11 25H2 USB bootable media, connect a USB flash drive with 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

Open the Rufus website.
Click the link in the “Download” section to download the latest version.
Double-click the Rufus executable file to launch the tool.
Click the Settings button (third button from the left) at the bottom of the page.
Choose the Daily option in the “Check for updates” setting and under the “Settings” section.

Quick note: This particular step is only required if you don’t have the down-arrow button to select the “Download” option.
Click the Close button.
Click the Close button again.
Open Rufus again.
Choose the USB flash drive under the “Device” section.
Click the down-arrow button (on the right side) and select the Download option.
Click the Download button.
Select the Windows 11 option.
Click the Continue button.
Select the “25H2” option to choose the Windows 11 2025 Update.
Click the Continue button.
Select the Windows 11 Home/Pro/Edu option.
Click the Continue button.
Select the language for Windows 11 installation.
Click the Continue button.
Select the x64 architecture option.
Click the Download button.
Select the location to automatically save the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file.
Continue with the default Rufus settings after the download.
(Optional) Confirm a name for the drive (for example, Windows 11 25H2 Setup) under the “Volume label” setting.
Click the Start button.
Clear all the options from the “Windows User Experience” page to create installation media without modifications.
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.

Rufus with ISO download

To use Rufus to download the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file and create a bootable media, connect a USB flash drive with 8GB of space, and then use these steps:

Open the Rufus website.
Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.
Double-click the Rufus executable file to launch the tool.
Click the Settings button (third button from the left) at the bottom of the page.
Choose the Daily option in the “Check for updates” setting and under the “Settings” section to make the “Download” option available in the tool.
Click the Close button.
Click the Close button again.
Open Rufus again.
Choose the USB flash drive under the “Device” section.
Click the down-arrow button (on the right side) and select the Download option.
Click the Download button.
Select the Windows 11 option.
Click the Continue button.
Select the latest release of the operating system, in this case “25H2.”
Click the Continue button.
Select the Windows 11 Home/Pro/Edu option.
Click the Continue button.
Select the language for installation of the new version of the operating system.
Click the Continue button.
Select the x64 architecture option.
Click the Download button.
Select the location to automatically save the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file.
Choose the “Standard Windows 11 Installation” option under the “Image option” setting.
(Optional) Continue with the default settings after the download.
(Optional) Under the “Volume label” setting, specify a name for the drive (for example, Windows 11 Setup).
Click the Start button.
Clear all the options from the “Windows User Experience” page to create installation media without modifications.
Click the OK button.

After completing the steps, you can use the bootable USB flash drive to install the Windows 11 2025 Update using either a clean or an in-place upgrade installation.

Create Windows 11 25H2 USB with Rufus for unsupported PCs

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

The computer will still need a TPM 1.2, and the processor must have the POPCNT instructions. Otherwise, you won’t be able to install the operating system.

To create a Windows 11 25H2 bootable USB for unsupported hardware, use these steps:

Open the Rufus website.
Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.
Double-click the Rufus executable file to launch the tool.
Choose the flash drive to create the Windows 11 25H2 bootable USB media under the “Device” section.
Click the Select button.
Select the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file.
Click the Open button.
Select the “Standard Windows 11 Installation” option under the “Image option” section.
Select the GPT option under the “Partition scheme” section.
Choose the UEFI (non-CSM) option under the “Target system” section.
(Optional) Specify a descriptive name for the bootable USB flash drive under the “Volume label” section.
Use the default settings for the File system and Cluster size options.
Check the Quick format option.
Check the “Create extended label and icon files” option.
Click the Start button.
Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0” option to install version 25H2 on unsupported hardware.
(Optional) Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to set up Windows 11 25H2 without a Microsoft account using a local account.
(Optional) Check the “Create a local account with username” option, then specify the account name to install the operating system using a local account.
(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.
(Optional) Clear the “Disable data collection” option to prevent Microsoft from collecting some of your data.
(Optional) Check the “Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption” option.
Click the OK button.

After completing the steps, Rufus will create a bootable USB drive to install version 25H2 on unsupported hardware.

Alternatively, you can use the Ventoy tool to create a USB drive, then download and drop the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file onto it to make it bootable.

Download Windows 11 25H2 ISO file

To download the official Windows 11 25H2 ISO file, follow these steps:

Open the Microsoft Support website.
Select the Windows 11 option under the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64” section.
Click the Confirm button.
Select the installation language.
Click the Confirm button.
Click the Download button to save the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file.

Once you complete the steps, the Windows 11 2025 Update ISO file will be downloaded to your computer.

Pureinfotech’s Take

Although the Media Creation Tool is still available, I find Rufus more practical in real-world scenarios because it gives far more control over how the USB is built, including whether you’re pulling an ISO directly from Microsoft or working with an existing file.

What matters here is flexibility. On supported devices, this process is straightforward, but the real value shows up when dealing with hardware that doesn’t meet Windows 11 requirements. The ability to bypass TPM, Secure Boot, and Microsoft account setup is exactly why many advanced users still rely on it, even as the company continues tightening the installation rules over time.

That said, I’d treat the bypass options with caution. They’re useful for testing or extending the life of older hardware, but they’re not something I’d casually recommend for a primary production machine in the long term. Microsoft has been increasingly strict about hardware baselines, and tools like Rufus essentially exist in that gap between official requirements and real-world flexibility.

Are you planning to stick with official installation methods, or do you rely on tools like Rufus for more flexibility on Windows 11 setups? Let me know in the comments.

Update July 6, 2026: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.

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