Installation and Upgrade Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

fg2001gf11F · Jan 18, 2026

garlin said:
I wrote a script, which determines which ISO version is currently delivered by Media Creation Tool.

Code:

>Current_MCT_Version.bat Current MCT ISO is build 26200.7623 (January 2026)

It dynamically queries the WU back-end for the latest products.cab, and extracts the build number. You can run the script periodically to confirm if there's a newer version of the ISO available, or if it's the same version as before.

I usually just check this file before I download the whole thing.

garlin · Jan 18, 2026

fg2001gf11F said:
I usually just check this file before I download the whole thing.

True. But you have to download & run MCT, before you can inspect the XML file it unpacks.

fg2001gf11F · Jan 18, 2026

garlin said:
True. But you have to download & run MCT, before you can inspect the XML file it unpacks.

Your .bat is easier.
Maybe you can make one that checks the multi-edition ISO which is typically a lower version.
Why don't they publish the version directly on that MS web page?

garlin · Jan 18, 2026

There are two different strategies in play.

The direct download ISO rarely changes. It's intended for IT pro's, who already know how to properly add updates to a base image. So this one doesn't change as quickly as MCT.

MCT was created for normal users, because it combines the functionality of performing an in-place upgrade and Rufus (making a bootable USB drive). So the MCT gets refreshed a lot more often. And apparently 25H2 gets refreshed a lot more than 24H2 did.

You can tell if MS updated the direct download ISO because the filename gets a v1 or v2 appended to it.

Code:

https://software.download.prss.microsoft.com/dbazure/Win11_25H2_English_x64.iso?.....

Win10_22H2_English_x64v1.iso <- (2nd version)
Win11_English_x64v1.iso <- (2nd version)
Win11_22H2_English_x64v2.iso <- (3rd version)
Win11_23H2_English_x64v2.iso <- (3rd version)
Win11_24H2_English_x64.iso <- never updated
Win11_25H2_English_x64.iso <- never updated (so far)

MS will refresh the download ISO whenever they need to capture some critical changes to the base ISO (usually because some Windows feature is horribly broken, or more likely to bake in a security change). My money is on 25H2 ISO getting a summer update, after all the Secure Boot migrations are mostly done.

The new ISO will finally default to only booting from a CA 2023 UEFI. This solves the problem of the other ISO's can't be booted without modification, and forces users to upgrade to 25H2 or 26H2. Which MS wants you to get off old Windows any way...

fg2001gf11F · Jan 18, 2026

garlin said:
There are two different strategies in play.

The direct download ISO rarely changes. It's intended for IT pro's, who already know how to properly add updates to a base image. So this one doesn't change as quickly as MCT.

MCT was created for normal users, because it combines the functionality of performing an in-place upgrade and Rufus (making a bootable USB drive). So the MCT gets refreshed a lot more often. And apparently 25H2 gets refreshed a lot more than 24H2 did.

You can tell if MS updated the direct download ISO because the filename gets a v1 or v2 appended to it.

Code:

https://software.download.prss.microsoft.com/dbazure/Win11_25H2_English_x64.iso?.....

Win10_22H2_English_x64v1.iso <- (2nd version)
Win11_English_x64v1.iso <- (2nd version)
Win11_22H2_English_x64v2.iso <- (3rd version)
Win11_23H2_English_x64v2.iso <- (3rd version)
Win11_24H2_English_x64.iso <- never updated
Win11_25H2_English_x64.iso <- never updated (so far)

MS will refresh the download ISO whenever they need to capture some critical changes to the base ISO (usually because some Windows feature is horribly broken, or more likely to bake in a security change). My money is on 25H2 ISO getting a summer update, after all the Secure Boot migrations are mostly done.

The new ISO will finally default to only booting from a CA 2023 UEFI. This solves the problem of the other ISO's can't be booted without modification, and forces users to upgrade to 25H2 or 26H2. Which MS wants you to get off old Windows any way...

Users asked several times with FBH reports to add the current version number on the web page, but Microsoft just ignored the suggestions.

The direct multi-edition 25H2 ISO is still 26200.6584, from 9/15/2025.

hsehestedt · Jan 18, 2026

garlin said:
True. But you have to download & run MCT, before you can inspect the XML file it unpacks.

No, you do not. I have a procedure to do this, but not here. I'll find it when back home again and post a reply.

RazorKat83 · Jan 18, 2026

garlin said:
I wrote a script, which determines which ISO version is currently delivered by Media Creation Tool.

Code:

>Current_MCT_Version.bat Current MCT ISO is build 26200.7623 (January 2026)

It dynamically queries the WU back-end for the latest products.cab, and extracts the build number. You can run the script periodically to confirm if there's a newer version of the ISO available, or if it's the same version as before.

So, we just double click on the .bat file?

garlin · Jan 18, 2026

You should run it from a PS or CMD shell. Running it from Explorer means the window disappears, right after the script's done.

fg2001gf11F · Jan 18, 2026

RazorKat83 said:
So, we just double click on the .bat file?

