September 21, 2026

Windows Server 2025 Installation Guide – Complete Step-by-Step Setup for Mini PCs Announcements Buyer Guide Comprehensive Tips Occasion Product Review Q&A Tutorials Table of Contents Before You Begin – What You Need to Know Preparation – Download ISO & Tools Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive with Rufus Step 2: Boot from USB and Enter Setup Step 3: Install Windows Server 2025 Step 4: Install Device Drivers Step 5: Activate Windows Server 2025 Troubleshooting & FAQ Before You Begin – What You Need to Know Who Is This Guide For? This tutorial is designed for beginners who want to install Windows Server 2025 on a HYSTOU mini PC or any compatible x86-64 desktop/server hardware. No prior server administration experience is required — just follow the five steps in order.Whether you are setting up a small-business server, a home lab, or an edge computing node, this guide walks you through the entire process from scratch. Prerequisites at a Glance Item Details Target OS Windows Server 2025 Standard (Desktop Experience) USB Flash Drive 1 × 16 GB or larger (USB 3.0 recommended) Working PC 1 × internet-connected computer (Windows or macOS) Required Software Windows Server 2025 ISO image (~7.9 GB) + Rufus (free) Estimated Time 40–60 minutes (excluding download time) Target Device HYSTOU mini PC or compatible system with UEFI boot support Three Concepts to Understand First Bootable USB drive: You will “write” the ISO image onto a USB flash drive, turning it into a bootable installation disc. During setup, the target machine boots from this USB instead of its internal hard drive. A clean install erases all data: The installation process will delete every partition on the target disk. Make sure no important files remain on the drive before you begin. Windows Server vs. regular Windows: Windows Server is a server-class operating system. After installation, the desktop looks similar to Windows 10/11, but it does not include the Microsoft Store or consumer apps by default. Only editions labeled “Desktop Experience” include a graphical interface — the Server Core variant offers a command-line-only environment and is not recommended for beginners. Important: This guide assumes you are installing on a brand-new machine or that all data on the target drive has already been backed up. Always back up before proceeding! Preparation – Download the Windows Server 2025 ISO and Rufus What You’ll Need Material Quantity Purpose Notes USB Flash Drive 1 (≥ 16 GB) Create bootable installation media Will be formatted — do not store important files on it; USB 3.0 for faster writes Internet-connected PC 1 Download ISO and create bootable USB Windows or macOS Windows Server 2025 ISO 1 (~7.9 GB) Installation source file Download link below Rufus 1 (free) Write ISO to USB Portable app — no installation needed Target host 1 Machine to install the OS on UEFI boot support recommended Download the Windows Server 2025 ISO Image Open the official Microsoft distribution page for Windows Server ISOs: https://massgrave.dev/windows-server-links Locate the Windows Server 2025 section and click the download link. On the download page, select English as the language and choose the edition you need, then click Download. Recommended edition: Windows Server 2025 Standard (Desktop Experience) — ideal for most small-business and single-server scenarios. Wait for the download to complete (~7.9 GB). Verify the file size matches the value shown on the page to ensure the download is complete. Download Rufus (Bootable USB Creator) Visit the official Rufus website: https://rufus.ie/en Click the Download button at the top of the page to get the latest version (e.g., rufus-4.x.exe). No installation required — simply double-click the .exe file to launch Rufus. Step 1: Create a Bootable USB Drive Using Rufus Warning: This step will format your USB drive and erase all data on it. Confirm that no important files are stored on the drive before continuing. 1.1 Select Your USB Drive and ISO File Insert the USB flash drive into your working computer’s USB port and open Rufus. In the “Device” dropdown, select your USB flash drive. Verify by checking the drive letter and capacity. Click “Select” next to “Boot selection” and browse to the downloaded Windows Server 2025 ISO file. Rufus will automatically detect the image and display “Windows Server 2025.” Set the following options: Partition scheme: GPT Target system: UEFI (non-CSM) Leave all other settings at their defaults. Click “START” at the bottom. 1.2 Configure and Wait for Completion When the “Windows User Experience” dialog appears, check options 1 and 2, then configure additional options as needed. A second warning will confirm that all data on the USB drive will be destroyed. Click “OK” to proceed. Watch the progress bar at the bottom. It will change from orange to green, and the status will display “READY” when the process is complete. Safely eject the USB drive using the system tray icon (“Safely Remove Hardware”). Note: After creating the bootable USB, the drive will show less available space than its original capacity. This is normal — the ISO has been written to the drive. To restore the USB for regular use, reformat it through Disk Management. Step 2: Boot from USB and Enter the Windows Setup 2.1 Access the Boot Menu on Your Mini PC Insert the bootable USB drive into the target HYSTOU mini PC. Tip: Use a rear USB port for better compatibility. Press the power button to turn on the machine. Immediately and repeatedly tap the F11 or F7 key on your keyboard (tap rapidly — do not hold the key). The exact key varies by BIOS manufacturer: AMI BIOS: F7 Phoenix / Award BIOS: F11 HYSTOU default: F11 When the Boot Menu appears, stop pressing the key. If the system boots normally or shows a black screen, restart and try again more quickly. 2.2 Select the USB Drive from the Boot Menu In the Boot Menu, use the arrow keys to find the entry with the “UEFI:” prefix, for example: UEFI: USB DISK 2.0 PMAP UEFI: SanDisk 16GB Press Enter to select it. The system