Windows 12 Installation Step-by-Step Process / Guide

This guide details how I installed Windows 12 from a USB flash drive on my computer. The clean windows 12 installation process is suitable for both fully compatible systems and computers not compatible with Windows 12, such as those without TPM 2.0 and TPM 1.2 support, with an unsupported processor (CPU), or secure boot mode. There are no differences if you perform the installation from an installation DVD.

If you previously installed a licensed version of Windows on your PC or laptop, you do not need to enter a key during the installation of Windows 12. The system will automatically activate when you connect to the Internet, provided you install the same edition of the OS-Pro, Professional, or Home—for which you previously had a digital or other type of license.

Windows 12 Installation

Creating a Bootable USB Installation Drive

Preparing a Bootable USB Drive for Windows 12 Installation

Before you begin installation, you need to prepare an installation USB drive with Windows 12 files. For a new operating system, there are some nuances to consider:

Fully Compatible or Unsupported Processor: If your computer or laptop is fully compatible with Windows 12, or the only issue is an unsupported processor generation, you can use the official Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB flash drive. This method will be discussed below.

Not Compatible with Minimum Requirements: If your device does not meet the minimum requirements for Windows 12, such as lacking TPM 2.0 or TPM 1.2 support, you’ll need to create an installation drive using alternative methods. The simplest method is using Rufus, which allows you to write the installation drive in a way that bypasses compatibility checks.

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How I Created a Bootable USB Drive for Windows 12 Installation

  1. Visit the Windows 12 Installation Page: Go to the official Microsoft website: Microsoft.
  2. Download the Media Creation Tool: In the “Create Windows 12 iso installation media” section, click “Download” and save the Media Creation Tool to your computer.
  3. Run the Utility: Open the utility and accept the license agreement terms.
  4. Configure Language and System Edition: On the next screen, configure your language and system edition. By default, it selects settings based on your current system. Uncheck “Use recommended settings for this PC” to choose your system language. The “Edition” field will stay as “Windows 12,” and the flash drive will contain Windows 12 64-bit Pro and Home.
  5. Select Installation Media: Choose “USB flash memory device” if you need a flash drive for installation.
  6. Choose the USB Drive: Select the USB drive from the list of removable drives. Ensure all data on the drive will be deleted. If the drive is not listed, connect it and click Refresh Drive List. If it still doesn’t appear, try using a different drive as it might be recognized as a “local drive” instead of a “removable drive.”
  7. Download and Write Files: Wait for Windows 12 to download and write files to the connected removable drive.
  8. Completion: Once the bootable USB drive is ready, you’ll see a message saying “USB flash drive is ready.” Click “Done” to exit the Media Creation Tool.

If you have your own Windows 12 ISO image, you can use alternative methods like Rufus to create a bootable USB flash drive for your specific image.

Preparing for Installation and Booting from a Flash Drive into BIOS (UEFI)

Before a clean installation of Windows 12, ensure the safety of important data, including files from the desktop and user folders, especially if you plan to format the system disk. Save your data to an external drive, or if your current system is installed in UEFI mode on a GPT disk, save it to a separate disk partition (e.g., “Disk D”).

To boot from a flash drive with Windows 12 installation files, follow these steps:

  1. Reboot the Computer: Select “Reboot” rather than “Shutdown.” Shutting down and turning it on with Windows fast boot enabled may prevent the next steps.
  2. Enter BIOS (UEFI): During the reboot, press the key (often F2, F12, Delete, or Esc) to enter BIOS or the boot menu.
  3. Select the USB Drive: Choose the USB drive as the boot device.

By following these steps, you can successfully boot from the USB drive and proceed with the Windows 12 installation.

Booting from a Flash Drive for Windows 12 Installation: My Experience

After rebooting my computer, I used one of the following options to boot from my USB flash drive:

  1. Entering BIOS (UEFI): I went into the BIOS and set the bootable USB flash drive with Windows 12 as the first boot device. On my desktop PC, I pressed the Delete (Del) key when turning it on. On my laptop, I pressed F2, but other keys might work. The key to enter BIOS settings usually appears at the bottom of the screen during startup.
  2. Using the Boot Menu: I opened the Boot Menu using a special key, which allowed me to select the boot device once. I chose the created installation drive.

