Install Windows 11/10 Using an Ethernet Cable

Windows /

Do you want to install Windows 10 or Windows 11 without using any USB drive? In this guide, I will show you how to install Windows using only an Ethernet cable.

This method is useful when you do not have a USB drive, your USB port is not working, or you want to install Windows over your local network. Instead of creating a bootable USB drive, we will create a small network boot server on another Windows computer.

For this process, we will use a tool called Serva. Serva allows the target PC to boot through the network and load the Windows installer directly through an Ethernet cable.

Important: Always use an official Windows ISO file and activate Windows with a genuine license. Also, installing Windows can erase data from the target computer, so back up your important files before continuing.

What You Need

For this tutorial, you need two computers:

  • Server PC: This computer should already have Windows installed. We will use it as the network boot server.
  • Target PC: This is the computer where you want to install Windows 10 or Windows 11.

You also need:

  • An Ethernet cable
  • Windows 10 or Windows 11 ISO file
  • Serva Community edition
  • PXE or network boot support on the target PC

Download Required Files

First, download the official Windows ISO file from Microsoft. You can use either Windows 10 or Windows 11 ISO. In this guide, I will show you how to add both Windows 10 and Windows 11, so the setup will work like a multi-boot Windows installer over Ethernet.

Download Official Windows ISO

Next, download Serva Community edition from the official Serva website.

Download Serva

Step 1: Connect Both Computers Using Ethernet Cable

First, connect the server PC and the target PC using an Ethernet cable.

For this tutorial, we are directly connecting both computers with one Ethernet cable. You do not need a router for this setup.

Keep the target PC powered on for now. This is important because if the second PC is turned off, the Ethernet adapter on the server PC may show a red cross or show the Network cable unplugged message.

Step 2: Set Static IP Address on the Server PC

Now, on the server PC, we need to set a static IP address on the Ethernet adapter.

Open the Network Connections window. You can open it by pressing Windows + R, typing the following command, and pressing Enter:

ncpa.cpl

Now right-click your Ethernet adapter and click on Properties.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then click on Properties.

Now select Use the following IP address and enter these details:

  • IP address: 192.168.10.1
  • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Default gateway: Leave blank
  • DNS server: Leave blank

After entering these details, click on OK and close all windows.

Step 3: Download and Open Serva

Now download the free Community version of Serva from the official website.

After downloading, extract the ZIP file. Inside the extracted folder, you will see the Serva application.

Right-click the Serva 64-bit application and select Run as administrator.

Running Serva as administrator is important because it needs permission to run network services like TFTP and DHCP.

Step 4: Configure TFTP Server in Serva

When Serva opens, go to Settings.

First, open the TFTP tab.

Here, enable TFTP Server.

Then enable the option to bind TFTP to a specific address. From the list, select the static IP address we created earlier:

192.168.10.1

Now we need to set the root directory for Serva.

Open your C drive and create a new folder named:

Serva_Root

Now go back to Serva and select this folder as the root directory.

Step 5: Configure DHCP Server in Serva

Next, go to the DHCP tab inside Serva settings.

Enable DHCP Server.

Again, bind DHCP to the same static IP address:

192.168.10.1

Now set the IP range that Serva will give to the target computer.

Use these settings:

  • Starting IP address: 192.168.10.100
  • Pool size: 10
  • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Router: Leave blank
  • DNS: Leave blank

Because we are directly connecting both computers using an Ethernet cable, we do not need to enter router or DNS details.

After configuring these settings, click on OK.

Step 6: Restart Serva

Now close Serva completely and open it again as administrator.

This restart is important because after restarting, Serva will automatically create the required folders inside the root directory.

Now open the Serva_Root folder from your C drive. Here, you should see some new folders created by Serva.

The important folder for this tutorial is:

WIA_WDS

We need to copy the Windows installation files inside this folder.

Step 7: Create Windows 10 and Windows 11 Folders

Now open the WIA_WDS folder.

Inside this folder, create two new folders:

Windows10
Windows11

Do not use spaces in these folder names. This is very important. Use Windows10 and Windows11 instead of names like Windows 10 or Windows 11.

In this tutorial, we are adding both Windows 10 and Windows 11 installers. So later, during network boot, we can choose which Windows version we want to install.

