How to Download the Windows 11 ARM ISO (ARM64)

Windows 11 ARM ISO Download Guide Thumbnail/Cover

Microsoft now provides the Windows 11 ARM64 ISO as a direct download from its official ARM64 download page. Confirm the target PC uses an ARM-based CPU via Settings → System → About → System type (it must show “ARM64-based processor”), then download the Windows 11 Multi-Edition ISO for ARM-64, pick a language that matches your current install, and click Download Now. The file is approximately 5 GB.

Applies to: Windows 11 (24H2, 25H2) on ARM-based PCs and Copilot+ PCs | Last updated: April 17, 2026

How to Download the Windows 11 ARM64 ISO

Key Takeaways

  • The ARM64 ISO is official and free: Microsoft hosts it at microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11arm64. You no longer need UUP Dump or Insider channels for ARM builds.
  • ARM and x64 ISOs are not interchangeable: an ARM64 ISO will not install on an Intel/AMD x64 PC, and an x64 ISO will not install on Snapdragon or Copilot+ hardware. Confirm your CPU type first.
  • Language has to match for in-place upgrades: if you are upgrading an existing Windows install, download the ISO in the same display language. Clean installs can use any language.
  • File size is ~5 GB: use a wired connection or a stable Wi-Fi link. Microsoft’s download link expires after 24 hours, so resume is not always possible — complete the download in one session.

Quick Steps

  1. Right-click Start → System. Confirm System type shows “ARM64-based processor”.
  2. (Optional) Run dism /online /get-intl in an elevated Command Prompt to confirm your current display language.
  3. Go to the Windows 11 ARM64 download page.
  4. Under Select Download, pick Windows 11 Multi-Edition ISO for ARM-64 and click Download Now.
  5. Choose your product language and click Confirm.
  6. Click the Download Now button that appears for the ~5 GB ISO file.

Confirm Your PC Uses an ARM Processor

Before downloading anything, confirm you actually need the ARM64 ISO. Installing ARM64 on an Intel or AMD PC (or the reverse) will simply fail — the installer cannot even boot the wrong architecture.

  1. Right-click the Start button and choose System.
  2. Scroll down to Device specifications.
  3. Check the System type field. It will read either:
    ARM64-based processor — download the ARM64 ISO (this guide).
    x64-based processor — download the standard Windows 11 ISO instead.
Windows 11 System settings showing the System type field identifying an ARM64-based processor

Tip: ARM-based Windows 11 PCs include Microsoft’s Copilot+ devices (Surface Pro 11, Surface Laptop 7), Snapdragon X Elite / X Plus laptops, and older Snapdragon 8cx-based devices. ARM chips offer better battery life and typically include an NPU for on-device AI, but some x64-only software runs under emulation rather than natively.

Check Your Display Language Before Downloading

For an in-place upgrade that keeps your apps, files, and settings, the ISO display language must match the current install. A language mismatch forces setup to run as a clean install instead. To check the current language, open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

dism /online /get-intl

Look at the Installed language(s) line. The value (for example en-US or en-GB) tells you which language to pick on Microsoft’s download page. Clean installs are not affected — any language ISO will work.

PowerShell window showing the output of dism /online /get-intl with the installed language highlighted

Download the Windows 11 ARM64 ISO from Microsoft

With CPU type and language confirmed, grab the ISO directly from Microsoft’s official page. The download uses a time-limited URL that expires roughly 24 hours after you generate it, so plan to finish the download in one sitting.

  1. Open the official Windows 11 ARM64 download page.
  2. Scroll to Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for ARM64-based devices.
  3. In the Select Download dropdown, choose Windows 11 Multi-Edition ISO for ARM-64.
  4. Click Download Now.
Microsoft download page with the Select Download dropdown set to Windows 11 Multi-Edition ISO for ARM-64

Choose Product Language

  1. Pick the language from the dropdown. Match your dism /online /get-intl output for an in-place upgrade.
  2. Note the English split:
    English (United States) = en-US
    English (International) = en-GB and other regional English variants.
  3. Click Confirm.

