How to Download and Install Windows 11 From an ISO File – Guide
If you’re still waiting for Windows Update, you can upgrade to an official version of the operating system without joining the Windows Insider Program. But what if you’re still waiting for Windows Update, a process that can take months? What if you just want to launch Windows 11 on an old or experimental PC without first installing an activated copy of Windows 10? Or if you want to start over without wiping out all your old programs and settings?
You can download Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft. This is a good way to get a new build of Windows 11 without having to go through the hassle of installing it yourself. You can also use tools from a website called UUP Dump to download a file from Microsoft’s update server and create a fully customized ISO. However, this method has some drawbacks. First, it may not be as up-to-date as the release build of Windows 11. Second, it may not work with all devices or systems. Finally, you may have to use Aveyo’s open source Universal MediaCreationTool to create an ISO that bypasses the TPM requirement.
To create a bootable USB flash drive or install Windows 11 in a virtual machine, you will use the Windows 11 ISO file. You can even get away with giving up the product key so you can run the new OS completely for free (at least for now).
Register for the Windows Insider Program
To get access to the Windows 11 ISO file, you will need to be part of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program. To participate in this program, you will need to use a Microsoft account. Open the Windows Insider page and sign in with the Microsoft account you want to use. On the registration page, check the box to accept the terms of this agreement and click Register now. On the next page, click on the Flight Now button to learn more about the Insider program. ..
Download ISO file
To download the Windows 11 Insider Preview ISO file, sign in with your Microsoft account and select the appropriate channel: Windows 11 Insider Preview (Dev Channel) or Windows 11 Insider Preview (Beta Channel). The Dev channel contains the latest features and updates for Windows 11, but it may be more unstable. The Beta channel contains features and updates that have already been polished by Microsoft and are more stable. ..
If you plan to use Windows 11 in a test environment, you want to get the latest version features, and don’t mind a few bugs, the Dev channel is the way to go. Otherwise, the Beta channel may be more appropriate. (You can also download two copies of the ISO file, one for the Dev channel and one for the Beta channel, if you want to test both in different environments.) Anyway, select the desired channel and click Confirm. Then select the product language and click Confirm. Click on Download button for the build and language you chose and save the file to your PC. Once the file is downloaded, you can work with the ISO file in a few different ways:
To define Up a virtual machine
If you plan to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine, you can use the ISO file directly. I tried two free VM products with Windows 11 VMware Workstation Player and Oracle VM VirtualBox. VMware Workstation accepted the Windows 11 Preview edition without any problems; Oracle VM VirtualBox had some issues, although I was able to get it working with a few tweaks. ..
When you create a virtual machine, VMware Workstation Player asks for the location and name of the installer disk image file. Browse and select the downloaded Windows 11 ISO file. Click Next and follow the steps to set up the VM and install Windows 11.
Install the file directly
If you want to install Windows 11 directly on your current PC from the ISO file, you first need to mount the file. Open File Explorer in Windows 10 or 8.1, right-click the Windows 11 ISO file and select Mount from the pop-up window. Sometimes a third-party program disables the built-in Mount command so that it doesn’t appear up on the menu. In that case, you will have to reset your default program to revive the command. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps and scroll to the bottom of the page. Click the Set Defaults Per Application link. In the list of applications, click Windows Disc Image Burner and click Manage. ..
Go back to File Explorer and right-click the ISO file again. The Assemble command should now appear on the menu. Running the Mount command opens a virtual drive visible in the File Explorer sidebar, from which you can install Windows 11. This virtual drive contains the setup.exe file. Double-click this file to install Windows 11. When finished, right-click the virtual drive and select the Eject command. This removes the virtual drive, although your ISO file remains intact. Click Windows Explorer and change its default application to .iso ..
Burn the ISO file to a disc or USB drive
Another option is to burn the ISO file to a disc to install Windows 11 on any computer. However, the Windows 11 ISO file is more than 5GB in size, which means it cannot fit on a standard DVD. Instead, you would have to use a dual-layer or dual-layer (DL) DVD, which can store 8.5GB of data, as long as your drive supports these types of discs.
Open File Explorer and right-click the ISO file. From the pop-up menu, select the Burn Disc Image command. The Windows Disc Image Burner tool appears up and it should point to the DVD or Blu-ray drive. Click Record. Depending on the installation settings, you can install the program from disk automatically by placing it on a PC drive or by double-clicking the installation file on the disk as displayed in File Explorer.
To burn an ISO file to a disk or USB:
- Open Windows USB/DVD Download Tool.
- Choose the ISO file you want to burn.
- Click the “Burn” button.
- Follow the prompts to complete the burning process.
- The ISO file will be burned to a disk or USB drive and become bootable.
After downloading Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool-Installer.exe file, right click on it and choose Run as administrator option. Once the installation is complete, launch the tool, then browse and choose the ISO file you want to burn or copy. Click Next and choose a USB device or DVD. If you choose USB, the next screen will ask you to insert USB media. If you have more than one USB drive connected to your PC, make sure you choose the right one. Click Start Copy to copy the file to the drive.
If the USB drive still contains data, it will be erased. To free up space for Windows files, click Erase USB Drive. After the files are copied, the tool will inform you that the bootable USB device has been successfully created. You can then use your USB device to install the program. If you choose a DVD, insert a blank dual layer/double layer DVD or Blu-ray disc into your drive and click Start Burning. The tool will inform you when the DVD is successfully burned. Now you can use your bootable DVD to install the program.
Final note
If you’re looking to install Windows 11 from an ISO file, this guide will show you how. ..
