How to Download Windows 10 ISO image: Microsoft and with Tool

For any of the reasons we’ve listed, we may need a Windows 10 ISO . Until a few years ago, it was normal to have an operating system installation CD or DVD, but with the passage of time developers no longer offer them and instead choose to download an image in ISO format from the Internet.

Before we get on to the topic of how to download a Windows 10 ISO, let’s see exactly what that ISO image is. An ISO image is a special file that contains an exact copy or image of a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray file system. It is governed by the ISO 9660 standard, which also serves to give it its name.

When it comes to burning or “mounting” it in the system as one more unit, we will need a program such as CDBurnerXP, Easy CD Creator, PowerISO, ImgBurn, Nero Burning ROM, Roxio Creator, ISO Maker, UltraISO or Daemon Tools. In the case of the Windows 10 ISO, we will have to copy it to a DVD to proceed with its installation.

Download from Microsoft

And without further ado, we will explain how to download a Windows 10 ISO file . The first thing we have to do is visit Microsoft’s Download Windows 10 website. This is the only official source to get the Windows 10 ISO, and its download from torrent, eMule or direct download is not recommended due to possible risks related to malware.

Microsoft recommends downloading the Windows 10 ISO in these two cases:

• You have a license to install Windows 10. This PC is updating from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.
• You need to reinstall Windows 10 on a computer where you have already successfully activated Windows 10.

Be that as it may, to download the ISO we must have the tool to create installation media , be it a USB memory, DVD or ISO file. As prerequisites to the download, we must meet the following:

• Internet connection.
• Sufficient storage space available to save the download to a computer, USB device, or external drive.
• An empty USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space or a blank DVD.

In addition, we must take into account some things such as knowing if we need the 64-bit or 32-bit version , although it is most likely the first. This is important as we created this version with the download tool.

After knowing the requirements and some previous questions , we go with the download of the tool . This button will download MediaCreationTool.exe in a few seconds on the PC and with that we can start working to download a Windows ISO.

We will open that executable file and we will see a window of it that tells us that some preparations are being made. This process may take a few seconds or longer, but we will wait for it to finish before continuing. The first thing is to accept the applicable license terms and notices in order to continue.

“Some preparations” will be made again in order to continue with the process. Now you have to click on “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD or ISO file) for another PC” and click next.

Now comes what we mentioned at the beginning, which involves choosing Language, Edition and Architecture . If we do nothing, the default options of the computer we are using will remain. If you want the ISO to reinstall Windows 10 on this PC, it is best not to change anything. Finally, just in case, in Architecture we can choose 32 bits, 64 bits or both with the two versions. We will click Next.

We have reached an important step that will create an installation USB or an ISO image of Windows 10 to later burn it to DVD. We will choose “ISO File” and click Next to continue.

A Windows explorer window will open for us to choose where to save the Windows 10 ISO file that we are going to download . By default it is in Documents or My Documents, but we can save it wherever we want. Once the destination is chosen, we will click on Save and the process will begin.

Depending on the speed of the Internet, it will take a few or several minutes to download. When the process is finished, we will see the following screen indicating the location where the Windows 10 ISO has been saved.

We will click on Finish to finish. In case of having to install Windows 10 and not have keys, we can try with the generic keys from Microsoft. Finally, we remind you that it is also possible to download an official Windows 10 ISO without using the media creation tool.

It is possible to install the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system from a downloaded ISO, however these are all the ways to install Windows 10 on your PC.

Trick to download the ISO without using Media Creation Tool

The trick to download the official Windows 10 ISO without having to download the Media Creation Tool, is to pretend that we are using a device with another operating system . To do this, it is necessary to use the web browser Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge , therefore, the first thing we have to do is open a browser window.

Next, we go to this Microsoft page and once there, we press the F12 key and select the icon in the form of a tablet and mobile within the menu of the developer tool. Next, we have to make the browser believe that we are visiting the page from a device that does not have Microsoft’s operating system, so we will have to change the device and select, for example, iPad Pro. In this way, the browser it will think we are visiting the page from an Apple device.

At that moment, the page will reload automatically and in the place where the button to download Windows Media Creation Tool appeared, a direct link to the official download of the Windows 10 ISO will appear. We must choose the version of Windows 10, the language and version and we can automatically download the Windows 10 ISO for that configuration.

Once we have the Windows 10 ISO downloaded to the computer, we can close the browser’s developer tool by pressing F12 again and we will see how the Microsoft page is reloaded and the button to download Windows appears again Media Creation Tool. Of course, we will already have the Windows 10 ISO without having to download it.

The summary of steps is as follows:

1. We will visit the web with Google Chrome or the new Edge Chromium
2. We will click on Chrome Menu, More Tools and Tools for developers
   • We can also press Ctrl + Shift + I
3. Now we will press Ctrl + Shift + M to open the device selection bar
4. We will choose iPad or iPad Pro and zoom 100%
5. We will reload the page either with the button or by pressing F5
6. Now the web will be different and we will only have to choose an edition in the drop-down
7. We will choose Windows 10
8. We will click on “Confirm”
9. After validating the request, it will ask us to choose the language
10. We will choose “Spanish” (or another that we want to download)
11. We will click on “Confirm”
12. We will click on 64-bit download or 32-bit download (link valid 24 hours)

How to download beta versions (Windows Insider)

In addition to the two official methods on the Microsoft website with and without a special tool to lower the ISO, we have another option to get the new versions of the operating system before anyone else. To do this, we have to follow a few simple steps to get the image that allows us to install the preliminary versions of the system of the company based in Redmond.

1. Access the Windows Insider program
2. Click on BECOME INSIDER
3. Once completed, we make sure that we are logged in with the account with which we have registered
4. We visited the Windows Insider download website
5. We go down to the “Select Edition” section
6. We choose “Windows 10 Insider Preview (SLOW) – Build 19041” in the dropdown
7. Click on Confirm
8. We choose the language in the dropdown
9. Click on Confirm
10. We choose the version between 32 bit and 64 bit
11. ISO image download begins

Windows 10 custom ISO

Finally, we have different alternatives to create a custom Windows 10 ISO with the components and functions that we need. This is something that we can get from the Internet and its different download websites, but it is always much more advisable to generate an installation image ourselves to avoid security problems, malware and other threats.

To do this, we are going to use the MSMG Toolkit that allows us to add languages or remove it from the image, integrate drivers for different components, add special packs, integrate updates and Service Packs, eliminate components that we are not going to use, customize the appearance with themes and automate the installation process.

Once we have downloaded it from the link on the official website, we can start the creation process. When we have unzipped the downloaded file we can run it. There we will see the instructions for use with a disclaimer from the creator. It must be made clear that the application is shown on the command line in most cases.

On the main screen we will have to choose the source, which can be the original DVD folder or original ISO image. From there, we have options like (3) integrate, (4) remove, and (5) customize:

• Integrate: add language packs, drivers that do not come with the operating system originally, Windows functions such as Microsoft Games, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Sidebar, or Windows Media, updates or custom files.
• Remove: remove Metro applications, default applications or Windows components such as Cortana, Telemetry, Parental Controls or Xbox.
• Customize: import and export various options related to Metro applications.

Once the creation process is complete, all you have to do is apply the changes and generate the new Windows 10 custom ISO. We recommend that you test the Windows 10 custom ISO image in a virtual machine in case something doesn’t work quite right.