Step 8: Copy Windows ISO Files to Serva Folder

Now mount your Windows 10 ISO file first.

To mount the ISO, right-click the Windows 10 ISO file and click on Mount.

After mounting, open the mounted drive. Select all files and folders inside the ISO and copy them.

Now paste those files inside this folder:

C:\Serva_Root\WIA_WDS\Windows10

After that, mount your Windows 11 ISO file.

Open the mounted Windows 11 ISO drive, select all files and folders, and copy them to this folder:

C:\Serva_Root\WIA_WDS\Windows11

Now both Windows 10 and Windows 11 installation files are ready inside the Serva folder.

Step 9: Share the WIA_WDS Folder

Now we need to share the WIA_WDS folder on the network. This allows the target PC to access the Windows installation files during setup.

Right-click the WIA_WDS folder and click on Properties.

Go to the Sharing tab and click on Advanced Sharing.

Enable Share this folder.

Now change the share name to:

WIA_WDS_SHARE

This share name is important, so make sure you type it correctly.

Now click on Permissions. Select Everyone and allow Full Control.

Click on Apply, then click on OK.

Now go back to the Sharing tab and click on Share.

Add Everyone and set the permission level to Read/Write.

Then click on Share and complete the sharing process.

Step 10: Enable Network Sharing in Windows

Now we need to make sure network sharing is enabled on the server PC.

Open Network and Sharing Center, then open Advanced sharing settings.

Turn on these options:

  • Network discovery
  • File and printer sharing

Enable these options for both private and public networks.

Also, under All Networks, enable Public folder sharing.

After changing these settings, save the changes.

Step 11: Create a Local User Account for Serva

Now we need to create a local user account. This account will be used by the target PC to access the shared Windows installer folder during network installation.

The easiest method is to create this user using Command Prompt.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run this command:

net user serva 12345 /add /expires:never

This command creates a local user account named serva with the password 12345.

Later, when Serva asks for network login details during installation, use these details:

  • Username: serva
  • Password: 12345

You can change the username and password if you want, but for this tutorial, we are keeping it simple.

Once the command runs successfully, close Command Prompt.

Step 12: Let Serva Process Windows Installers

Now open Serva again as administrator and wait for a few seconds.

Serva will scan the WIA_WDS folder and process both Windows folders.

If everything is configured correctly, you should see messages like:

Injected OK
Created OK
Expanded OK
Copied OK
WIA_WDS_SHARE OK

These messages mean Serva has successfully prepared the Windows installers.

Now keep Serva open and running. Do not close it. At this point, the server computer is ready.

Step 13: Enable Network Boot on the Target PC

Now go to the second computer where you want to install Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Since the target PC was powered on earlier, first power it off.

Now turn it back on and enter the BIOS or UEFI settings.

Before booting from the network, make sure network boot is enabled in the BIOS.

For example, on some Dell OptiPlex systems, you need to go to System Configuration, then select Integrated NIC. Here, enable UEFI Network Stack and select Enabled with PXE.

The exact option may be different depending on your motherboard or laptop brand. Look for options like:

  • PXE Boot
  • Network Boot
  • LAN Boot
  • UEFI Network Stack
  • Boot from Onboard NIC

After enabling network boot, apply the changes and exit BIOS.

Step 14: Boot from Ethernet Using PXE

Now open the boot menu on the target PC.

On many Dell systems, the boot menu key is F12. On other brands, it can be F9, F11, Esc, or another key.

In the boot menu, select:

Onboard NIC IPv4

Do not select IPv6. For this method, select IPv4.

After selecting Onboard NIC IPv4, the target PC will try to get an IP address from the Serva server.

If everything is configured correctly, the target PC will receive an IP address, load the PXE boot files, and show the Serva boot menu.

Step 15: Choose Windows 10 or Windows 11 from Serva Boot Menu

In the Serva boot menu, you should see both installer options:

Windows10
Windows11

This setup works almost like a multi-boot USB. Instead of keeping only one Windows installer, we added both Windows 10 and Windows 11 to the server.

Now select the Windows version you want to install.

For example, if you want to install Windows 11, select Windows11.

Step 16: Enter Network Credentials

After selecting the Windows installer, Serva may ask for network credentials.

