Raspberry Pi 5 Running Windows

Last Update: 1/11/2025

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In this guide, we’ll install Windows 11 running on a Raspberry Pi 5 to an SSD. You can use whatever form of media you want to use, such as: microSD, USB Stick/Thumb Drive, NVMe, external SSD, etc. In this guide I’ll be using an external SSD. Please keep in mind, running Windows on a Pi 5 is still very early on in the development and some great work is being done by the Wor-Flasher developers. The guide below is meant only to help you quickly get Windows up and running on your Pi 5, share what I’ve used and not to replace the official documentation provided by the developers on the BotSpot/wor-flasher Github site.

Limitations

At the time of this video, there were some limitations to installing Windows 11 on a Pi 5 that I want you to be aware of up-front. These include:

• No Ethernet – I wasn’t able to use the internal Ethernet port on the Pi 5, the drivers aren’t yet working. However, I purchased the UGREEN USB to Ethernet Adapter and it worked for providing Ethernet networking capability.
• No Sound via HDMI – Sound from the Pi did not work over the HDMI cable. However, I did have success using the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows along with an external 3.5mm speaker. For the speaker, I used the AYL Mini Speaker System, only because I had one on-hand. This is obviously not an ideal setup, but it works. I also used the OontZ Angle 3 speaker via the 3.5mm jack (Bluetooth wouldn’t work).
• It’s not a limitation, but you should be aware also that you may need to purchase your own Windows 10/11 license if you plan to use Windows longer-term on your Pi 5. Otherwise, some features may not function or watermarks reminding to activate will appear. More on Windows activation here. I can’t vouch for the authenticity, but VIPKeySale.com has OEM Windows 11 Pro keys for around $32 USD.

Items I used

• Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB) – I used a 4GB Pi 5 in this video and while it worked, you may prefer the 8GB version for better performance.
• Raspberry Pi 5 cases – I opted not to use the internal NVMe drive on the Pironman 5 case for Windows 11 as I had previously setup multiple operating systems on the NVMe drive using PINN and didn’t want to overwrite it. However, use whatever case you prefer or makes sense for your project/testing.
• PNY CS900 250GB SSD – You can use whatever drive/capacity you prefer.
• RETROFLAG NES Cartridge Style 2.5-Inch SATA to USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Enclosure – There are cheaper adapters/enclosures, however I had this one on-hand from a prior project and used it here.
• UGREEN USB to Ethernet Adapter (USB 3.0 1000Mbps Ethernet Adapter) – This adapter worked for providing Ethernet networking capability.
• Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter for Windows – Provides audio output through a 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Official Keyboard and Mouse Value Pack – A nice keyboard and mouse for the Raspberry Pi. It also has a 3 port USB Hub built in which is pretty handy for adding an XBox 360 style controller.

Quick Installation Steps

The following steps will help you get up and running quickly with Windows on your Raspberry Pi. I will be installing Windows 11 Home to a Raspberry Pi 5. However, this should also work on a Pi 4 also.

1. Install and launch PiOS Desktop. If you need a complete walk-through of the Pi 5 and how to setup Pi 5 Desktop, click here for a YouTube video that will assist you with that.
2. Insert your empty SSD, MicroSD, NVMe, USB Stick or other device into the Pi. If you have an existing drive with data on it and want to erase everything on the drive, here are some instructions for using Pi Imager.
3. Visit the Wor-Flasher Github page.
4. Open a Terminal session and copy the following command to the clipboard:
   
   git clone https://github.com/Botspot/wor-flasher
   
5. Then, press ENTER. This will clone/copy the download scripts into a new directory called wor-flasher.
6. Next, copy the following command to the clipboard:
   
   ~/wor-flasher/install-wor-gui.sh
   
7. Then, press ENTER. This will launch the Windows on Raspberry installation wizard.
8. Select the Windows version you wish to install (i.e. Windows 11) from the drop-down.
9. Select the Raspberry Pi version you’ll be using (i.e. PI5) from the drop-down.
10. Click the Next button.
11. Select the language (i.e. en-us English United States) and click the Next button.
12. Select the device you want to flash Windows to and click the Next button. Warning: All data on the target device will be erased.
13. Review your choices in the Installation Overview. If you wish to overclock the Pi (use at your own risk), you can click the Click here section to edit the config.txt file.
14. Now, click the Flash button.
15. install-wor.sh will then run and begin downloading the WoR PE-based installer, Pi5 UEFI firmware, Windows ESD image, format the drive, create the partitions and copy files to the selected drive, etc. This process will take around 7min 28 seconds.
16. Once complete, a dialog will appear showing the Next steps. Review it, then click the Close button.
17. Shutdown the Pi by clicking the Raspberry Pi icon in the upper-left → Logout → Shutdown.
18. Remove the microSD containing Raspberry Pi Desktop from the Pi. Leave the SSD, USB Stick, etc. where you installed Windows connected.
19. Power on the Pi.
20. Windows setup will now begin to boot.
21. Select the version of Windows you wish to install (i.e. Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, etc.) and click the Install button. This process will take around 28 minutes and 54 seconds.
22. Once the install completes, Windows will reboot. It will take another 6 minutes and 14 seconds until you see the Windows Setup wizard.
23. Verify the country or region is correct, click Yes.
24. Verify the keyboard layout or input method is correct, click Yes.
25. Click the Skip button on the second keyboard layout.
26. In Windows 11, no network driver is available and Windows 11 won’t allow you to proceed. To work around that:
    • On the keyboard, press SHIFT+F10. This will pop up a command prompt.
    • Type/enter the following command:
      
      oobe\bypassnro
      
    • Then, press ENTER.
27. Windows will now restart and return back to the installation wizard.
28. Verify the country or region is correct, click Yes.
29. Verify the keyboard layout or input method is correct, click Yes.
30. Click the Skip button on the second keyboard layout.
31. You’ll now see an option for “I don’t have Internet“, click this link.
32. Now you can continue with the Windows 11 installation:
    • Read the License agreement and click Accept.
    • Enter your name and click Next.
    • Enter a password/confirm it by clicking Next.
    • Select and answer 3 security questions followed by Next.
    • Choose the privacy settings and click Accept.
    • Windows will then begin the setup and after about 1 minute and 24 seconds, you should see Windows appear.
33. Congratulations, Windows 11 is now installed on the Pi!

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Change Log

• 2025-01-11 – Guide completion for public release.
• 2025-01-05 – Added the Sound Blaster Play 3 adapter and instructions for installing Windows 11.
• 2025-01-03 – Start to this guide.