Windows 11’s big 2025 update now available via ISO

Microsoft generally releases one major Windows update every year. And now that Windows 10 is riding off into the sunset, all eyes are on the upcoming Windows 11 update, version 25H2. We’ve seen a long list of features, but now the update is available via ISO download. You can install it manually; though it’s not yet available via Windows Update.

This version of Windows 11 was already available via the Windows Insiders testing system, and the ISO files are still gated behind it, but Windows Central reports that this should be the “production ready” version of the operating system. That means it’s ready to head out to PC manufacturers for installation on brand new machines. The full version will be available to download for most users in the near future.

Windows 11 25H2 isn’t a huge change over the current version, 24H2, which has already implemented many of the changes versus older releases. Changes to the Start Menu are probably the most visible aspect, which now shows more controls and folders by default. Microsoft’s Phone Link software also gets a more central view, there are new widgets on the lock screen, and tweaks have been made to File Explorer and Search, among dozens of smaller changes.

That said, Windows updates have been causing some headaches lately, especially if you’re unlucky enough to own a small selection of SSDs. Weeks of investigation found that some drives running pre-production Phison controller firmware could be rendered useless under extremely specific circumstances. Some teething troubles are expected with all operating system updates…but I’ve been checking my backups a little more frequently as of late.