---
title: Win11 Creator
description: Build a custom, debloated Windows 11 ISO from an official Microsoft image using WinUtil's Win11 Creator tool.
sidebar:
  order: 7
---

import { Tabs, TabItem } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';

## Using WinUtil's Win11 Creator

WinUtil includes a built-in **Win11 Creator** tool that lets you take an official Windows 11 ISO and produce a customized, debloated version. The resulting image can remove telemetry, bypass hardware requirement checks, and enable local account setup out of the box. You can export the result as a new ISO file or write it directly to a USB drive.

![Win11 Creator tab in WinUtil](../../../assets/screenshots/win11creator-tab-new.png)

:::caution
You need an **official Windows 11 ISO** from [Microsoft's website](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11) before starting. Custom, modified, or non-official ISOs are not supported. The process uses ~10–15 GB of temporary disk space, so make sure you have room.
:::

:::note
This workflow is intended for fresh Windows installs, not in-place upgrades of an existing installation.
:::

---

### Step 1 — Select Your Official Windows 11 ISO

1. Open WinUtil and go to the **Win11 Creator** tab.
2. Click **Browse** and select your **official Windows 11 ISO file** from Microsoft (must be 4 GB or larger). Custom or modified ISOs are not supported.
3. The file path and size will appear on screen once selected.

---

### Step 2 — Mount & Verify

1. Click **Mount & Verify ISO**.
2. WinUtil mounts the ISO, checks for a valid `install.wim` or `install.esd`, and reads the available editions (Home, Pro, Enterprise, etc.).
3. Once verified, select your desired **edition** from the dropdown — Pro is selected by default if available.

:::note
This step takes around 10–30 seconds, depending on your drive speed.
:::

---

### Step 3 — Run the Modification

Click **Run Windows ISO Modification and Creator** to start the customization process. WinUtil will:

**App & Component Removal:**
- **Remove 40+ bloat apps** — Clipchamp, Teams, Copilot, Dev Home, new Outlook, Bing apps, Solitaire, and more
- **Delete OneDrive setup** from the image

**System Customization:**
- **Bypass hardware checks** — removes TPM, Secure Boot, CPU, RAM, and storage requirement enforcement so the ISO installs on unsupported hardware
- **Enable local account setup** — injects an `autounattend.xml` that skips the Microsoft account screen during OOBE
- **Disable BitLocker and device encryption** — removes startup overhead
- **Disable Chat icon** — removes chat taskbar button
- **Strip unused editions** — keeps only your selected edition, saving 1–2 GB per removed edition
- **Pin the selected edition during setup** — writes setup metadata so OEM firmware keys for a different edition do not force the installer down the wrong product-key path
- **Clean the component store** — runs DISM cleanup to reclaim another 300–800 MB

**Privacy & Telemetry Tweaks:**
- **Disable telemetry** — advertising ID, tailored experiences, input personalization, speech online privacy
- **Disable cloud content features** — app suggestions, Microsoft Store recommendations
- **Remove telemetry scheduled tasks** — CEIP, Appraiser, WaaSMedic, and others
- **Disable OneDrive folder backup** — prevents automatic backups to cloud
- **Prevent DevHome and Outlook post-setup installation**
- **Prevent Teams installation** — blocks auto-install after OOBE
- **Prevent new Outlook Mail app installation**
- **Disable Windows Update during OOBE** — re-enabled automatically on first login
- **Disable Copilot and search box suggestions**

**Optional: Driver Injection**
- If enabled, it injects all drivers from your current system into the install.wim and boot.wim — useful for offline installations on machines with missing drivers. This is an optional checkbox in Step 3.

A live log shows progress as each step completes. This stage usually takes **10–30 minutes** depending on disk speed. The WIM dismount near the end is the slowest part, so do not close WinUtil while it is running.

---

### Step 4 — Export Your Result

Once the modification is complete, choose how to save your image:

<Tabs>
<TabItem label="Save as ISO">
1. Click **Save as an ISO File**.
2. Choose a save location (defaults to your Desktop as `Win11_Modified_yyyyMMdd.iso`).
3. WinUtil builds a dual BIOS/UEFI bootable ISO using `oscdimg.exe`.

:::note
`oscdimg.exe` (part of the Windows ADK) is required. If it's not found, WinUtil will attempt to install it automatically via WinGet. If that fails, install it manually: `winget install -e --id Microsoft.OSCDIMG`
:::
</TabItem>
<TabItem label="Write to USB">
1. Click **Write Directly to a USB Drive**.
2. Select your USB drive from the dropdown (click **Refresh** if it doesn't appear).
3. Click **Erase & Write to USB** and confirm the warning — **all data on the drive will be permanently erased**.
4. WinUtil formats the drive as GPT with a 512 MB EFI partition and copies the modified Windows files.

:::danger
Double-check you have selected the correct drive before confirming. This operation cannot be undone.
:::

**Minimum USB size:** 8 GB recommended. Writing takes 10–20 minutes.
</TabItem>
</Tabs>

---

### Step 5 — Clean Up (Optional)

Click **Clean & Reset** to delete the temporary working directory (~10–15 GB) and return the tool to its initial state, ready for a new ISO. You will be asked to confirm before anything is deleted.

---

### What the Modified ISO Does Differently

When you install Windows 11 from your modified ISO:

- **No Microsoft account required** — create a local account directly during setup
- **No hardware checks** — installs on machines without TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, or supported CPUs
- **Dark mode enabled by default**
- **Empty taskbar and Start Menu** — no pinned apps, Chat icon removed
- **Windows Update disabled during OOBE** — automatically re-enabled on first login to prevent setup interruptions
- **BitLocker disabled** — removes startup overhead on first boot

---

### Troubleshooting

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| "install.wim not found" | Not a valid Windows 11 ISO — download a fresh one from Microsoft |
| "oscdimg.exe not found" | Run `winget install -e --id Microsoft.OSCDIMG` then retry |
| USB drive not showing up | Plug it in, wait a few seconds, then click **Refresh** |
| Modification seems stuck | The WIM dismount step is slow — wait at least 10 minutes before assuming it's frozen |
| "Access Denied" error | Make sure WinUtil is running as Administrator |
| "Setup has failed to validate the product key" | Recreate the ISO with the latest WinUtil. The creator now removes stale `PID.txt`, writes `sources\ei.cfg`, and pins the selected image in `autounattend.xml` so setup does not use an embedded OEM key for a different edition |

---

## Additional Resources

- Download official Windows 11 media from [Microsoft](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11).
- If you prefer to write a finished ISO with another tool, common choices include [Rufus](https://rufus.ie/) or [Ventoy](https://www.ventoy.net/).

:::note
Always download Windows ISOs from official Microsoft sources or trusted tools like Rufus/UUP Dump to avoid tampered images.
:::

:::note
Newer Windows 11 ISOs may not boot correctly on older versions of Ventoy — make sure Ventoy is up to date before use. If issues persist after updating, this is a Ventoy compatibility limitation outside of WinUtil's control.
:::
