How to get the Windows 11 ISO
There are two ways to install Windows 11; you can install it via Windows Update, or you can create installation media. Neither method is difficult. With Windows Update, you have to wait for Windows 11 to be rolled out to your system. If your system doesn’t have a whitelisted CPU, Windows Update won’t allow you install it. You can create installation media with the Media Creation tool.
Get Windows 11 ISO
The Windows 11 media Creation tool will download and burn the Windows 11 ISO file to a USB for you. Unfortunately, after the ISO has been burned, the ISO file is removed from your system. You cannot copy or back it up anywhere. If you’d like to get the Windows 11 ISO file, you need to change how you use the media creation tool. Alternatively, you can directly download the ISO from Microsoft.
Download Windows 11 ISO – Media Creation tool
To download the Windows 11 ISO file using the Media Creation tool, follow these steps.
- Download the Windows 11 Media Creation tool from the Microsoft website.
- Run the Media Creation tool.
- Accept the user license agreement.
- Select the Windows edition you want to download.
- Select the language you want to use Windows 11 in.
- When presented with the option to download the ISO file or burn it to a USB, select the Save ISO file option.
- Select where you want to save the ISO file.
- Click Next and the download will start.
- Once download is complete, you will find the Windows 11 ISO file where you saved it.
Download Windows 11 ISO – Direct download
To download the Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft;
- Visit the Windows 11 download page.
- Scroll down to the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) section.
- Select Windows 11 from the dropdown.
- Select a language.
- Click the Download button.
Burn Windows 11 ISO to USB
Once you have the ISO file, you’re free to copy or back it up wherever you like. When you use it to install Windows 11 though, you will need to first burn it to a USB drive. The Media Creation tool won’t be of any use here. It does not burn the ISO once you’ve downloaded it unless you choose the burn to USB option before you begin the download.
To burn the Windows 11 ISO file to a USB, you need to use a third-party tool. For Windows 11, we recommend using Rufus. The ISO file is 4.5GB in size. Make sure you have at least an 8GB USB drive. The USB drive should be on the NTFS file system and you should select the GPT partition style in Rufus. The burning process takes a little time, sometimes upto thirty-minutes so be patient.
Conclusion
The Windows 11 ISO will let you install the OS but you will still be prompted to enter a license key. If your system came with Windows 10 installed, and you’re upgrading to Windows 11, the new OS will read the license key from your motherboard. You should also connect your Windows 10 license to a Microsoft Account. It will allow you to verify you have a genuine Windows copy far more easily.
