Download Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) ISO file

You can download the Windows 10 April 2018 Update ISO directly from the Microsoft servers without the Media Creation Tool, and here's how to do it.

Windows 10 April update (version 1803) ISO download
Windows 10 April update (version 1803) ISO download

The Windows 10 April update (version 1803) is finally available for download starting April 30, 2018, and Microsoft is now gradually rolling it out to millions of devices around world. However, if you want to upgrade early, and you’re up to the challenge, you can upgrade using the ISO file.

Alongside using Windows Update, Microsoft also makes available the ISO file for every new release of Windows 10, including for the April update. The only issue is that when you use a Windows 10 device to download the ISO from the Microsoft support website, you’re only given the choice to get the “Update Assistant” or “Media Creation Tool.”

If you don’t want to go through the extra steps, there is a workaround to download the ISO file of Windows 10 version 1803 directly from the Microsoft servers without having to use the Media Creation Tool. You just need to trick the site to think you’re using an unsupported OS.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to download the Windows 10 ISO file (now with the April update) directly from Microsoft servers.

Important: Microsoft usually releases the ISO file of a new version of Windows 10 after 2PM ET.

How to download the Windows 10 April update ISO

In order to download the ISO file of the Windows 10 April update, you’ll have to change your web browser settings to navigate the Microsoft support site as if you were using an unsupported OS, and then you’ll be able to download the ISO directly.

Microsoft Edge

Here’s how using the Edge browser:

  1. Open a new tab on Microsoft Edge.

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  3. Right-click on the page and select Inspect element.

    Quick Tip: If you don’t see the option, open about:flags from the address bar, and check the “Show ‘View source’ and ‘Inspect element’ in the context menu” option.
  4. Click on Emulation.

  5. Under “Mode”, change the user agent string to Apple Safari (ipad).

    Switch user agent on Edge
    Switch user agent on Edge
  6. Refresh the page if the browser doesn’t reload automatically.

  7. Select the edition of Windows 10 you want.

  8. Click the Confirm button.

  9. Pick your product language from the drop-down menu.

  10. Click the Confirm button.

  11. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO to begin the process.

    Download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool
    Download Windows 10 ISO without Media Creation Tool

Google Chrome

Here’s how using the Chrome browser:

  1. Open a new tab on Chrome.

  2. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  3. Right-click on the page and select Inspect.

  4. Click the three-dotted menu button on the top-right, and under “More tools”, select Network conditions.

  5. Under “User agent”, clear the Select automatically option.

  6. Select the Safari – iPad iOS 9 option from the “User agent” drop-down menu.

    Switch user agent on Chrome
    Switch user agent on Chrome
  7. Refresh the page if the browser doesn’t reload automatically.

  8. Select the edition of Windows 10 you want.

  9. Click the Confirm button.

  10. Pick your product language from the drop-down menu.

  11. Click the Confirm button.

  12. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO to begin the process.

Mozilla Firefox

Here’s how using Mozilla’s web browser:

  1. Install a user agent switcher extension, such as User-Agent Switch.

  2. Open a new tab on Firefox.

  3. Copy and paste this Microsoft support site link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO in the address bar, and press Enter. (If you get redirected, it’s an expected behavior.)

  4. Switch the user agent with the extension to another platform like Mac.

    Switch user agent on Firefox
    Switch user agent on Firefox
  5. Select the edition of Windows 10 you want.

  6. Click the Confirm button.

  7. Pick your product language from the drop-down menu.

  8. Click the Confirm button.

  9. Click the button to download the Windows 10 ISO to begin the process.

After downloading the ISO file, you can use tools, such as Rufus to create a bootable media of Windows 10.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.