Media Creation Tool 10.0.26100.6584 for Windows

Media Creation Tool 10.0.26100.6584 is a free Microsoft utility for Windows that downloads Windows and creates installation media from it. You download Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's site when you need a bootable USB flash drive or an ISO file to install, reinstall or repair Windows 11 on a PC.

Quick facts

• Version: 10.0.26100.6584
• Developer: Microsoft Corporation
• Platform: Windows
• Purpose: bootable USB drive or ISO with Windows
• Licence: free
• Size: about 20.39 MB according to catalogue data
• Current Windows release: Windows 11 2025 Update, version 25H2

When you need it

Media Creation Tool is the tool for installing Windows on another computer or starting from scratch. Typical cases are a new PC built without a system, a clean reinstall after years of use, a drive replacement, or a computer that no longer boots and needs a repair environment. The tool downloads the current Windows image directly from Microsoft and writes it to a USB stick, so you do not have to look for ISO files on third-party sites. If you only want to upgrade the Windows 11 PC you are sitting at, Microsoft points to Windows 11 Installation Assistant instead, which updates the current system without a USB stick; Media Creation Tool is for making media. Windows 10 is no longer supported, so new installations should use Windows 11 where the hardware allows it.

How to create a bootable USB drive

1. Open Microsoft's installation media page and download Media Creation Tool.
2. Insert an empty USB flash drive; everything on it will be erased.
3. Run the tool as administrator and accept the licence terms.
4. Choose language and edition, then select USB flash drive, or ISO file if you want to burn a DVD or use a virtual machine.
5. Wait while Windows is downloaded and written, then boot the target PC from the USB drive via its boot menu.

Requirements

You need a working Windows PC with an internet connection, administrator rights and a USB flash drive large enough for the image. The target computer must meet Windows 11 requirements; Microsoft's Windows 11 download page lists them. For comparison, Installation Assistant needs Windows 10 version 2004 or later and 9 GB of free disk space for the download, and it does not run on Arm-based PCs.

Is it safe?

Yes, when taken from microsoft.com: the tool is signed by Microsoft and downloads the image from Microsoft's servers. Back up your files before a clean install, and double-check which USB drive you select, because it will be wiped.

Price

The tool is free. Installing Windows itself requires a valid licence; a PC that already had an activated Windows 11 usually reactivates automatically.

Pros and cons

• Pro: official image straight from Microsoft.
• Pro: creates both a USB drive and an ISO file.
• Pro: simple wizard, no settings to get wrong.
• Con: erases the whole USB drive.
• Con: download of the image takes a while on slow connections.
• Con: no custom partitioning or advanced options.

Alternatives

For working with existing ISO images, UltraISO is available on our site. To check the drive before installing Windows, CrystalDiskInfo and Victoria HDD/SSD show its health, and CPU-Z helps confirm the hardware.