If you just double-click the .bat you may not see the response because it closes the window.
Here is what I did with command prompt opened as admin.

hsehestedt · Jan 18, 2026

fg2001gf11F said:
If you just double-click the .bat you may not see the response because it closes the window.
Here is what I did with command prompt opened as admin.

You can also modify the batch file and add a "pause" command as the last line in the file.

fg2001gf11F · Jan 18, 2026

hsehestedt said:
You can also modify the batch file and add a "pause" command as the last line in the file.

Yes, thanks.

Dronix · Jan 19, 2026

hsehestedt said:
You can also modify the batch file and add a "pause" command as the last line in the file.

And if you just add a Read-Host, then the window will not be additionally supplemented with the message - Press Enter to continue...

fg2001gf11F · Jan 19, 2026

Dronix said:
And if you just add a Read-Host, then the window will not be additionally supplemented with the message - Press Enter to continue...

Like this.

Dronix · Jan 19, 2026

fg2001gf11F said:
Like this.

Of course

Wannagofast · Jan 19, 2026

Now that's a very useful bat file. Thanks Garlin, for that file, and all the work you do on this forum!

peace
wanna

garlin · Jan 20, 2026

Here's an improved version of the batch file, which pauses if you're running it from the File Explorer. If you're running the script from CMD or PowerShell, it ends without closing any windows.

Everyone should be happy now.

fg2001gf11F · Jan 20, 2026

garlin said:
Here's an improved version of the batch file, which pauses if you're running it from the File Explorer. If you're running the script from CMD or PowerShell, it ends without closing any windows.

Everyone should be happy now.

Thanks.

joevigi · Jan 26, 2026

Hello all:

Can anyone please share what is the quickest/most efficient way to get the latest products CAB/XML? I found the one used by the MCT using Fiddler, but that is definitely out of date and it's not clear where the ones found in C:\$Windows.~WS\Sources when the MCT is running are coming from. I have a script that does in-place upgrades (inspired by OSDCloud functionality) and it would be great if I could get the latest ESD dynamically.

That's a killer batch file provided by garlin last week and I could probably leverage that, just wondering if that CAB file is "easily" accessible online.

Thanks!

garlin · Jan 26, 2026

MS significantly changed the way products.cab is delivered.

Prior to 25H2, it was a fixed URL which you could visit.

W11 products.cab: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2156292

W10 products.cab: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=841361

Opening the W11 URL gets you an outdated products.cab from 2024. The CAB's are still valuable if you wanted to download a legacy version of an ISO using MCT's selfhost option to use a private CAB file.

Now you need a back-end API call to find the download file (which is dynamically created as an expiring URL link).

Since the script has to download the products.cab to extract the XML file, you can change the Remove-Item to a Move-Item command.

Code:

<# : batch script
@echo off
powershell -nop Invoke-Expression ([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText('%~f0'))
goto :eof
#>

[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'

$Header = [ordered]@{'Accept' = "application/json"; 'Content-Type' = "application/json"}
$Body = @'
{"Products":"PN=Windows.Products.Cab.amd64&V=0.0.0.0","DeviceAttributes":"DUScan=1;OSVersion=10.0.26100.1"}
'@

$Response = Invoke-RestMethod -UseBasicParsing -Method POST -Uri 'https://fe3.delivery.mp.microsoft.com/UpdateMetadataService/updates/search/v1/bydeviceinfo/' -Headers $Header -Body '{"Products":"PN=Windows.Products.Cab.amd64&V=0.0.0.0","DeviceAttributes":"DUScan=1;OSVersion=10.0.26100.1"}'
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $Response.FileLocations.Url -UseBasicParsing -OutFile "$env:TEMP\products.cab"

$null = New-Item -Path "$env:TEMP\MCT" -ItemType Directory -Force
& expand "$env:TEMP\products.cab" -F:* "$env:TEMP\MCT" | Out-Null

$XML = [xml]([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText((Get-Item "$env:TEMP\MCT\products.cab")))

$elem = ($XML.MCT.Catalogs.Catalog.PublishedMedia.Files.File.FileName | select -First 1) -split '\.'
$Version = $elem[0..2] -join '.'

Move-Item "$env:TEMP\products.cab" "${Version}.products.cab"

File saved in current folder as:

Code:

26200.7623.260109-1650.products.cab

joevigi · Jan 27, 2026

Thanks! I'm more surprised they made it so easy to find the Enterprise ESD than that they changed the process to this extent. And I'm always surprised (and grateful) how the community is able to crack whatever comes up so we can develop even better solutions!

BTW - minor change
$XML = [xml]([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText((Get-Item "$env:TEMP\MCT\products.cab")))

should be
$XML = [xml]([System.IO.File]::ReadAllText((Get-Item "$env:TEMP\MCT\products.xml")))

Installation and Upgrade Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

Download Latest Windows 11 64-bit ISO using Media Creation Tool (MCT)

Download Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO from Microsoft

Download Windows 11 Insider 64-bit ISO from Microsoft

Download Windows Server Insider ISO from Microsoft

Download Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO or Windows Server ISO from UUP Dump

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Arklahoma Storm Spotter

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Windows Outsider

My Computers

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

New member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

New member

My Computer

Similar Windows 11 Tutorials