How to Download the New Windows 10 21H2 Update

The November 2021 Update for Windows 10 has been released, and the ISO is now available to download.

Benefits of downloading an ISO image:

An ISO is a sector by sector copy of media that is stored in a single file. Since it is an exact copy of the original media, it can be burned onto a DVD or USB in the same way that it was made. By using ISOs, you can create backups of bootable media in case the original media is lost. An ISO image can be mounted as a drive letter in Windows, or it can be extracted using programs like Winrar.

ISOs are useful for installing a fresh vertsion of Windows without any previous data included. Another handy use for ISOs is that they can be used to create a bootable USB flash drive which can be used to access the Windows Recovery Environment if your Windows is not booting correctly, or if you are experiencing frequent crashes.

How to download Windows 10 21H2 ISO from Microsoft’s website:

There are two main methods for creating an ISO for Windows. The first and most common method due to the simplicity of it is to use the Media Creation Tool to create the ISO. The only downside to this is that it can take a bit longer if you don’t have the fastest internet, as the tool downloads the original files before converting them to an ISO.

For those that don’t have fast internet or just would rather not wait for the MCT, you can download the ISO directly from Microsoft by trickign their website into thinking that you are using a mobile device to download it. Below is a step by step guide for both of these options:

1: Media Creation Tool

To download the Media Creation Tool, follow these steps:

• Visit the Windows 10 download page using your web browser.
• Under ‘Create Windows 10 installation media,’ click on the ‘Download tool now‘ link and save the offered ‘MediaCreationTool21H2.exe’ executable.
• Once downloaded, run the MediaCreationTool21H2.exe, and Windows will prompt you for permission to allow it to run. Click Yes, and the Media Creation Tool will prepare a few things before it can proceed.
• When done, the MCT will show you a license agreement. To continue, click on the Accept button.
• The tool will now state it is ‘Getting a few things ready,’ and when done, display a prompt asking if you would like to upgrade the computer or ‘Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.
• At this prompt, select the Create installation media option and then press the Next button.
• The Media Creation Tool will now download and verify the necessary files to create an ISO or a bootable USB drive. This process can take some time, so please be patient.
• When done, the MCT will ask what language, architecture, and Windows edition you want for your ISO image. By default, the MCT will use your local language and architecture, but you can uncheck Use the recommended options for this PC checkbox to select other options.
• When done, click on the Next button.
• You will now be asked if you wish to create a bootable USB drive or a Windows 10 ISO. As we are creating an ISO file, select the ISO file option and press Next.
• You will now be prompted to select a location to save your ISO file. Select a folder to save the ISO file to, and then click on the Save button.
• The Media Creation Tool will now create the ISO file in the specified location. Please be patient while the file is created.
• When the Media Creation Tool has finished creating the ISO, you can close the program by clicking on the Finish button.

2: Trick the Microsoft download page to give you the ISO file

When visiting the Microsoft page for downloading Windows 10, there are two options to either update using the Windows Update or to download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. In the steps below, you’ll learn how to trick Microsoft into giving you the ISO for Windows 21H2 instead.

• Go to Windows 10 download page in Chrome or the new Microsoft Edge.
• Click on the Chrome menu, then More Tools, and select Developer tools, as shown below.

• Then press Ctrl + Shift + M to open the Device toolbar. This toolbar lets you force Chrome to impersonate another device, such as a mobile phone or a tablet. Click on the menu that should show Responsive and select iPad or iPad Pro to have a larger screen to work with.
• When you select one of these devices, you should see the screen resize to reflect the size of the device’s screen. At this point, I suggest you change the zoom to 100%, as shown below.

• Now refresh the page in the browser by pressing the F5 key. Once the page refreshes, Microsoft’s site will now offer you the Windows 10 ISO instead of the Media Creation Tool.
• Now click on the drop-down arrow under ‘Select edition’ and select the ‘Windows 10′ option under “Windows 10 November 2021 Update”. Once selected, click on the Confirm button.
• After a few seconds, Microsoft’s site will now ask you to select the language for your ISO.
• Finally, you will be asked to either download the 32-bit or 64-bit ISO. When ready, click on one of these choices, and your browser will download the respective Windows 21H2 ISO image.