Microsoft Windows 11 Home Activate and Installation Guide

The official release of Windows 11 Home delivers a modern, streamlined experience designed for everyday users. Whether you’re setting up a new PC or upgrading your current one, this guide walks you through downloading, installing and activating Windows 11 Home step by step.

Here’s how to start:

Step 1. Prepare your device

To enjoy a smooth installation and the best Windows 11 Home experience, your PC needs to meet the following requirements. You can check compatibility with Microsoft’s PC Health Check app.

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster, with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
• Memory (RAM): 4 GB or greater
• Storage: 64 GB or larger drive (extra space may be needed for updates)
• System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 (check your PC settings to enable it if needed)
• Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver
• Display: High-definition (720p) screen, larger than 9” diagonally, with 8-bit colour support
• Internet and Microsoft account: Required for setup, updates and access to key features. A Microsoft account is needed to sign in and personalise your experience.

Tip: If your device is running Windows 11 Home in S mode, switching out of S mode also requires an internet connection. See our guide to Windows 11 S mode.

Back up first — always back up important files before installing. The process is usually seamless, but a backup prevents any data loss. Once you are ready, move on to downloading and installing Windows 11 Home.

Step 2. Download and install Windows 11 Home

Start by downloading Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool in your preferred language, then click the link to save it to your PC.

Create installation media

You’ll need a bootable device to install Windows. Use the Media Creation Tool to:

• save Windows 11 to a USB drive (recommended, and faster), or
• create an ISO file and burn it to a DVD.

Need more detail? See how to make a Windows 11 bootable USB.

Boot from the media

• Insert the USB drive or DVD into your PC.
• Restart and choose to boot from the installation media.
• The Windows setup screen will appear.

Follow the on-screen instructions

• Choose your language, region and keyboard layout.
• Select the installation type (upgrade or custom).
• Follow the prompts until installation completes.

Step 3. Activate Windows 11 Home

After installing Windows 11 Home, activate it with your product key. This unlocks all features and confirms your copy is genuine.

1. Open the activation settings
Go to Start → Settings → System → Activation. (You can also right-click This PC, select Properties and scroll to the activation section.)

2. Choose to change the product key
Next to Change product key, click Change. This opens the activation wizard.

3. Enter your product key

• Type in your 25-character Windows 11 Home product key.
• Click Next and follow the prompts.
• Windows confirms when activation is complete — the Activation page will show “Windows is activated”.

Having trouble? Our guide on how to activate Windows 11 covers the common error codes.

Other activation options

Activate by phone: on the Activation page select Show other activation methods → Next → Activate by phone. Choose your location and call the number Windows shows on screen, then follow the automated instructions. If it doesn’t succeed first time, try again two or three times — the system doesn’t always recognise the input straight away.

Microsoft has gradually withdrawn phone activation for some older products. If you run into any problem during installation or activation, contact our customer support team and we’ll help.