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Windows 11 and Windows 10 ISO downloads (official)

Verified 2 min read

Where to get Windows 11 26H2 x64/Arm64 ISOs, Media Creation Tool, Installation Assistant, Enterprise and IoT LTSC evaluations, and what Windows 10 end of support means for downloads.

Windows 11 is the current client release

Section titled “Windows 11 is the current client release”

The download page currently serves the Windows 11 26H2 multi-edition ISO. Home, Pro and Education are the same file; your product key selects the edition at install time.

  • ISO · x64Retail/OEM key selects the edition

    Windows 11 — multi-edition ISO (x64)

    One ISO contains Home/Pro/Edu and unlocks by product key. Pick language and confirm, then the page issues a time-limited link.

    Channel
    Current release: Windows 11 26H2
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • ISO · Arm64Retail/OEM key selects the edition

    Windows 11 — Arm64 ISO

    Separate page because the Installation Assistant and Media Creation Tool are x64-only. Needed for Arm VMs and Snapdragon laptops.

    Channel
    Current release
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • Setup assistant · x64Needs an already-licensed Windows

    Windows 11 Installation Assistant

    Best for upgrading the PC you are sitting at. x64 only; does not create media and cannot be used for a clean disk install from scratch.

    Channel
    In-place upgrade
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • USB/DVD maker · x64Same licence as the installed edition

    Windows 11 Media Creation Tool

    Writes a bootable USB or ISO. x64 only; the Arm64 path is the separate ISO page. On a VM, mount the ISO instead.

    Channel
    Bootable media
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • ISO · Enterprise and Enterprise LTSCTime-limited evaluation, not for production

    Windows 11 Enterprise evaluation

    Includes both the current Enterprise branch and Enterprise LTSC, in many languages. Microsoft states the evaluation window before you register.

    Channel
    Evaluation build
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • ISO · 90-day evaluation90-day evaluation; reinstall, not upgrade

    Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 evaluation

    Microsoft explicitly says: do not upgrade an existing Windows with it — it is a replacement install. Good for kiosk/lab appliances.

    Channel
    LTSC 2024
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • ISO · Insider channelInsider terms; pre-release software

    Windows 11 Insider Preview ISO

    Requires joining the Windows Insider Program with a Microsoft account. Pre-release builds are not a stable lab base — snapshot first.

    Channel
    Dev / Beta channel
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

  • ISO · x64No free security updates after 2025-10-14

    Windows 10 22H2 ISO (end of support)

    Still downloadable, but the page itself warns that Windows 10 no longer receives free updates or security fixes. Use it for legacy testing only.

    Channel
    22H2, last release
    Vendor
    Microsoft
    Open vendor page

Three download buttons, three different jobs

Section titled “Three download buttons, three different jobs”

Microsoft puts three options on one page and does not explain the difference well:

  • Installation Assistant upgrades the machine you are running it on. It does not create media. x64 only.
  • Media Creation Tool writes a bootable USB stick or an ISO file. x64 only. This is what you want for a clean install on physical hardware.
  • Disk image (ISO) is the raw image. This is what you mount in Proxmox, Hyper-V or VMware. Multi-edition, x64 — Arm64 has its own page.

If you are building a VM, skip the tools and take the ISO. The Creation Tool adds a step and no value inside a hypervisor.

x64 and Arm64 are separate downloads

Section titled “x64 and Arm64 are separate downloads”

The Installation Assistant and Media Creation Tool cannot produce Arm64 media; Microsoft states this on the page. Arm64 Windows (Snapdragon laptops, Arm VMs on Apple silicon or Ampere hosts) needs the separate Arm64 ISO page.

Windows 10: still downloadable, no longer supported

Section titled “Windows 10: still downloadable, no longer supported”

The Windows 10 ISO page still works, and it now carries the warning itself: after 2025-10-14 Windows 10 no longer receives free software updates, technical support or security fixes.

What that means practically:

  • Fine for reproducing an old bug, testing a legacy app, or reading an old registry layout.
  • Not fine for anything reachable from a network you do not control.
  • Extended Security Updates exist for organisations under a paid programme; this site does not cover bypasses.

Evaluations are not the same as “free Windows”

Section titled “Evaluations are not the same as “free Windows””

Windows 11 Enterprise evaluation gives you Enterprise and Enterprise LTSC images in many languages — useful when you need Group Policy, AppLocker or BitLocker behaviour that Home/Pro will not show you. It is time-limited; Microsoft states the window before you register.

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 evaluation is a 90-day build aimed at fixed-function devices. Microsoft’s own note is blunt: do not upgrade an existing Windows with it, it is a replacement install that reformats the disk.

Insider Preview ISOs require joining the Insider programme with a Microsoft account. They are pre-release builds — good for seeing what changes, bad as the base of a lab you plan to keep. Snapshot first; some builds cannot be rolled back.

After you download

Section titled “After you download”
  1. Hash the file (Get-FileHash) and compare with the value on the same vendor page and language.
  2. For a VM: attach the ISO, boot, and load VirtIO storage drivers during setup — otherwise the disk list is empty.
  3. Install, then run Windows Update before adding roles or applications.
  4. Record the build number; “Windows 11” is not a version. This site’s lab, for reference, runs 26H2 build 26300.9457.
Section titled “Related”

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