To get to the direct ISO file downloads, your browser will claim it’s on a non-Windows operating system. If you spoof the user agent, you can access a site that claims it’s incompatible with your system. If something on the website isn’t compatible with your setup, the site can serve you a different page. The browser’s user agent is a short string of text that tells a website which OS and browser you’re using. This requires spoofing your browser’s user agent. To get those direct ISO file downloads on Windows, you’ll need to make your web browser pretend you’re using another operating system.

If you access the website from another operating system-like macOS or Linux-you’re sent to a page where you can directly download an ISO file instead.

Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool is only for Windows. RELATED: What Is An ISO File (And How Do I Use Them)? After launching setup.exe or the Media Creation tool, you'll have the choice to upgrade now or to create an installation ISO/USB drive you want to Upgrade this PC now. Here’s how to download Windows ISOs without the creation tool. Microsoft makes Windows 10 ISO images available to everyone through its download website, but if you’re already using a Windows machine, it forces you to download the Media Creation Tool first.

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