Windows 11 disk images (ISOs) for Arm-based PCs are now available for users who want to create virtual machines, run Windows Setup from within a running copy of Windows, or create bootable media for installing Windows, Microsoft has announced. As noted in an article that was published on Microsoft Learn yesterday, devices with Snapdragon X Series processors can boot from an ISO to install Windows without additional drivers, although driver installation will be required for full functionality. Devices with older Snapdragon processors, on the other hand, should have drivers from the device manufacturer injected in the image to properly boot.
Ensure the PC you want to install Windows 11:
- Has a 64-bit Arm-based processor: This Arm64 ISO image is for devices with Arm-based processors. To see if your PC has one, go to Settings > System > About , or search “System Information” in Windows and look under “System Type.”
- Meets system requirements:
Not all devices running Windows 10 are eligible to receive a Windows 11 upgrade. See the Note below for details.- WARNING: Installing Windows 11 media on a PC that does not meet the Windows 11 minimum system requirements is not recommended and may result in compatibility issues. If you proceed with installing Windows 11 on a PC that does not meet the requirements, that PC will no longer be supported and won’t be entitled to receive updates. Damages to the PC due to lack of compatibility aren’t covered under the manufacturer warranty.
Installation instructions (ISO):
- If you want to install Windows 11 directly from the ISO file without using a USB flash drive, you can do so by mounting the ISO file. This will perform an upgrade of your current operating system to Windows 11.
- To mount the ISO file:
- Go to the location where you downloaded the ISO file. Then, right-click the ISO file and select Properties .
- On the “General” tab, click ”Change…” where it says, “Opens with:” and select Windows Explorer for the program you would like to use to open ISO files and select Apply .
- Right-click the ISO file and select Mount .
- This will create a “virtual” bootable disc. Double-click on it to view the files within. Double-click setup.exe to start Windows 11 setup.
This option is for users that want to create a Windows 11 on Arm virtual machine on supported hardware using an ISO file or to install Windows 11 on Arm directly without a DVD or USB flash drive. The ISO file can also be used to manually create bootable installation media (USB flash drive) to install Windows 11 on Arm, but it may be necessary to include drivers from the device manufacturer for the installation media to be successfully bootable. This download is a multi-edition ISO which uses your product key to unlock the correct edition.