start your usb drives Microsoft makes it easier to do a clean Windows install on Arm-based PCs Generic install media brings Arm PCs closer to feeling like any old x86 PC. Andrew Cunningham Nov 14, 2024 2:22 pm | 2 Credit: Microsoft Credit: Microsoft Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFor some PC buyers, doing a clean install of Windows right out of the box is part of the setup ritual. But for Arm-based PCs, including the Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips in them, it hasn't been possible in the same way. Microsoft (mostly) hasn't offered generic install media that can be used to reinstall Windows on an Arm PC from scratch.Microsoft is fixing that todaythe company finally has a download page for the official Arm release of Windows 11, linked to but separate from the ISOs for the x86 versions of Windows. These are useful not just for because-I-feel-like-it clean installs, but for reinstalling Windows after you've upgraded your SSD and setting up Windows virtual machines on Arm-based PCs and Macs.Previously, Microsoft did offer install media for some Windows Insider Preview Arm builds, though these are for beta versions of Windows that may or may not be feature-complete or stable. Various apps, scripts, and websites also exist to grab files from Microsoft's servers and build "unofficial" ISOs for the Arm version of Windows, though obviously this is more complicated than just downloading a single file directly.Per usual when you do a from-scratch installation of Windows, you'll need to make sure you can find all the drivers for your hardware so that all of your hardware functions like it's supposed to. Some of these drivers may be downloaded automatically through Windows Update if you've got an Internet connection; others may need to be grabbed manually from your computer manufacturer's website.If your Arm PC shipped with Windows 11, you should have no problem installing a fresh copy of the operating system. If your PC shipped with Windows 10 instead, Windows 11 ought to be supported most of the time, but there are some early Windows 10 Arm PCs that don't meet the operating system's hardware requirements. You need at least a Snapdragon 850 processor; you can check the full Arm compatibility list here.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 2 Comments Prev story