Microsoft updates Media Creation Tool ahead of Windows 11 25H2 launch

Microsoft is getting closer to the release of Windows 11 version 25H2, but unlike version 24H2, the update is not going to be a very big one. Versions 24H2 and 25H2 are from the same branch, and, as such, both versions will share the same feature set. Ahead of the release, Microsoft updated the official Media Creation Tool app so that it can download a more recent Windows 11 version 24H2 release, giving users fewer updates to download after a clean install.

As of right now, the official Windows 11 Media Creation Tool app downloads (and installs, if you choose to "burn" the image to a USB media) build 26100.6584, which is this month's security or Patch Tuesday update. Before, the MCT would get you to build 26100.4349 or the June 2025 Patch Tuesday updates.

Tip: If you already have the Media Creation Tool downloaded to your PC but you do not know its version, right-click the file, select Properties, switch to the Details tab, and check the File version string.

Note that the latest Media Creation Tool app has problems running on Windows 10. It launches and then helplessly crashes without a reason. If you need to download a Windows 11 image, you can head to the official website and then get a direct link to the ISO instead of using the Media Creation Tool app. After that, "burn" it to your media using apps like Rufus, Ventoy, or similar.

Alternatively, you can proceed straight to Windows 11 version 25H2 images, which are now available on Microsoft's servers, and clean-install the latest feature update as described in our "How to download and install Windows 11 version 25H2" guide.

You can download the updated version of the Media Creation Tool app from the official website.

Credit for the tip goes to spaceship9876!

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Posted Wednesday 1 October 2025 at 6:51 am AEST (my time).

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