More than two years after the publication of the final version of Windows 11on October 31, 2023 Microsoft released Windows 11 23H2, second feature update or feature update for the operating system. This release corresponds with the publication of Windows 11 ISO i.e. the most updated image of the operating system, which can be downloaded directly from Microsoft servers.
As well as with the name of Windows 11 23H2the update is known as Windows 11 2023 Update: why this name? Because Microsoft decided to release only one feature update per year and to introduce new ones featureat most every three months, with the packages that have been baptized Moments.
How to download Windows 11 ISO updated to version 23H2
We have already had the opportunity to present the new features of Windows 11 23H2, a package available for download for all users. As in the case of any feature updateMicrosoft usually publishes new file ISO of Windows 11. This image in ISO format can be used to install the operating system from scratch, to reinstall it or to perform ain-place installation.
An in-place installation is for correct any problems of Windows operation without losing installed programs and personal data. The procedure can be performed using an ISO containing a Windows 11 version later than the one installed or using the same version. To proceed you need to complete the ISO download latest Windows 11, double-click the same file (so that Windows assigns a drive letter to its contents) then launch the file setup.exe.
In another article we also saw how to check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11 23H2.
Preliminary information
We would like to point out that to use Windows 11 to its full functions, with all the updates and security and privacy systems, it is necessary to activate it after acquiring an original Microsoft license. You can purchase original Windows 11 licenses at advantageous prices on Mr Key Shop, an online store that offers 100% original licenses for the most famous and used Microsoft software. The site sends the products via email within a few seconds of purchase, offers a service free assistance in Europen and discounts on the original prices of up to 70%, all verifiable from the over 2000 positive reviews obtained on Trustpilot. We also recommend reading the best software offers while for those who prefer to stay with the previous version of the operating system how to download Windows 10 ISO.
About the theme licensingin another article we saw how to behave if the Windows license is about to expire.
What is the Windows 11 ISO image for?
L’ISO image of Windows 11 allows you to:
- create a bootable media (e.g. a USB stick) to install Windows 11
- reinstall Windows 11 from scratch or with in-place upgrade (without causing the loss of any application or even the user’s personal files)
- install Windows 11 in one virtual machine Hyper-V, Virtualbox, VMware,…
- “mount” the installation media in Windows 11 or in previous versions of the operating system to check and modify its structure with the appropriate tools toolas explained in other articles
To download Windows 11 ISO just go to the Windows 11 Download page on the official Microsoft website, scroll down the page to the paragraph Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) Downloadto select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) then click on Download.
After choosing Europen as the product language, clicking on the button 64-bit Download you get the direct link to do the download di Windows 11 22H2.
Windows 11 23H2 con il Media Creation Tool
Always from the page previously viewed, moving to Creating Windows 11 installation media then clicking on Download nowyou can download a file named mediacreationtool.exe.
Unlike what happened in the past with Windows 10, the Media Creation Tool for Windows 11 it does not allow you to directly update the operating system (be it Windows 10 or 11) by applying in this case the feature update most recent.
The Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, however, only allows you to create bootable media with the files for installing the operating system and downloading the installation media image as an ISO file.
After starting the Media Creation Tool and accepting the license conditions of use, you can simply click on Avanti when the window in the figure appears. The next screen allows you to choose whether to create a USB drive or generate the ISO file for install Windows 11.
Installare Windows 11 23H2
Upgrading to Windows 11 with Windows Update
L’update to Windows 11 23H2 can take place via Windows Update: the main screen gradually informs users about the possibility of downloading and applying the feature update.
In another article we saw what updating Windows 11 means and what the main differences are between the packages that Microsoft periodically releases. However, to update to Windows 11 23H2 it is essential that the system already has theenablement package KB5027397. We talked about it in the article on how to upgrade to Windows 11 23H2 from 22H2.
Upgrade to Windows 11 23H2 now with the Installation Assistant
To update to Windows 11 23H2 and in any case to the latest version of the Microsoft operating system, you can download and run the Windows 11 Update Assistant by clicking on Download now at Windows 11 Setup Assistant.
In case the Windows 11 version installed on the system in use was the most updated one, Windows 11 Setup Assistant show the message This device is already running the latest version of Windows 11.
Use the ISO file or USB stick with Windows 11 23H2 to update the system
Windows 10 and Windows 11 allow you to mount ISO files with a simple double click, exactly as happened in Windows 7 and 8.x.
To update the machine to Windows 11 23H2 you can therefore download the ISO file of the latest version of the operating system then “mount” it (with a simple double click on the ISO file) and finally double click on the file setup.exe and then follow the guided procedure.
The installation allows you to carry out ainstallation from scratch or start a in-place upgrade so you don’t lose your settings, programs and personal files.
In the same way you can use the USB pendrive created with the Media Creation Tool by double clicking on the file setup.exe inside it: the same result is thus achieved.
Being a bootable device you can use it, for example, to install Windows 11 at boot and load the operating system from scratch by deleting everything on the storage drive.
Also in this case it is possible to carry out, if deemed appropriate, a clean installation of Windows without however definitively deleting the files relating to the previous installation (which will be temporarily saved in the folder Windows.old). The procedure, which consists in choosing thecustom installationit is the same one that we had seen in the case of Windows 10 and that we illustrated in the aforementioned article.
Download the Windows 11 23H2 ISO with Rufus
The well-known free utility Rufus allows you to download…