Create a Windows 11 USB drive from an issue.
Create a Windows 11 USB drive from an issue.
They’re suggesting a different approach—making the USB media directly on a flash drive instead of using the installation tool. This would save space since the tool needs much more room than just downloading the ISO file. It sounds like you’re trying to understand why they prefer the flash drive method over the standard installation process.
The reality is that the media creation tool transfers data to the C drive before saving it to the USB stick. This approach only functions if you have enough free space on the C drive. Another option is to build a Win11 USB stick using RUFUS, which should download the ISO file—though it will likely need some temporary space on the C drive as well.
When you've tried the tool before, observing the order of operations becomes obvious, and this is explicitly mentioned in the original post.
You’ll need sufficient free space on your computer’s hard drive—typically C:—before starting the process. The Windows Media Creation Tool requires this space to store installation files before moving them to the USB drive. Make sure you have at least 8-10 GB available, even if you plan to save the media elsewhere.