Microsoft enthusiasts already had enough beef around the demanding hardware requirements and TPM 2.0 for Windows 11. This chatter left people with older generation PCs overwhelmed with the fact that they’ll never be able to access those pretty features on their potato system.
However, there came a huge turn of tides when a content creator named Etaprime on YouTube demonstrated a complete installation of Windows 11 on a tiny, underpowered, and budget-friendly Raspberry Pi 4 device.
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If you’re still wondering why it’s such a big deal, then you must know that Raspberry Pi devices are usually preferred by people looking to emulate nostalgic games and tinkering because of their inexpensive price point.
When this tiny device was able to support the latest build of Windows, tech experts have seen several new possibilities for these devices, keeping in mind the fact that it can be used as a pocket-sized PC with the caliber of such an advanced OS.
This guide will walk you through all the required steps to install Windows 11 on a Raspberry Pi 4 device to help you access all those fancy features Microsoft promises, even when your own computer can’t.
How To Install Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi 4?
While the steps required to install Windows 11 on such a small device might be a bit complex, make sure you don’t get overwhelmed. If you manage to reproduce the steps given in this guide identically in the correct order, you should have Windows 11 up and running in no time.
However, before you begin the process, keep in mind that the Windows 11 build you’ll be using for this tutorial isn’t an official release by Microsoft. Therefore, it’s still prone to several errors that are yet to be discovered.
Here are the necessary steps that are required to be followed to install Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi 4:
1. Download the Required Windows 11 Build
- Firstly, access the UUP Dump website and search for “Windows 11 ARM” on the search bar located at the top
- Now, you’ll see various builds for Windows 11 out of which you need to select the latest version designed for Arm64 architecture
- After choosing the required build, select your preferred language from the dropdown menu that appears on the next page
- Upon selecting the language, the site will ask you to choose your required edition. You can opt for either Home or Pro version and click on the “Next” button to proceed
- Choose the option named “Download and Convert to ISO” and click on the “Create Download Package” to begin downloading the ISO file on your computer
2. Extract the Windows 11 ISO
- When the file is downloaded successfully on your computer, extract it to your preferred location by right-clicking and choosing the “Extract To” option in presence of software like WinRAR
- Once the file has been extracted successfully, access the destination folder and double click on the “UUP_Download_Windows.CMD” file
- A security prompt will be triggered on your device, and you simply need to click on the “More Info” option, followed by the “Run Anyway” option to proceed
- Now, a command prompt window will appear with a process running on it. All you need to do is wait for the process to complete and press the “0” key on your keyboard to exit
3. Make a Bootable Storage Device for Windows 11
- Start by attaching your storage device to the computer using a suitable input method
- Now, download the “Raspberry Imager Tool” on your computer and install it through the on-screen instructions
- Once it is successfully installed, launch the tool and choose your preferred language, followed by clicking on the “Next” button
- Afterward, select the storage device you attached to the PC, and under the “Device Type” dropdown menu, select Raspberry Pi 4 to proceed
- Then, click on the three dots next to the “Image File” section and browse the Windows 11 image you downloaded and click on the Next button
- On the next screen, select the “Use the Latest Driver Package on The Server” option and click on the next option
- Under the UEFI firmware tab on the next screen, choose the “Use the Latest UEFI Firmware Available on The Server” option, followed by the next button
- At this point, you’ll see a configuration screen where you don’t have to modify anything and simply click on the “Next” button to continue
- Lastly, there should be an overview of your installation specifications. After verifying everything is selected correctly, you can click on the “Install” button
- Wait for the installation process to complete and once it is done, you can eject your storage device and connect it to your Raspberry Pi 4
4. Setup Windows 11 on Raspberry Pi 4
- Boot your Raspberry Pi and repeatedly press the ESC button on your keyboard to access the setup menu
- From the setup menu, choose the “Device Manager” option and hit the enter key on your keyboard
- Now, on the next interface, select the “Raspberry Pi Configuration” option, followed by the “Advanced Configuration” option in the next window
- In the advanced configuration section, you’ll need to remove the RAM limit by disabling the “Limit RAM To 3 Gb” option and save the configuration by pressing the F10 key
- Then, navigate to the “Display Configuration” settings from the main menu and choose a preferred resolution as per your display size and save the settings by pressing the F10 key
- Lastly, exit the setup menu and click on the continue button to proceed with the boot process of Windows 11
The Takeaway
Now when you’ve completed all the aforementioned steps, you should successfully be able to boot into Windows 11 on your Raspberry Pi 4. It’s no less than a miracle to witness such nifty devices being able to run one of the most advanced operating systems, especially when most of the users are having problems with installing it even in high-spec computers. Therefore, make sure you follow the steps carefully and enjoy the advanced experience of Windows 11 on your Raspberry Pi 4 in no time.
