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Microsoft makes Windows 10 ISO images available to everyone through its download website, merely if yous're already using a Windows machine, it forces you to download the Media Creation Tool commencement. Hither's how to download Windows ISOs without the creation tool.

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Microsoft's Media Creation Tool is but for Windows. If you access the website from some other operating system—like macOS or Linux—yous're sent to a page where you can direct download an ISO file instead. To go those straight ISO file downloads on Windows, you lot'll need to make your web browser pretend you're using another operating arrangement. This requires spoofing your browser'southward user agent.

The browser's user agent is a curt string of text that tells a website which OS and browser y'all're using. If something on the website isn't compatible with your setup, the site tin can serve you lot a different folio. If you lot spoof the user agent, you can access a site that claims it's incompatible with your system. To go to the directly ISO file downloads, your browser will claim it'southward on a non-Windows operating system.

This trick works in nigh browsers, merely nosotros'll be using Google Chrome for this guide. If yous're using Firefox, Edge, or Safari, y'all tin follow along with our guide to spoof your user agent without installing an extension.

RELATED: How to Change Your Browser's User Agent Without Installing Any Extensions

How to Download a Windows 10 ISO Image File

To get started, open Chrome and head to the Microsoft Windows download website.

Click the three dots at the top of your Chrome browser, and and so select More Tools > Developer Tools. Alternatively, you tin press Ctrl+Shift+I on the keyboard.

Click the menu icon, and then select More Tools > Network Conditions to enable it.

Nether the "User Agent" section, uncheck "Select Automatically."

Uncheck the "Select Automatically" option.

Chrome offers a long listing of pre-configured user agents to cull from. Click the driblet-down carte and select one.

The selection list of all the preconfigured user agents in Chrome.

For this to work, you accept to trick Microsoft into thinking you're using a non-Windows operating system. Anything that isn't Windows-based will suffice, and so nosotros'll select BlackBerry BB10.

Select Blackberry BB10 from the list of user agents.

Keep the Developer Tools pane open up and refresh the download page. This time, when it loads, you'll see a drib-down menu where you can select the edition of the Windows 10 ISO you want to download.

Select an edition of Windows 10 to download.

Select an edition, and then click "Ostend."

Select your preferred language and and then click "Confirm."

Finally, click either the 32- or 64-fleck to beginning the download. Download links are valid for 24 hours from the time of creation.

Select either the 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 10.

If prompted, choose a destination for the download, and then click "Salve."

Your browser'southward user agent will return to normal as soon as you shut Chrome'southward developer tools.

That's all there is to it! Afterwards your download completes, you lot can install it in a virtual machine, mount it, burn it, or create a bootable USB drive installer, all without having to install Microsoft's Media Creation Tool.

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