Windows 11 26H2 download using Media Creation Tool

• Windows 11 26H2 installation media can be created using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool.
• The Media Creation Tool can create either a bootable USB flash drive or an ISO file for installing Windows 11 26H2.
• Creating a USB installer erases the contents of the selected flash drive, so important files should be backed up first.
• The tool only provides Microsoft’s current public Windows 11 release, so it cannot be used to select an older version manually.

When it’s time to upgrade to Windows 11 26H2 (2026 Update), you may want to use the Media Creation Tool to create a USB bootable drive or an ISO file.

Although you can use other tools like Rufus and Ventoy, the Media Creation Tool is Microsoft’s official utility for downloading installation files and creating bootable media or an ISO file. You can then use the media to perform an in-place upgrade or clean install of Windows 11.

The software giant makes only the current public release available through the Media Creation Tool. This means you can’t use the utility to choose between different Windows 11 versions. Once Windows 11 26H2 becomes the current release, the tool will download 26H2 rather than an older release such as 25H2 or 24H2.

In this guide, I will teach you how to use the Media Creation Tool to create a USB bootable media or ISO file for Windows 11.

• Create Windows 11 26H2 USB using Media Creation Tool
• Create Windows 11 26H2 ISO file using Media Creation Tool

Create Windows 11 26H2 USB using Media Creation Tool

To create a bootable Windows 11 26H2 USB install media with the Media Creation Tool, follow these steps:

1. Open the Microsoft support website.

2. Click the Download Now button under the “Create Windows 11 installation media” section.

3. Double-click the mediacreationtool.exe file to launch the Media Creation Tool.

4. Click the Accept button.

5. Click the Next button.

   

   Quick note: Clear the “Use the recommended options for this PC” option to select the correct language, architecture, and edition to create a Windows 11 26H2 USB for another device.

6. Select the USB flash drive option.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Select the USB flash drive from the list.

   

   Quick note: This process will delete everything on the drive, so make sure to back up any important files.

9. Click the Next button.

10. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, you can start a device using UEFI with the USB drive to install Windows 11 26H2.

Create Windows 11 26H2 ISO file using Media Creation Tool

To download the Windows 11 26H2 ISO file with the Media Creation Tool, follow these steps:

1. Open the Microsoft support website.

2. Click the Download Now button under the “Create Windows 11 installation media” section.

3. Double-click the mediacreationtool.exe file to launch the Media Creation Tool.

4. Click the Accept button.

5. Click the Next button.

   

6. Select the ISO file option.

   

7. Click the Next button.

8. Select the location to save the file.

9. Confirm a name for the image – for example, Windows_11_26H2_Setup.

10. Click the Save button.

11. Click the Finish button.

After you complete the steps, the Media Creation Tool will create an ISO file that you can use to create bootable USB media. You can also mount the ISO file in File Explorer to launch the Windows 11 26H2 setup without needing a USB flash drive.