Windows 10

When a new version of Windows 10 is released, Microsoft also releases new ISO disk images of the operating system to perform make clean installs or create a bootable recovery environment. This article provides ii means you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO images from Microsoft.

An ISO image is a sector-past-sector copy of the Windows DVD stored as a single '.iso' file on your computer. Yous tin and so burn this ISO file onto another DVD, create a bootable USB bulldoze, mount it every bit a drive letter of the alphabet in Windows, or extract its files using 7-Zip.

ISO images are handy as they allow you to create bootable media that tin can be used as a recovery environment for troubleshooting or performing clean installs of the latest Windows 10. You can also employ them to make Windows x virtual machines using Hyper-V, VirtualBox, or VMware.

Microsoft recommends using their Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (MCT) to download the latest ISO epitome or create a bootable USB drive.

This commodity will evidence you how to use the MCT to download the latest ISO or trick Microsoft's site into letting you download the ISO images directly instead.

Method one: Employ the Media Creation Tool to create an ISO

Microsoft offers a tool called the Media Creation Tool that lets you download the latest Windows ten ISO to a file or burn down it to a USB drive.

To use the Media Creation Tool to get the latest ISO, please follow these steps:

  1. Visit the Windows ten download folio using your web browser.
  2. Nether 'Create Windows ten installation media,' click on the 'Download tool now' link and save the executable. At the time of this writing, the MCT executable is named MediaCreationTool20H2.exe.
  3. Once downloaded, run the program, and Windows will prompt you for permission to allow it to run. At this prompt, click Yes, and the MCT will load and prepare a few things before it tin can proceed.

    MCT: Getting things ready

  4. When done, you will be shown a license agreement. To keep, click on theTake button.
  5. The tool will now state it is 'Getting a few things ready,' and when done, display a prompt asking if you would like to upgrade the computer or 'Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for some other PC.

    What do you want to do?

    At this prompt, select the Create installation media option and and so printing the Next button.
  6. The Media Cosmos Tool will now download and verify the necessary files to create an ISO or a bootable USB bulldoze. This process can take some fourth dimension, and then delight exist patient.

    Downloading Windows 10 files

  7. When done, the MCT volition ask what linguistic communication, compages, and Windows edition you want for your ISO image. Past default, the MCT will use your local language and architecture, but y'all can uncheck Apply the recommended options for this PC checkbox to select other options.

    When done, click on theNext push.

    Select language, architecture, and edition

  8. Yous will at present exist asked if you wish to create a bootable USB drive or a Windows 10 ISO. Equally we are creating an ISO file, select the ISO file option and pressSide by side.

    Create a USB drive or ISO file

  9. Yous will now be prompted to select a location to save your ISO file. Select a folder to save the ISO file to, and and then click on theSave push.
  10. The Media Creation Tool volition now create the ISO file in the specified location. Please exist patient while the file is created.

    Creating the ISO file

  11. When the Media Creation Tool has finished creating the ISO, you tin close the program by clicking on the Endpush.

    Windows 10 ISO created

You will now have the latest Windows 10 ISO paradigm file saved to your binder, which tin can be used for virtual machines or to create bootable media at a later date.

Method two: Download the latest Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft

When you become to Microsoft's "Download Windows 10" folio, you are only given the option to update to a new version using Windows Update or to using the Microsoft Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.

However, it is possible to trick Microsoft'south Windows 10 download page into offering an ISO epitome instead by changing your browser's user amanuensis to a non-Windows operating system.

To download the latest Windows 10 ISO image, please follow these steps:

  1. Become to the Windows ten download page in whatsoever Chromium-based browser, such as Chrome or the new Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click on the Chrome carte du jour, thenMore Tools,then click onDeveloper tools,as shown below.

    Chrome-dev

  3. Now press theCtrl + Shift + M keyboard combination to open the Device toolbar. This toolbar lets you impersonate another device, such as a mobile phone or a tablet. When switching to another device, information technology as well changes the browser's user agent, which the website uses to identify a visitor's operating system.

    Click on the card that showsResponsive and select iPad or iPad Pro so that y'all can view the folio amend.

    Chrome emulation

  4. When you first select one of these devices, the screen size will be set to 50%. Please change it to 100%, as shown below, and so that y'all tin see the spider web page better.

    Change zoom level

  5. At present press the F5 central on your keyboard to refresh the page, and Microsoft's site volition now offer yous the Windows 10 ISO instead of the Media Creation Tool.

    Now click on the drop-down arrow under 'Select edition' and select the 'Windows ten' option under the proper name of the latest feature update. At the time of this article'south writing, the latest version is Windows ten 20H2, otherwise known as the Windows 10 October 2020 Update.

    In one case selected, click on theOstend push.

    Select Windows 10 October 2020 Update

  6. After a few seconds, Microsoft's site will now ask yous to select your ISO's product language.

    Select Language

    Select your language and press the Confirm button again.
  7. Finally, you will be asked whether you want to download a 32-bit or 64-fleck version of the Windows 10 ISO. Most people want to download the 64-bit version of Windows 10.

    Select type

  8. When you click on the download push button, yous will be asked what folder you wish to salve the ISO file, as shown below. After selecting the folder to save the ISO, click on theSave push button to download it.

    Download Windows 10 ISO

    The current ISO image is 5.eight GB, so it may take some time to download depending on your Internet connection speed.

The ISO download link generated by Microsoft's site will remain valid for 24 hours and be shared with other people during that time frame. Afterward 24 hours, the link will no longer work, and you will need to create a new ane again using the above steps.

What should you exercise with the ISO?

Now that you have a copy of the latest Windows 10 ISO image, you may be wondering what y'all should practice with it.

This ISO image tin can at present exist mounted in virtual machines to upgrade a Windows installation or install a new one. Yous can as well extract the ISO file to find a particular Windows system file.

Finally, you lot can utilise the ISO paradigm and a gratuitous utility like Rufus or Universal USB Installer to create a bootable Windows x USB drive.

However, if the goal was to create bootable media, it would have been easier to have the Media Creation Tool make it for you, equally explained in the steps above.

Once you create a bootable Windows 10 USB drive or Windows x DVD, you lot can use it to perform a clean install of Windows x. A clean install is when you lot completely reformat a PC and reinstall Windows 10, so you accept a clean installation of the operating system without any additional software or drivers.

Some other common use for bootable Windows x USB drives is that they can be used as a recovery environment to remove malware and troubleshoot Windows 10 crashes, bugs, and freezes.

Windows 10 Recovery Environment
Windows ten Recovery Surroundings

For either purpose, you need a spare USB drive that tin can exist used to create the bootable Windows 10 USB media.

If you do non take a spare USB drive, you tin purchase a 32GB Sandisk bulldoze for about $viii.99 or a 5-pack of 64GB USB drives for $24 on Amazon.

BleepingComputer strongly recommends that every Windows user creates bootable Windows ten USB media that tin exist used for troubleshooting.

We have used the Windows x Recovery Environment many times in the past to troubleshoot problems in Windows. Having the bootable USB Windows media bachelor can save a lot of frustration when your PC is not working correctly.

Update 1/2/2021: Added info on using the MCT every bit well.