How to Fix the Windows 11 Download Error | 2024 Guide

Updated By

Sherly 

Written By

Tracy King 

Last Updated on April 22, 2024

If you try to download Windows 11 as part of the preview program, you might run into compatibility issues and see an error message that reads, “This PC can't run Windows 11.” Windows 11 has more demanding system requirements than previous versions of Windows, requiring dedicated storage space, more RAM, and a newer processor.

If you're having trouble downloading Windows 11, it's possible that your PC isn't compatible. Here are some common issues you might encounter, along with solutions if your PC does meet the requirements.

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Why can't Windows 11 be downloaded?

When trying to download or upgrade to Windows 11, users might encounter the error "This PC can't run Windows 11," which could be caused by the following reasons:

1. Secure Boot with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must be enabled.

2. The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is either disabled or too old to meet Windows' minimum requirements. Windows 11 requires a minimum of TPM 2.0.

You are running out of disk space.

Can I still download Windows 11?

If your computer is compatible with Windows 11, you can download it and use the fixes outlined here to resolve the issue.

How do I download Windows 11?

If you don't have Windows 11 downloaded on your computer, try the solutions below.

1. Download using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant

Windows 11 comes with a suite of new features and tools to enhance the overall user experience. It boasts many novelties, such as a refreshed Taskbar and Start menu, among others. However, if you plan on performing a clean install of Windows 11, you'll need a bootable USB drive to do so. In this guide, we'll walk you through creating a bootable USB for installing Windows 11, thus enabling you to deploy the new operating system.

You would need to use the Windows 11 ISO Creator tool to create a bootable USB for Windows 11. This is a free utility that simplifies the process by downloading the files from the internet to help you create a bootable USB drive. So, you won't have to manually search for the Windows 11 files; the tool will take care of that for you.

First, download the Win11 Builder tool on your computer and follow these steps:

Step 1. After installing OS2Go, launch it and click on Create a Windows Installer Drive. The main screen will display the detected system information, which will be kept up-to-date. In addition to Windows 11, the Win11 Builder also allows you to download Windows 10/8.1.

Step 2: Connect the USB flash drive to your PC. The Windows 11 Installation Assistant should detect it automatically, and you can click Create to proceed.

Step 3. If you're using a used USB drive, the software will wipe the data from it. Once the download starts, wait for it to finish, or step away and do other things for a bit.

Step 4. Once the Windows 11 ISO image has been successfully downloaded to your USB drive, proceed to install Windows 11 on your computer by following the Setup Wizard from the bootable USB drive.

Now, the app will start downloading the Windows 11 files and make your USB drive bootable. The time it takes to download the files depends on your internet speed and will create a bootable USB drive for Windows 11.

Once it's done, eject the USB drive and you'll be able to install Windows 11 on your PC.

The app is portable and free, so you don't have to install anything; just download it and run the application to create a bootable USB drive.

2. Enable UEFI mode

UEFI mode is a system firmware that offers faster and more secure booting. It supports HDDs or SSDs up to 2.2 TB, making it a great alternative to the traditional BIOS boot process. To boot your computer in UEFI mode, your hardware partition should be in the GPT style.

Here's how to enable UEFI mode: 1. 重启计算机。 2. 进入BIOS设置。通常在开机时按F2、Delete或特定键（如F10，具体键取决于你的电脑品牌）来进入。 3. 寻找“Boot”或“启动”选项。这可能在不同的BIOS界面中位于不同位置。 4. 在“Boot”菜单中找到“Boot Mode”或“启动模式”选项。 5. 如果有“UEFI”和“Legacy Support”两个选项，选择“UEFI”。 6. 如果看到的是“CSM”（兼容性支持模块），确保它被禁用或设置为“Off”。因为UEFI模式下不需要CSM。 7. 保存并退出BIOS设置。通常按F10，然后选择“Yes”或“是”来保存更改并退出。 8. 计算机将重新启动，并以UEFI模式加载操作系统。 请确保在进行这些更改之前，你了解自己的电脑型号和制造商的指南，因为不同的电脑可能有不同的步骤。

A. Run Partition Master to Convert MBR to GPT

The legacy mode is compatible with MBR, while the UEFI mode is compatible with GPT. To boot from UEFI mode, you need to convert your partition and modify the system firmware to UEFI, which requires converting MBR to GPT. You can reliably convert MBR to GPT without losing important data using the Partition Master tool.

B. Boot in UEFI mode

Please enable UEFI mode on your computer by following these steps:

1. Open Settings on your computer.

2. Click on 'Update & Security'.

3. Enter Recovery Mode.

4. Under the "Advanced startup" section, you'll find the "Restart now" button.

5. After the restart, when you see the Advanced Startup options, click on 'Troubleshoot'.

6. Next, click on “Advanced settings.”

7. In the Advanced options, click on “UEFI Firmware Settings”.

If your computer uses a traditional BIOS, you will not see an option for UEFI firmware settings.

8. After selecting UEFI Firmware Settings, click Restart.

3. Extend the C drive space

If you don't have enough space on your computer or need to allocate more space to the C drive, you can easily resize/move partitions to expand disk space and install Windows 11 with a disk partition tool like Partition Master.

Option 1: Extend System C drive using unallocated space

1. Right-click on the System C drive and select "Resize/Move Partition." 2. Drag the endpoint of the system partition to the unallocated space, adding it to the C drive. Then click "OK." 3. Click "Apply" and "Execute Task" to perform the operation and extend the C drive.

Option 2: Extend the System C drive without unallocated space

1. Right-click on a large partition with enough free space on the system disk and select "Allocate Space." 2. In the "Allocate from (*) to" section, select the system drive, then drag the end of the System C: drive to the unallocated space. Click "OK" to confirm. 3. Click "Perform Tasks," which will list the pending operations. Then click "Apply" to save the changes and extend the C: drive.

0:00-0:26 Extend the system drive with unallocated space; 0:27-0:58 Extend the system drive without unallocated space.

How to Install Windows 11 Manually

After downloading the Windows 11 files to a USB drive using the Windows 11 ISO Builder tool, you can manually install Windows 11 easily through the USB device.

Please follow these steps to install Windows 11 manually:

Step 1: Connect the bootable Windows 11 USB drive to your computer and open File Explorer. Access the connected USB drive.

Step 2: Run the file named "setup.exe" to launch the Windows 11 installer.

Step 3: Click Yes in the User Account Control window to confirm.

Step 4: After Windows 11 Setup starts, click on 'Change how updates are installed,' then select 'Not right now,' and click Next to proceed.

Step 5: You will see three options on the screen:

Keep personal files and apps. Keep only personal files. Don't keep anything.

Select the operation you want, then click the "Next" button.

Step 6: Review the “Ready to Install” information, and then click Install.

Step 7: Windows 11 will begin installing.

Step 8: Wait a few minutes for Windows 11 to install on your computer. Enjoy the latest version of Windows!

Last Words

We've explained the possible issues and solutions to help you if you can't download Windows 11. This guide will help readers install Windows 11 effortlessly on their computers. It's beneficial for all compatible and incompatible users to download the latest version of Windows and enjoy all the new features. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or feedback!