I set up Home windows 11 lots. Be it for a clear slate on a PC that’s performing up or a model new PC, anybody who tinkers with computer systems will discover themselves interacting with the Home windows installer fairly a bit. And it’s removed from excellent.
Over the previous 12 months, it’s gotten worse, too. It’s because Home windows 11 now requires you to connect with the web earlier than continuing with set up. If you happen to don’t have a connection (or one other points happens, as I’ll get to in a second), you’re out of luck. You’re caught. Fortunately, there’s a Home windows 11 shortcut that may crack open the installer and provide you with much more energy: Shift + F10.
This isn’t a brand new shortcut. It’s been round within the Home windows installer for years, however you’ll have by no means recognized it existed. This shortcut pulls up the Command Immediate throughout set up, permitting you to do issues like entry the Job Supervisor.
You’ll have to know some instructions to get any use out of the Command Immediate, or have one other PC useful to search for what you want. However this keyboard shortcut solved an enormous headache for me whereas making an attempt to arrange for Home windows 11 for the umpteenth time.
In my case, the Home windows 11 installer didn’t seize drivers for my community connection throughout its preliminary setup. That wasn’t an enormous deal up to now, because the Home windows installer included a useful I don’t have web button that allowed you to proceed with a restricted setup and seize updates later. For some purpose, Microsoft determined to take away that button with the Home windows 11 22H2 replace that launched in the midst of final 12 months.
I hope you see the issue right here. Home windows didn’t seize the essential networking driver, so I wasn’t in a position to connect with the web. And with out an web connection, I couldn’t proceed with the set up. A reboot doesn’t assist right here, both. Irrespective of what number of instances I compelled the PC to close down, created new Home windows set up media, and banged my head in opposition to the wall, I bought caught on the similar web page asking me to connect with the web.
However, we do have Shift+F10. I’ll stroll you thru a sequence of steps I needed to take to finally get the Home windows 11 prepare again on its tracks, so that you hopefully don’t must undergo via the troubleshooting I did.
Job Supervisor to the rescue
The best factor you are able to do is finish the community course of in Job Supervisor. It can power Home windows 11’s community examine to fail and provide you with one other likelihood to attempt. It’s like restarting your router when your web is performing up.
Press Shift+F10 to tug up Command Immediate and click on into it. Be aware that you must really click on into Command Immediate. It gained’t choose up your keyboard routinely. As soon as there, kind in taskmgr and hit Enter. This may pull up a Job Supervisor window.
Choose Present particulars and go right down to the NetworkFlow course of. Proper-click and finish it earlier than closing each home windows. Try to be at a failure web page. Hit Retry and hope your web reveals up.
Doing drivers the exhausting approach
If that doesn’t do the trick, you’ll want to put in your drivers manually. It’s annoying, however not too tough. Seize a second USB drive and obtain the community drivers from both your PC or motherboard producer on a separate PC. Unzip the folder and drag the information into the foundation of a formatted USB drive. You’ll most likely see a number of subfolders within the driver package deal. Poke round till you discover the realm with all of the .inf information. That’s what you’re searching for.
Drag them over, eject the drive, and insert it into the PC you’re putting in Home windows on. Pull up Command Immediate with our buddy Shift+F10 and enter Diskpart earlier than hitting Enter. This may checklist all of the drives related. Be aware the letter of the USB drive along with your drivers and shut the window.
Pull up one other Command Immediate window with Shift+F10, and enter pnputil /add-driver [drive letter]:*.inf. Change the drive letter with the one you famous. The ultimate code ought to look one thing like this: pnputil /add-driver E:*.inf.
The motive force ought to routinely set up. After that, attempt closing NetworkFlow to power the method to shut and connect with the web. If even that doesn’t work, there’s fortunately a kill swap you may hit.
The kill swap
If you happen to’re fed up and simply need to nuke the Home windows set up, you may. Pull up Command Immediate with Shift+F10 and enter OOBEBYPASSNO. Hit Enter and the Home windows 11 set up will restart from the start.
This time, nonetheless, if you get to the web page to arrange your web, you’ll see the acquainted I don’t have web button on the backside, permitting you to proceed with setup and set up your community drivers later. Now, if solely Microsoft may simply have issues this fashion from the start!
You’re nonetheless in management
Over the previous a number of variations of Home windows, Microsoft has wrestled management away from customers in an try to make Home windows extra accessible. That’s not a nasty factor inherently, however it will possibly result in conditions the place you’re feeling such as you’re caught with out a lot recourse. Fortunately, there are nonetheless methods to troubleshoot Home windows, even when they’re buried behind a sequence of shortcuts and console instructions.
Regardless, Shift+F10 is a superb useful resource to maintain in your again pocket if you end up putting in or reinstalling Home windows 11 ceaselessly. Let’s simply hope that future variations of the installer make it so that you don’t must resort to the Command Immediate.
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