What You'll Need Before You Start

Get everything on this list ready before you begin. Having it all in front of you makes the process smooth from start to finish.

• A USB drive with at least 8GB of storage — This becomes your Windows installation drive. Everything on it will be wiped during the process so make sure there's nothing on it you need.

• A separate working PC or laptop — You'll need this to download and create the Windows installation USB before your new build can do anything.

• A stable internet connection — For downloading the Windows Media Creation Tool and activating Windows after installation.

• A Windows 11 licence key — If you're buying a new copy. If you're using a digital licence linked to a Microsoft account from a previous build, you can recover it through your account during setup.

• Your new PC fully assembled and connected — Monitor, keyboard, and mouse all plugged in and ready to go.
  
  

Step 1: Download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

On your separate working PC, open a browser and go to microsoft.com/software-download/windows11. Scroll down to the section labelled "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" and click Download Now.

Run the tool once it downloads. Accept the licence terms and follow the prompts:

• Select your preferred language and edition of Windows

• Choose USB flash drive as your media type

• Select your USB drive from the list

The tool will download Windows and write it to your USB drive automatically. This takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on your internet speed. Once it's done, your installation USB is ready.

Step 2: Enter Your New PC's BIOS

Plug your Windows installation USB into one of the USB ports on your new build and power it on for the first time.

Immediately after powering on, repeatedly press the key that opens your BIOS. The key varies by motherboard manufacturer but is typically one of the following:

• Delete — Most common for desktop motherboards

• F2 — Common on ASUS and Gigabyte boards

• F10 — Common on some MSI boards

The key is usually shown briefly on screen during the initial boot screen. If your PC boots straight to a black screen or an error message rather than opening the BIOS, restart and try pressing the key faster.

Step 3: Configure Your BIOS Settings

Once inside the BIOS there are a few things worth checking before you proceed with the installation.

Check that your storage drive is detected:
Look for your SSD or hard drive listed in the BIOS storage or boot section. If it's not showing up, check that the drive is properly seated and connected before continuing.

Enable XMP or EXPO for your RAM:
Look for an option labelled XMP, EXPO, or memory profile and enable it. This ensures your RAM runs at the speed it was rated for rather than a slower default speed. This is a one-time setup step that makes a real difference to performance.

Set your boot priority:
Find the boot order or boot priority settings and make sure your USB drive is set as the first boot device. This tells your PC to boot from the USB rather than trying to load from your empty storage drive.

Enable Secure Boot and TPM:
Windows 11 requires both Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 to be enabled. Most modern motherboards have these active by default, but it's worth confirming in the BIOS before proceeding.

Once these settings are configured, save your changes and exit the BIOS. The keyboard shortcut to save and exit is usually F10, but your BIOS will display the correct key on screen.

Step 4: Boot From Your USB Drive

With your USB drive plugged in and set as the first boot device, your PC will restart and load the Windows installation environment. You'll see a Windows logo appear on screen followed by a loading spinner.

If your PC doesn't boot from the USB and instead shows an error or tries to boot from the empty drive, restart and enter the BIOS again to confirm the boot order is set correctly.

Step 5: Begin the Windows Installation

Once the installation environment loads, you'll be greeted by the Windows Setup screen.

Follow these steps in order:

Select your language, time, and keyboard preferences and click Next.

Click Install Now.

Enter your Windows licence key if you have one. If you don't have one yet or want to enter it later, click "I don't have a product key" and continue. You can activate Windows after installation is complete.

Select your Windows edition. For most home users and gamers, Windows 11 Home is the correct choice. If you have a Home licence key, select Home. If you have a Pro key, select Pro.

Accept the licence terms and click Next.

Choose your installation type. Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced). This is the correct option for a fresh installation on a new build.

Step 6: Select Your Drive and Install

You'll now see a list of available drives and partitions. On a brand new build with a fresh drive, you'll see your drive listed as unallocated space.

Click on the unallocated space and then click Next. Windows will automatically create the necessary partitions and begin the installation. You do not need to manually create or format partitions on a new drive.

The installation process will now run automatically. Your PC will copy files, install features, and restart several times during this process. This typically takes between 10 and 25 minutes depending on the speed of your SSD.

Do not turn off your PC or remove the USB drive while the installation is in progress.

Step 7: Complete the Initial Setup

After the final restart, Windows will guide you through the initial setup process. Here's what to expect:

Select your region and keyboard layout and confirm your choices.

Connect to your network. Connect to your WiFi network or plug in your ethernet cable. Windows will prompt you to connect at this point. A network connection is required to complete setup if you're using a Microsoft account.

Sign in with a Microsoft account. Microsoft will prompt you to sign in with or create a Microsoft account. This is recommended because it allows you to recover a digital Windows licence in the future and sync your settings across devices. If you prefer a local account, select the offline account option, which may be found under "Sign-in options" depending on your Windows version.

Set your privacy preferences. Windows will present a series of optional data sharing settings. Review each one and choose your preferences before continuing.

Wait for Windows to finalise. After completing the setup questions, Windows will spend a few minutes applying your settings and preparing the desktop for first use.

Step 8: Install Your Drivers

This is the step most first-time builders forget, and skipping it means your hardware won't perform the way it should.

Once Windows loads for the first time, connect to the internet and install the following drivers in this order:

Motherboard chipset drivers first:
Go to your motherboard manufacturer's website, find your specific motherboard model, and download the chipset drivers. Install these before anything else as they help Windows communicate correctly with all other components.

GPU drivers:
Go to nvidia.com or amd.com depending on your graphics card and download the latest driver for your specific GPU model. This is essential before you launch any game or graphically intensive application.

Any remaining motherboard drivers:
Audio drivers, network drivers, and any other utilities from your motherboard's driver page. These ensure everything on your motherboard functions correctly.

Windows Update will handle many basic drivers automatically, but downloading directly from manufacturers ensures you have the latest and most complete versions.

Step 9: Run Windows Update

Once your drivers are installed, open Settings, then Windows Update, and click Check for Updates. Install everything available and restart when prompted. Repeat until no further updates are available.

This ensures your system is fully up to date and secure before you start installing software and games.

Step 10: Activate Windows

If you entered your licence key during installation, Windows is already activated. To confirm, go to Settings, then System, then Activation and check your activation status.

If you selected "I don't have a product key" during installation, purchase a licence and enter it in the Activation settings. Windows will run in an unactivated state with some limitations until a valid key is entered.

You're Ready

That's the full installation from an empty drive to a fully running Windows system. At this point your new build has an operating system, up-to-date drivers, and the latest Windows updates installed. From here it's simply a matter of installing your games, applications, and any remaining software to make the machine your own.

The hard part was building it. Getting Windows running is just the final step that brings everything to life.