Microsoft has finally launched a Windows 11 ISO for Arm-based systems - many months after the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite hit shelves. While there were many workarounds to get Windows working on devices with an Arm processor - an official build from Microsoft ensures a hassle-free experience for the average consumer.

The ISO is for the current release, Windows 11 24H2, and is an indicator the Windows-maker is taking the platform seriously. This is important, as Microsoft wants customers to take its Copilot+ PCs seriously too, and Arm's CEO, Rene Haas, recently claimed a 50 percent market share on PCs was achievable within five years.

The ISO lets you install Windows 11 24H2 in a virtual machine or directly on an Arm-based system, though your PC's age will determine how smoothly it goes.

Microsoft has released ISO images for Windows 11 on Arm, allowing users to create virtual machines, perform upgrades, and create bootable media.

Microsoft has tried a few times to make Windows work on the Arm architecture, and it might finally be onto something with the latest incarnation. Windows 11 Arm machines are proliferating, and they're not terrible.

When power users get a new PC, sometimes they like to start fresh — so they pull the pro gamer move of re-installing Windows with a fresh ISO image direct from Microsoft that has no pack-in bloatware and no unnecessarily elaborate “driver management programs” from the manufacturer.

Almost six months after PC makers delivered the first Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft made Windows 11 on Arm available for download.

The time has finally come! After dragging its feet for years, Microsoft has finally released the first official Windows 11 ISOs for PCs with an Arm64 processor