Start the Download

Microsoft generates a temporary 64-bit Download link. Click 64-bit Download — the ~5 GB ISO begins saving to your default Downloads folder.

Note: If you see “We were unable to complete your request at this time”, refresh the page, select the language again, and click Confirm. The download usually succeeds on the second attempt — this is a transient rate-limit issue on Microsoft’s side, not a problem with your PC or network.

Final Microsoft download screen with the 64-bit Download button for the Windows 11 ARM64 ISO

What to Do With the ARM64 ISO

Once the ISO has finished downloading, you have two paths depending on whether you want to keep your current install or start fresh.

In-Place Upgrade (Keep Apps, Files, and Settings)

  1. Double-click the ISO file to mount it as a virtual drive.
  2. Open the mounted drive and run setup.exe.
  3. Follow the upgrade wizard and keep the default “Keep personal files and apps” option.

For a detailed walkthrough, see how to perform an in-place upgrade on Windows 10/11.

Clean Install from a Bootable USB

For a clean install, burn the ISO to a USB flash drive (16 GB or larger) and boot from it.

  1. Use Rufus or Ventoy to write the ISO to the USB drive. Both support ARM64 images.
  2. Reboot into the firmware setup (usually F2 or Del at power-on) and boot from the USB drive.
  3. Follow the Windows 11 setup wizard. Back up anything important first — a clean install wipes the target drive.

Important: Always back up your important data before a clean install. The process erases every file on the target partition.

After install, a good follow-up is to debloat the fresh system with Winhance (Windows 11 on ARM is supported) or to automate the whole process next time with UnattendedWinstall.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“We were unable to complete your request at this time”

Refresh the page, re-select the ISO and language, and click Confirm again. The download almost always works on the second attempt. If it keeps failing, clear your browser cache or try a different browser — Microsoft’s page sometimes sets a session cookie that blocks repeat downloads.

Download Times Out or Resumes Fail

The download link expires ~24 hours after generation and browser download managers cannot always resume it cleanly. Restart the download from scratch on a wired or stable Wi-Fi connection. Third-party download managers like Free Download Manager can split the ~5 GB file into parallel chunks.

Wrong Architecture Downloaded

If you accidentally grabbed the x64 ISO, re-check your CPU type and use the ARM64 download page instead — the default Windows 11 download page only offers the x64 image, so the URL matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I install the Windows 11 ARM ISO on a regular x64 PC?

No. The ARM64 ISO contains binaries compiled for ARM64 CPUs only — an Intel or AMD x64 PC cannot even boot the installer. If your System type reads x64-based processor, use the standard Windows 11 x64 ISO.

What makes a Copilot+ PC different from a regular ARM PC?

Copilot+ PCs meet Microsoft’s AI hardware bar: a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) rated at 40+ TOPS, plus minimum RAM and storage. That enables features like Recall, Windows Studio Effects, and on-device Cocreator. Earlier ARM devices (for example, Surface Pro X with SQ1/SQ2) run the same Windows 11 ARM64 but do not qualify for Copilot+ features.

Will my existing x64 software still run on Windows 11 ARM?

Most x64 applications run under Microsoft’s Prism emulation layer, with some performance overhead. Native ARM64 builds are always faster and more power-efficient — popular apps like Chrome, Firefox, VS Code, Adobe Photoshop, and Photoshop Lightroom now ship native ARM64 versions. Games that require kernel-level anti-cheat are the main compatibility blocker.

How do I create a bootable USB from the ARM64 ISO?

Use Rufus (select the ISO, pick your USB drive, choose GPT/UEFI partition scheme) or Ventoy (copy the ISO to a Ventoy-prepared drive). Both support ARM64 images without extra flags.

Is there a performance difference between Windows 11 ARM and x64?

For native ARM64 apps, ARM Windows 11 offers strong performance-per-watt — the same chip delivers higher efficiency and battery life than comparable x64 laptops. Under Prism emulation, x64 apps typically run at around 70–80% of native speed, which is fine for most productivity work but slower for heavy compute tasks. Benchmarks on identical native code favour x64 in raw throughput, but ARM generally wins on battery-bound workloads.

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