Microsoft makes it easier to do a clean Windows install on Arm-based PCs
For some PC buyers, doing a clean install of Windows right out of the box is part of the setup ritual. But for Arm-based PCs, including the Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips in them, it hasn’t been possible in the same way. Microsoft (mostly) hasn’t offered generic install media that can be used to reinstall Windows on an Arm PC from scratch.
Microsoft is fixing that today—the company finally has a download page for the official Arm release of Windows 11, linked to but separate from the ISOs for the x86 versions of Windows. These are useful not just for because-I-feel-like-it clean installs, but for reinstalling Windows after you’ve upgraded your SSD and setting up Windows virtual machines on Arm-based PCs and Macs.
Previously, Microsoft did offer install media for some Windows Insider Preview Arm builds, though these are for beta versions of Windows that may or may not be feature-complete or stable. Various apps, scripts, and websites also exist to grab files from Microsoft’s servers and build “unofficial” ISOs for the Arm version of Windows, though obviously this is more complicated than just downloading a single file directly.