Enter the username and password we created earlier:

  • Username: serva
  • Password: 12345

Then connect.

After this, the Windows setup should start, just like a normal bootable USB installer.

Step 17: Install Windows Normally

Once the Windows setup starts, the remaining process is almost the same as installing Windows from a USB drive.

Select your language, time format, and keyboard layout. Then click on Install now.

When asked for the installation type, select:

Custom: Install Windows only

Now select the drive where you want to install Windows.

Warning: Be careful while selecting or deleting partitions. Choosing the wrong drive or deleting partitions can remove your important data.

After selecting the installation drive, click on Next.

Now Windows will start installing. The installation files are coming from the server PC through the Ethernet cable.

A wired Ethernet connection is usually stable and fast enough for this process.

Step 18: Complete Windows Installation

After the first stage of installation is complete, the target PC will restart.

After restarting, Windows will continue the installation normally.

Now complete the Windows setup process, create your user account, connect to the internet if needed, and finish the setup.

That’s it. You have successfully installed Windows 10 or Windows 11 using an Ethernet cable without using a USB drive.

Why Use This Method?

This method is helpful in many situations. For example, if you do not have a USB drive, you can still install Windows using another computer and an Ethernet cable.

It is also useful when your target computer has a damaged USB port or when you want to create a reusable Windows installation setup over your local network.

The best part is that you can keep multiple Windows installers inside Serva. In this guide, we added both Windows 10 and Windows 11, so we can choose the required installer from the network boot menu.

Troubleshooting

Target PC is not getting an IP address

If the target PC is not getting an IP address, check these things:

  • Make sure Serva is running as administrator.
  • Make sure DHCP Server is enabled in Serva.
  • Make sure DHCP is bound to 192.168.10.1.
  • Make sure both PCs are connected with the Ethernet cable.
  • Make sure the target PC is booting from IPv4, not IPv6.
  • Temporarily disable firewall if it is blocking Serva.

Serva boot menu is not showing

If the Serva boot menu does not appear, check these things:

  • Make sure TFTP Server is enabled in Serva.
  • Make sure TFTP is bound to 192.168.10.1.
  • Make sure network boot or PXE boot is enabled in BIOS.
  • Make sure you selected Onboard NIC IPv4 from the boot menu.
  • Restart Serva and try again.

Windows folder is not detected by Serva

If Serva does not detect the Windows folders, check these things:

  • Make sure Windows files are inside WIA_WDS.
  • Make sure the folder names do not contain spaces.
  • Use folder names like Windows10 and Windows11.
  • Make sure you copied all files from the mounted ISO.
  • Close and reopen Serva as administrator.

Network credentials are not working

If the username and password do not work, make sure the local user account was created properly.

You can run the command again in Command Prompt as administrator:

net user serva 12345 /add /expires:never

Also, make sure the WIA_WDS folder is shared with the share name:

WIA_WDS_SHARE

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install Windows without USB?

Yes, you can install Windows without a USB drive by using PXE boot and a network boot server like Serva.

Can I install Windows 11 using an Ethernet cable?

Yes, you can install Windows 11 using an Ethernet cable if your target PC supports PXE or network boot.

Can I install Windows 10 using the same method?

Yes, this method also works for Windows 10. You can add Windows 10 files inside the WIA_WDS folder and boot it from the Serva menu.

Do I need a router for this method?

No, for this tutorial we directly connected both computers using an Ethernet cable. Serva provides the required DHCP service to the target PC.

Can I add both Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Yes, you can add both Windows 10 and Windows 11 by creating separate folders inside the WIA_WDS folder. This makes the setup work like a multi-boot Windows installer over Ethernet.

Should I use IPv4 or IPv6 for PXE boot?

For this method, use IPv4. In the boot menu, select Onboard NIC IPv4 and avoid IPv6.

Conclusion

So that is how you can install Windows 10 or Windows 11 using an Ethernet cable without using any USB drive.

We used one Windows computer as the server PC, configured Serva, added Windows 10 and Windows 11 ISO files, shared the required folder, and then booted the target PC over the network using PXE boot.

This is a very useful method if you do not have a USB drive, your USB port is not working, or you want to create a reusable Windows installation setup over your local network.

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