How to download Windows 11 24H2 ISO file after 25H2 releases

• To download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file after the release of Windows 11 25H2, you have to use the UUP Dump script to download the installation files and create a custom ISO file, which you can then use with the Rufus tool to create a bootable USB installer.

Once Windows 11 25H2 (2025 Update) has been released, you can still download the ISO file for Windows 11 24H2 to perform a clean install of the previous version of the operating system. However, you will have to resort to alternative methods.

Usually, when a new version of Windows becomes available, Microsoft will update the “Installation Assistant” and “Media Creation Tool” to upgrade computers to the latest release (in this case, version 25H2), making it impossible to use the official tools to downgrade.

If, for any reason, you have to roll back, you can use the recovery settings to uninstall version 25H2. However, if the option is no longer available or doesn’t work, you can still download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file, even after version 25H2 has been released, by using the UUP Dump script along with the Rufus tool to create bootable media.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to download the ISO file for an older version of Windows 11.

Download Windows 11 24H2 ISO after 25H2 releases

To download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file, follow these steps:

1. Open the UUP Dump page.

2. Click the Windows 11 menu and select the version “24H2” (build number 26100) option.

   

3. Select the Windows 11 24H2 build to download the latest (x64) ISO file—for example, Windows 11, version 24H2 (26100.xxxx) amd64.

   

4. Choose the installation language with the “Language” menu.

   

5. Click the Next button.

6. Select the editions to include in the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Select the “Download and convert to ISO” option.

   

9. Check the “Include updates (Windows converter only)” option.

   Quick note: This is the option that will integrate the necessary updates to make the ISO file version of Windows 11 24H2.

10. Click the “Create download package” button to save the tool on your device.

11. Open the zip folder with File Explorer. 

12. Click the Extract all button.

13. Select the location where you want to extract the files.

14. Click the Extract button. 

    

15. Right-click the uup_download_windows.cmd batch file and select the Run as administrator option.

    Quick note: You may get a message trying to run the script. If this is the case, choose the “Run Anyway” option.

    

Once you complete the steps, the script will download the necessary files from Microsoft servers and create the ISO file for Windows 11 24H2, which you can use to create a bootable USB drive.

Create a bootable USB drive

To create a USB bootable for Windows 11 24H2, follow these steps:

1. Open the Rufus website.

2. Click the link to download the latest version under the “Download” section.

3. Double-click the executable to launch the tool.

4. Click the Select button.

   

5. Open the ISO file location.

6. Select the Windows 11 24H2 ISO file.

7. Click the Open button.

8. Continue with the default settings to create the bootable media.

9. (Optional) Confirm a descriptive name for the USB drive.  

10. Click the Start button.

11. Click the OK button to skip the customization settings (if applicable).

12. Click the OK button to confirm the deletion of the USB drive data.

Once you complete the steps, you can use the bootable USB flash drive to install the older version of Windows 11 using a clean or in-place upgrade.

If you want to avoid the extra steps to obtain an older version of Windows, download the ISO file as soon as it becomes available and keep an offline copy for future use, in case a new version becomes available.

Although it’s still possible to download an older version of the operating system, it’s not clear when the site will stop offering the script in this version. As a result, you download the image file as soon as possible. 

It’s worth noting that Windows 11 25H2 and version 24H2 share the core file system, meaning they are virtually identical operating systems. As a result, downgrading may not resolve a specific problem unless the issue is directly related to the installation of the enablement package (eKB) to switch versions.

Finally, the Windows 11 25H2 ISO file is actually an image of version 24H2. During the installation process, the setup will download and install the enablement package KB5054156 to increase the version number.

FAQs about downloading Windows 11 24H2 ISO

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers regarding the ISO file download for version 24H2.

Can I still download the Windows 11 24H2 ISO after 25H2 is released?

Yes, but only through alternative tools like UUP Dump, as Microsoft’s official tools are updated to support only 25H2.

Is the Windows 11 24H2 ISO safe if created with UUP Dump?

Yes. UUP Dump downloads official files directly from Microsoft’s servers, then compiles them into an ISO.

Do I need Rufus to use the ISO?

Yes, Rufus is recommended to create a bootable USB drive for installation. Unless you’re planning to create a virtual machine, in which case, you can simply mount the ISO file. You can also mount the image to File Explorer to launch the in-place upgrade process.

What happens if I stay on 24H2 instead of updating to 25H2?

These versions share the same core, but version 25H2 includes longer support. Staying on 24H2 is safe in the short term, but not in the long term.

Can I downgrade from 25H2 to 24H2 without reinstalling?

Yes, you only have to uninstall the enablement package from the computer to roll back to the previous version.

Are Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 different operating systems?

No. Both versions share the same core file system, making them virtually identical. The main difference is that version 25H2 is enabled through an enablement package (eKB) applied on top of 24H2.

Will downgrading from 25H2 to 24H2 fix problems?

Not always. Since both versions are built on the same core, downgrading usually won’t resolve issues unless the problem is specifically related to the 25H2 enablement package.

Is the Windows 11 25H2 ISO different from the 24H2 ISO?

Technically, no. The 25H2 ISO is actually an image of Windows 11 version 24H2. During installation, the setup downloads and installs the enablement package KB5054156, which upgrades the system to 25H2.