In both cases, I made sure the booting was done in UEFI mode. Here are some things I considered:

  • Boot Menu with UEFI and Legacy Support: When both UEFI mode and Legacy support were enabled, the flash drive appeared twice in the list of boot devices. I selected the instance marked UEFI or EFI.
  • Systems Supporting Both Legacy and UEFI Mode: On my system, booting defaulted to Legacy mode. I had to disable Legacy Support (also called CSM Support or Compatibility Support Mode) in BIOS to ensure booting in UEFI mode.
  • Secure Boot Option: In my BIOS settings, I enabled Secure Boot to install Windows 12.

At one point, the USB drive didn’t appear among the available boot devices. I referred to instructions on what to do if the BIOS or UEFI doesn’t see the bootable USB flash drive, which helped solve the issue.

After booting from the Windows 12 distribution, I either saw the system logo and was taken to the installation program, or I saw the message “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.” In the latter case, I pressed any key on the keyboard to proceed. This setup process ensured a smooth installation of Windows 12.

windows 12

My Experience Installing Windows 12 on a Computer or Laptop

Here, I’ll walk you through each stage of a clean installation of Windows 12, including actions for selecting partitions or creating an account, and the differences between installing Windows 12 Pro and Home.

Steps to Install Windows 12

  1. Initial Setup Screen: The first installation screen prompted me to select a language, time format, and input method. The default was English, so I clicked “Next.”
  2. Install Windows: In the next window, I clicked the “Install” button.
  3. Error Messages: On some computers, you might encounter an error message at this stage or after the next few steps, stating: “Windows 12 cannot start on this computer. This computer does not meet the minimum system requirements to install this version of Windows.” This could be due to:
  • Disabled support for TPM 2.0 or TPM 1.2 in the BIOS.
  • Lack of TPM support. In this case, use an alternative method to create a bootable USB flash drive as described earlier.
  • Using Legacy mode to boot from the installation flash drive.

    I faced this issue because of TPM settings in BIOS and had to enable TPM support to proceed.

    4. Windows Activation: Since my device didn’t have a preinstalled version of Windows with the key stored in UEFI, the “Windows Activation” window appeared, asking for the product key. Since I had previously installed Windows 10 on my computer, I clicked “I don’t have a product key,” and the system activated automatically after installation and connecting to the Internet. If you have a separately purchased key or a recorded product key from a previous version, enter it here.

    5. Selecting the OS Edition: After selecting “I don’t have a product key,” I was asked to choose the edition of the operating system—Windows 12 Home or Windows 12 Pro. Since I had a licensed version of Windows 10 Pro before, I selected Windows 12 Pro to preserve the license.

    6. Accepting License Terms: I checked the box “I accept the terms of the license agreement” and clicked “Next.”

    7. Choosing the Installation Type: I was prompted to select the type of installation. I chose “Custom: Windows installation only (for advanced users)” to perform a clean installation. This option allowed me to select the installation partition and formatting options.

    8. Select Disk Partition: A window opened for selecting a disk partition for installation. Since I had several HDDs and SSDs and the operating system was already installed, there were many partitions. I received warnings stating it was impossible to install Windows on certain partitions. Here’s a detailed description of the options and features to consider in this window.

    9. Begin Installation: After selecting the partition, the Windows 12 installation process began—copying files, installing components, and updates. Once completed, the computer restarted. If the first installer screen reappeared, I closed it and changed the boot settings in the BIOS/UEFI to ensure the first boot device was Windows Boot Manager, the system hard drive, or the SSD. Another solution was to physically remove the bootable USB flash drive.

    10. Initial System Setup: After rebooting, the region selection screen appeared. I selected the required region.

    11. Keyboard Layout: I confirmed the keyboard layout was correct. The default was Russian for the Russian version of Windows 12.

    12. Second Keyboard Layout: I was prompted to add a second keyboard layout. Since I only needed the English (US) layout and the previously selected layout, I clicked “Skip”; the English (US) layout is enabled by default.

    13. Internet Connection: If you don’t have an active cable Internet connection, the “Let’s Get You Online” screen will prompt you to establish an Internet connection via Wi-Fi or other means. This is mandatory when installing Windows 12. However, to bypass it, I pressed Shift+F10 (Shift+Fn+F10 on some laptops) to open the command line. I switched the input language using Alt+Shift, entered oobe\bypassnro, and pressed Enter. The computer restarted, and the “I don’t have Internet” option appeared at the bottom of the connection screen.

