Microsoft has created a specific website that offers every customer to download Windows 11 ISO for ARM. This is the first time the company has offered disk images for this architecturewhich compares to x86.

Installing Windows 11 on a machine with an ARM processor (such as from Qualcomm) was not as easy as on machines with Intel or AMD processors. Microsoft already offered this version via Windows Update or via a virtual disk image (VHDX), but not in a standard ISO disk image. Until now.

Bringing ARM support to the same level as the support offered for three decades for x86 is not trivial and is part of the current industry push (Microsoft in the lead) end the x86 architecture monopoly in personal computers and, by the way, do not leave the path of Apple on the new platform.

Windows 11 ISO for ARM, available

Although the vast majority of ARM computers sold by Microsoft partners come with Windows preinstalled, having disk images is helpful for reinstallations, for running in virtual machines on Windows, Mac or Linux computers, or for creating installation media with flash drives.

Microsoft issues certain warnings when creating media. ARM hardware doesn’t have the same generic drivers as x86 computers, so if you’re creating a bootable drive, you’ll need to include all the necessary drivers from the computer manufacturer. It does not include the latest generation of PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors that include these drivers.

Another difference of this Windows 11 ISO for ARM, built on the latest version of 24H2, is that it has single downloadis a multi-edit image that uses a product key to unlock the correct edit. From there, image management is the same as that available for x86.

Although the number of ARM machines on Windows is still a huge minority compared to x86, the interest of Microsoft and some of its partners in promoting it is clear, and these official images make it easier to install and manage the system.