Download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool

You can download the official Windows 10 ISO file with the latest feature update directly from Microsoft servers without the Media Creation Tool — Here's the answer on how to do it.

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@Pureinfotech
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Download Windows 10 ISO file directly from Microsoft
Download Windows 10 ISO file directly from Microsoft

You can download the Windows 10 ISO file without the Media Creation Tool to upgrade or clean install the latest version of the operating system, but Microsoft hides the option for Windows 10 users.

The company makes available the ISO files for every release of Windows 10, including for the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (version 2004), the only problem is that when you go to the support site, you don’t get an option to download the ISO file directly. Instead, you’re only given the choice to get the update assistant or Media Creation Tool.

The reason is that the Microsoft support website can determine the operating system installed on the device, and if you’re using Windows 10, then Microsoft wants you to use the Media Creation Tool. However, there is a workaround to download the ISO file of Windows 10 directly without the need to use the Media Creation Tool if you don’t want to go through the extra steps. It’s just a matter of making the support site think that you’re using a different operating system.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to download the Windows 10 ISO file directly from Microsoft servers without the Media Creation Tool.

How to download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool using Edge (legacy)

To download the official ISO file to install Windows 10 with the legacy version of Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge (legacy).

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  3. Right-click on the page and select the Inspect element option.

    Quick tip: If you don’t see the option, open about:flags from the address bar, and check the “Show ‘View source’ and ‘Inspect element’ in the context menu” option.

  4. Click the Emulation tab.

  5. Under the “Mode” section, change the user agent string to Apple Safari (ipad).

    Switch user agent on Edge
    Switch user agent on Edge

  6. Refresh the page if the browser doesn’t reload automatically.

  7. Select the edition of Windows 10.

  8. Click the Confirm button.

  9. Use the drop-down menu and select the product language.

  10. Click the Confirm button.

  11. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO.

    Download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool
    Download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool

How to download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool using Edge (Chromium)

To download Windows 10 without Media Creation Tool using the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge (Chromium).

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter.

  3. Right-click on the page and select the Inspect option.

  4. Click the three-dotted menu button on the top-right, and under “More tools”, select the Network conditions option.

    Accessing Network Conditions settings on Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Accessing Network Conditions settings on Microsoft Edge Chromium

  5. Under the “User agent” section, clear the Select automatically option.

  6. Use the “User agent” drop-down menu, and select the Safari – iPad iOS 9 option.

    Microsoft Edge Chromium change user agent
    Microsoft Edge Chromium change user agent

  7. Refresh the page if the browser doesn’t reload automatically.

  8. Select the edition of Windows 10.

  9. Click the Confirm button.

  10. Use the drop-down menu and select the product language.

    Download Windows 10 ISO using Edge Chromium directly
    Download Windows 10 ISO using Edge Chromium directly

  11. Click the Confirm button.

  12. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO.

How to download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool using Chrome

To download official Windows 10 ISO directly with Google Chrome, use these steps:

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  3. Right-click on the page and select the Inspect option.

  4. Click the three-dotted menu button on the top-right, and under “More tools”, select the Network conditions option.

  5. Under the “User agent” section, clear the Select automatically option.

  6. Use the “User agent” drop-down menu and select the Safari – iPad iOS 9 option.

    Switch user agent on Chrome
    Switch user agent on Chrome

  7. Refresh the page if the browser doesn’t reload automatically.

  8. Select the edition of Windows 10.

  9. Click the Confirm button.

  10. Use the drop-down menu and select the product language.

  11. Click the Confirm button.

  12. Click the button to download the ISO directly from the Microsoft servers.

How to download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool using Firefox

On Firefox, you can also download the Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool with these steps:

  1. Open Firefox.

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  3. Use the Ctrl + Shift + M keyboard shortcut to open the “Responsive design view” feature.

    Ctrl + Shift + M mode in Firefox

  4. Click the Responsive button at the top, and select the iPad option from the list.

  5. Click the Refresh button.

  6. Select the edition of Windows 10.

  7. Click the Confirm button.

  8. Use the drop-down menu and select your language.

  9. Click the Confirm button.

  10. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO.

After downloading the ISO file, you can use tools, such as Rufus to create a bootable media of Windows 10.

Originally published in March 2017, updated on October 2020.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.