Microsoft releases Windows 11 ISO file for Arm, but older PCs may require extra effort

Microsoft has finally launched a Windows 11 ISO file for Arm-based computers. Packed with the 2024 version of Windows 11, the file lets you directly install the OS on Copilot+ PCs and other systems outfitted with an Arm processor. 

ISO files have long been available for PCs with x64 CPUs, and Windows 11 has come preinstalled on Arm-based systems. But this marks the first time Microsoft is supporting such systems with this type of installation.

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Available on its own Download Windows 11 for Arm-based PCs page, the ISO can be used in a few different scenarios. You can apply it to create a virtual machine within your current OS. For instance, I rely on VMWare's Workstation Pro to set up and run VMs on my current PC.

You can also use the ISO file in an existing Windows environment to upgrade the OS to the latest version. In either case, download the file, open or mount it, and run the setup.exe file to kick off the installation.

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You can even use the ISO file to create a bootable flash drive to install Windows 11 on a clean machine. But therein lies the rub. Newer Arm-based PCs, like the latest Copilot+ computers with Snapdragon X chips, will accept the ISO file without fuss, though extra work is required after the installation.

"For devices with a Snapdragon X Series processor, booting from an ISO to install Windows is supported without additional drivers from device manufacturers," Microsoft explains on its Windows 11 ARM ISO files overview page.

"However, while these devices will be able to boot Windows media and install Windows successfully, they will not have full functionality until the remaining drivers are installed." Microsoft adds: "To install those drivers and restore functionality, use an ethernet connection via dongle or dock to connect to Windows Update to download the drivers. Once drivers are installed and the device is rebooted, all subsystems in the device will be functional."

If you have an older PC, however, you face other challenges. In this event, Microsoft cautions that you might need to grab the necessary drivers from your computer manufacturer to make the installation media bootable.

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"Devices with previous generations of Snapdragon processors must have drivers from the device manufacturer injected in the image," Microsoft says. "Otherwise, the device may fail to boot or boot to a state where input is non-functional.

Unless you have the technical savvy, "injecting" the drivers (which sounds like a medical procedure) is easier said than done. To help you with this injection, Microsoft provides a support document that explains how to add the driver package to the ISO. To be fair, I've tweaked the contents of ISO files a few times as a way to customize them. The process wasn't exactly brain surgery, but it did require some time and effort.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11: Two ways

Finally, Windows on Arm is a work in progress, so hopefully Microsoft will continue to improve the technology. In the meantime, you can always ask questions or provide feedback about this option through the appropriate GitHub page or the Feedback Hub.