# Windows downloads: the official sources, verified

> Official Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows Server, ADK, Windows Admin Center and lab tool downloads — vendor links only, checked, with hash verification and licensing rules.

## The rule this page follows

Every link here points at the **vendor's own page**: `microsoft.com`, `learn.microsoft.com`, `aka.ms`, or the upstream project (`proxmox.com`, Fedora, GitHub). This page does not host, mirror, re-upload or hotlink ISO files.

Why it matters:

- Microsoft issues **language- and session-specific** download links. A copied CDN URL expires or serves a different language.
- Mirrors and “pre-activated” ISOs are the most common Windows malware delivery path. A patched `boot.wim` looks identical until you run it.
- We would rather link to a page that stays correct than to a file that rots in three weeks.

Links were checked on **2026-10-29** with an HTTP request. That proves the page answered, not that a specific build is still current — always read the version on the vendor page before downloading.

## Which download do I actually need?

| Your situation | Take this |
|---|---|
| Upgrade the PC you are using | Windows 11 Installation Assistant (x64 only) |
| Clean install from USB on x64 | Media Creation Tool or the x64 multi-edition ISO |
| Install in a VM (PVE/Hyper-V/VMware) | Windows 11 x64 ISO, or the Arm64 ISO for Arm hosts |
| Build a Server lab | Windows Server 2025 evaluation ISO (180 days) |
| Reproduce software that has not certified 2025 | Windows Server 2022 evaluation |
| Manage servers from a desktop | Windows Admin Center + RSAT |
| Deploy images at scale | Windows ADK + WinPE add-on |
| Rebuild a Windows VM on PVE | VirtIO drivers ISO (needed to see the disk) |

## The six downloads most people need

- **[Windows 11 — multi-edition ISO (x64)](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11)** (ISO · x64; Channel: Current release: Windows 11 26H2; Licence: Retail/OEM key selects the edition). One ISO contains Home/Pro/Edu and unlocks by product key. Pick language and confirm, then the page issues a time-limited link.
- **[Windows Server 2025 evaluation](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2025)** (ISO (8 languages) · VHD (en-US); Channel: LTSC, build 26100; Licence: 180-day evaluation; activate within 10 days). English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish. The VHD option is listed for English only.
- **[Windows 10 22H2 ISO (end of support)](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10)** (ISO · x64; Channel: 22H2, last release; Licence: No free security updates after 2025-10-14). Still downloadable, but the page itself warns that Windows 10 no longer receives free updates or security fixes. Use it for legacy testing only.
- **[Windows Admin Center](https://aka.ms/WACDownload)** (MSI installer; Channel: Current release; Licence: Free with Windows Server). Browser-based management for servers, clusters and PCs without opening RDP. The short link resolves to the current MSI.
- **[VirtIO drivers — stable](https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/)** (ISO · Windows drivers; Channel: Stable virtio-win; Licence: Open source (Red Hat/Fedora)). Required for Windows guests on KVM/PVE: virtio-blk/scsi, netkvm, balloon, serial. Load the storage driver during setup or the disk is invisible.
- **[Rufus](https://rufus.ie/)** (Portable EXE; Channel: Latest stable; Licence: GPLv3). Fast Windows USB writer with a TPM/Secure Boot bypass option — that bypass is a lab convenience, not a supported production configuration.

## Browse by category

[{categoryCounts.windows} downloads Windows 11 & Windows 10 x64 and Arm64 ISOs, Media Creation Tool, Installation Assistant, Enterprise and IoT LTSC evaluations, Insider builds. →](https://windows.homes/en/downloads/windows/)
[{categoryCounts.server} downloads Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019 and 2016 evaluations, Hyper-V Server, Server Insider, ADK + WinPE and MDT. →](https://windows.homes/en/downloads/server/)
[{categoryCounts.tools} downloads Admin and developer tools Windows Admin Center, RSAT, Sysinternals, PowerShell 7, Terminal, WinGet, .NET and the VC++ runtime. →](https://windows.homes/en/downloads/tools/)
[{categoryCounts.lab} downloads Lab and media utilities Proxmox VE, VirtIO Windows drivers, Rufus, Ventoy, balenaEtcher and 7-Zip — with verification steps. →](https://windows.homes/en/downloads/lab/)

## Support status decides more than the ISO does

Downloading an ISO is easy; running an unsupported one is the expensive mistake. These dates come from Microsoft's lifecycle pages, not from a blog.

| Product | Start | Mainstream ends | Extended ends | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2025 | 2024-10-31 | 2029-11-13 | 2034-11-14 | Current LTSC |
| Windows Server 2022 | 2021-08-17 | 2026-10-13 | 2031-10-14 | Mainstream ending |
| Windows Server 2019 | 2018-11-12 | 2024-01-09 | 2029-01-09 | Extended only |
| Windows Server 2016 | 2016-10-14 | 2022-01-11 | 2027-01-12 | Extended only, near end |
| Windows 10 (Home/Pro) | 2015-07-28 | 2025-10-14 | null | End of support |
| Windows 11 26H2 (Home/Pro) | 2026-09-28 | 2028-10-09 | null | Current |
| Windows 11 26H2 (Enterprise/Edu) | 2026-09-28 | 2029-10-08 | null | Current |

Two things this table implies:

- **Windows 10 is past end of support.** The ISO is still downloadable; free security updates are not. Use it for compatibility testing only.
- **Windows Server 2022 mainstays end on 2026-10-13.** If you are standing up a new Server lab now, start on 2025 and keep 2022 only where a vendor requires it.

## Verify before you install

Microsoft publishes a SHA-256 next to most ISO downloads. If the page does not show one, verify what you can:

```powershell
# hash the file you actually downloaded
Get-FileHash .\Win11_26H2_x64.iso -Algorithm SHA256

# compare with the hash on the vendor download page (same language, same build)
# then check that an installer/tool is genuinely signed
Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\WindowsAdminCenter.msi | Format-List Status, SignerCertificate
```

For Sysinternals-style tools, `sigcheck -h file.iso` prints hashes and the signing chain. A hash mismatch is not “probably fine” — delete the file and download again from the vendor page.

> **Danger: Never run a “pre-activated” ISO**
>
> An ISO with activation removed or a loader injected has been modified by a third party. It can carry a service, a scheduled task or a patched boot image, and you will never see it in a feature list. There is no safe way to “just test” it on a machine you care about.

## Licence boundaries that catch people

- **Evaluation is not a free licence.** Windows Server evaluation runs 180 days and must be activated over the internet within 10 days; Windows client evaluations are time-limited too.
- **An ISO does not include a product key.** A multi-edition ISO installs the edition your key unlocks.
- **Hyper-V Server 2019 is a free hypervisor, not free Windows.** Guest operating systems still need their own licences.
- **Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC evaluation is a replacement install.** Microsoft explicitly says not to upgrade an existing Windows with it.

## Re-checking this page

The catalogue is a data file (`src/data/downloads.ts`) with a `checkedAt` field per item. Re-running the URL check and updating that date is the maintenance step; the pages themselves do not need editing.

## Sources

- [Microsoft — Download Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11)
- [Microsoft Evaluation Center](https://www.microsoft.com/evalcenter/)
- [Microsoft Learn — Windows Server release information](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/windows-server-release-info)
- [Microsoft Learn — Windows lifecycle](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2025)

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Source: https://windows.homes/en/downloads/