Which Format Should I Use to Create a Bootable Windows 11 USB Drive?

Using Rufus to create your bootable drive is a great idea. It takes care of all the formatting and partitioning automatically, and you'll even get options like bypassing the Microsoft account requirement.

For UEFI compatibility, you should use FAT32 as the format. The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool formats USB drives as FAT32 by default, which splits large install files to fit. If you're using other methods, NTFS is preferred for larger install files.

I recommend using the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool for your installation. It will format the USB drive for you automatically, all you need to do is select the drive letter in the tool. If you're going the manual route and using something like PowerShell, then NTFS is generally the better choice.

It actually doesn't make much difference which format you choose. The tool you're using, whether it's the Microsoft Media Creation Tool, Rufus, or something else, will format the drive correctly based on what you select.

Personally, I always stick with NTFS. It's more modern and reliable, especially if you're working with larger files. But keep in mind that if you need compatibility with older devices, FAT32 could be more convenient.