When installing Windows, you should normally be able to choose which edition you want to install, such as Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro. In some cases, this selection screen does not appear. Instead, the installer automatically continues without letting you choose the Windows edition. This can cause the wrong edition to be installed, especially if you need Windows Pro but the installer automatically selects another version.
This issue is often caused by the Windows installer detecting an existing license on the computer, or by installation files that are not set to show all available editions.
The solution is to add a small configuration file called ei.cfg to your Windows installation USB.
Step 1: Open Notepad #
Start by opening Notepad in Windows.
You can do this by opening the Start menu, typing Notepad, and selecting the app.
Step 2: Add the Configuration Text #
Copy and paste the following text into Notepad:
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0
Make sure the text is entered exactly as shown above.
Step 3: Save the File as ei.cfg #
Click File and then choose Save As.
Use the following settings:
- File name:
ei.cfg - Save as type:All Files
- Save the file somewhere easy to find, such as your desktop.
It is important that the file is saved as ei.cfg and not ei.cfg.txt.
Step 4: Copy the File to Your Windows USB #
Insert and open your Windows installation USB drive.
Open the folder called:
Sources
Copy the ei.cfg file into this folder.
The file should be located here:
USB drive:\Sources\ei.cfg
Step 5: Restart the Windows Installation #
After the file has been copied to the correct folder:
- Restart the computer.
- Boot from the Windows installation USB.
- Start the Windows installation again.
You should now see the screen where you can choose the Windows edition, such as Windows 11 Pro.
If the Edition List Still Does Not Appear #
If Windows still does not show the edition selection screen, check the following:
- The file is named exactly ei.cfg
- The file is not accidentally saved as ei.cfg.txt
- The file is placed inside the Sources folder
- Your USB installation media contains more than one Windows edition
If Windows hides file extensions, the file may look correct even though it is actually saved as ei.cfg.txt.
To check this, open File Explorer, click View or Show, and enable File name extensions.