RaspBerry Pi 4 is perhaps the most versatile and successful microprocessor on the market. Among its great virtues we must highlight its small size and affordable price. Although in principle it has been designed to work with the Linux operating system, in this post we are going to see how to install Windows 11 on RaspBerry Pi 4.
The truth is that with Windows 10 this process was not exactly easy. Fortunately, things have changed for the better with the new version of Microsoft's operating system, since the script used for its installation is downloaded directly from Windows servers, which considerably simplifies the process.
These minicomputers began to be designed in 2012 thanks to the initiative of the RaspBerry Pi Foundation, in the United Kingdom, whose main goal is to promote computer science education among school-age children. In this way, a series of design designs have come onto the market one after another. small size and low cost computer. This has set a trend in the sector and today there are several brands that offer similar proposals.
RaspBerry Pi 4 Features
The fourth generation of these microcomputers (Raspberry Pi 4) was launched on the market in 2019. Among the main new features it incorporates, we must highlight its Broadcom BCM2711 processor with 64-bit architecture and four ARM A72 cores. A much more powerful chipset than the previous CPU.
It has two USB 2.0 ports and two other USB 3.0 ports. According to the RAM (which is LPDDR4 type), comes in three different capacities: 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB. One of the most notable new features is its Gigabit Ethernet port, which allows for reading and writing speeds of more than 100MB/s.
As for the wireless connectivity, has WiFi with 802.11b/g/n/ac standards, as well as Bluetooth 5.0 with BLE. And in addition to the USB, it incorporates micro HDMI 2.0 ports, a 3,5 mm jack for audio output and also for video, as well as a slot for micro SD cards (through which the operating system is installed), a port for camera (2-lane MIPI CSI) and another display port (2-lane MIPI DSI).
At the moment, this is the latest version of the processor, waiting for a (still distant) date to be set for the launch of RaspBerry Pi 5, whose design is already underway.
What is the purpose of installing RaspBerry Pi 4 on Windows 11?
There are several reasons why many users choose to install this minicomputer on their PC equipped with Windows 11. These are some of the most common:
- For recreate on our computer a retro style console. This way we can enjoy those lovely old games that don't require so much power.
- For transform a normal PC into a media center, connecting for example a normal television and using it as if it were a Smart TV.
- For add a second operating system reserve to our computer. As RaspBerry Pi 4 has been designed to work with Linux, it comes already installed by default.
- Many other uses, such as creating a additional home automation system in our home or to make it serve as streaming music system.
Install RaspBerry Pi 4 on Windows 11 step by step
This is the process to follow to install the microcomputer on our PC with Windows 11:
Previous requirements
Before starting the process itself, we have to check that we have the following requirements:
- Have a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM.
- External SSD to connect via USB.
- Ethernet cable for Internet connection.
- Monitor with HDMI.
- Keyboard and mouse.
First step: download and install Wor-Flasher
WoR-Flasher It is an open source tool that we will need to create a RaspBerry Pi 4 installation media on our computer. Through Git you can clone the repository to use later on the PC:
git clone https://github.com/Botspot/wor-flasher
Once this is done, to start the installer, you must run the following command:
~/wor-flasher/install-wor-gui.sh
Second step: configure Windows
When the installer starts (see the image above, which shows what it looks like), we just have to follow its instructions one by one to configure Windows: select the version of Windows that we want to install (in our case, Windows 11), the Raspberry model (Pi 4), choose the language, choose the disk on which it will be installed, etc.
Once everything is configured, we press the button "Flash" and run the command install-wor.sh. The process may take several minutes to fully complete.
Third step: connect the external SSD
Once we have configured Windows, the last step is connect external SSD where we have installed Windows, connect the Raspsberry Pi 4 to the power and wait for the operating system to boot. After this, we can start using the microcomputer on our PC with Windows 11 and enjoy all its advantages.