    14. Continue Without Internet: After selecting “I don’t have Internet” and clicking “Continue with limited installation,” I entered a local computer username. Avoid using “Administrator” as it’s reserved for a hidden system account. I entered a password and security questions. Without an Internet connection and using a local account, I skipped to the final steps.

    15. Naming the Computer: With an Internet connection, after checking for updates, I was asked to set a name for the computer. This name is used to identify the computer on the network. I changed the computer name and it rebooted.

    16. Setup for Personal Use: The “Choose how you want to set up your device” step appeared since I was installing Windows 12 Pro with an Internet connection. For personal and home use, I selected “Set up for personal use.”

    17. Microsoft Account: I was prompted to sign in with a Microsoft account or create one. In Windows 12 Home, logging in requires a Microsoft account. In Windows 12 Pro, I could choose an Offline Account to set up a local account.

    18. Creating a PIN: After signing in or creating a Microsoft account, I created a PIN, confirmed it, and entered the PIN. The PIN is used to sign in and confirm actions on the computer and doesn’t replace a password.

    19. Restore Microsoft-Synced Data: Since I previously used Windows 12 or 10 with my Microsoft account, I was prompted to restore my Microsoft-synced data. I chose to set up as a new device.

    20. Privacy Settings: I set my privacy settings, enabling Location and Search for device while disabling others.

    21. OneDrive Backup: I was asked to create a backup of my files to OneDrive. This automatically backs up files from the desktop and user’s Documents and Pictures folders. I chose based on my preference.

    22. Preparing for First Launch: Windows 12 prepared for the first launch, which took several minutes on my high-performance computer with an SSD, but it might take longer on slower computers with HDDs

    23. Installation Complete: Windows 12 was successfully installed!

    Common Installation Problems and Solutions: My Firsthand Experience

    During my installation of Windows 12, I encountered several common problems that often arise when installing the operating system. Here are the issues I faced and the solutions I found:

    Problem 1: Bootable USB Not Detected in BIOS or Boot Menu

    • Solution: This issue can be frustrating, but a quick solution involves pressing the Shift+F10 keys on the keyboard (Shift+Fn+F10 on some laptops). Then, entering the following commands in order:
    • REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1
    • REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1

    After running these commands, close the command prompt, return to the first installation screen, and repeat the initial steps. This should resolve the issue.

    Problem 2: No Disks Available When Selecting a Partition for Installation

    • Solution: Often, Windows fails to detect disks during installation due to the requirement of Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) driver. Download the driver from the official website of your laptop or motherboard manufacturer. Unpack it into a folder on the installation flash drive, and during partition selection, click “Browse” to specify the driver path. For ASUS devices, disabling VMD Controller in BIOS/UEFI may also help.

    Problem 3: Installation on Disk with MBR Partition Table Not Possible

    • Solution: If you encounter this error, it’s likely because the disk was previously used for a system booted in Legacy mode or had an MBR partition table initially. If there’s no important data, delete all partitions from the disk, select the unallocated space, and click “Next”; the conversion will be automatic. To convert without data loss, use third-party programs for disk partitioning or the built-in Windows utility mbr2gpt.exe.

    Problem 4: Unable to Create or Find a Partition

    • Solution: This error occurs when the installation program doesn’t find unoccupied disk space due to existing partitions. Often, it happens when formatting a disk using third-party tools without leaving unallocated space. The solution is to delete partitions to free up space for Windows 12 system partitions.

    Remember, during the installation process, you may encounter other issues. In such cases, search for solutions online or describe the situation in the comments. There’s likely a way to resolve the problem and complete the installation.

    Post-Installation Steps: My Firsthand Experience

    After completing the installation of Windows 12, there are crucial steps to ensure optimal performance and device compatibility. Here’s what I observed and recommend:

    Automatic Driver Installation:

    Once the installation is done and you’re connected to the Internet, Windows 12 will automatically search for and install drivers for supported devices. This process can take some time, sometimes up to an hour. During this period, you may notice:

    • High Processor Load and Cooling System Noise: As drivers are installed, you might experience increased processor load and noise from the cooling system. This is normal during driver installation.
    • Temporary Screen Blackout: When installing video card drivers, you might experience temporary screen blackouts.
    • Device Connection Noises: You may hear sounds of devices connecting and disconnecting as drivers are installed.

    It’s essential to note that while these auto-downloaded drivers are compatible, they might not always be the best. They come from Microsoft Update and may not be the latest versions, especially critical for video cards, or fully hardware-specific, especially for laptops.