Download Windows 10 Version 1803 Using the Media Creation Tool


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This Version of Windows 10 is Obsolete

Please see my updated guide Windows OEM FAQs and Downloads which instructs in downloading the latest mainstream build.

Tutorial Video

Written Guide

Windows 10 Version 1803 (March 2018) Installation .isos can be Downloaded from Microsoft by visiting their website.

Note Microsoft took some additional time to test this update, making the installation .isos on the 12th of April 2018 and releasing to the mainstream Windows 10 userbase on the 30th of April 2018. They hence call it the April 2018 Update opposed to the March 2018 Update indicative of the Version Number 1803.

The Windows 10 Version 1803 Installation media automatically inputs all mainstream Windows 8 OEM Product Keys. Windows 8.1 OEM Product Keys and Windows 10 OEM Product Keys during installation and automatically selects the correct corresponding Edition of Windows 10 OEM to install. All Activation Mechanisms with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Keys still work despite Microsoft only marketing a 1 year free upgrade.

Win10HomeWin8HomeWin8Bingwin10ProWin8Pro

Windows 10 Version 1803 Installation media accepts all Windows 7 OEM Product Keys although they have to be manually input as they are physically printed on a paper Code of Authenticity (COA). Once the 25 Digit Product Key is manually input the installation media will select the correct corresponding Edition of Windows 10 OEM to install. The COA is often found in the battery compartment of laptops. All Activation Mechanisms with Windows 7 Keys still work despite Microsoft only marketing a 1 year free upgrade.

Laptop COA

The Media Creation Tool is a small application which can be used to Download Windows 10 Setup Files and Create a Windows 10 .iso. The .isos created from the Windows 10 Media Creation are multi-edition and the Media Creation Tool checks the setup files before creating the installation .iso reducing installation failure via the selection of the wrong Windows Edition or from obtaining an incomplete download.

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool is available to download from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

This will take you to the software download page for the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool if you are using a computer that is running Windows 7 or later.

If you are not running Windows, you will be redirected to a page which offers direct Download Links see Downloading Windows 10 Using Direct Download Links.

If the Rare Case the Media Creation Tool gives an error message see Downloading Windows 10 Using Direct Download Links.

Select Download Tool Now:

Select save:

Microsoft have (partially) took feedback into account and labelled the MediaCreationTool1803 opposed to "MediaCreationTool" like they did for every other Version.

We can right click the MediaCreationTool1803:

Then select Properties:

Then select the Details tab to see that it is build 17134.1:

Double click the MediaCreationTool1803:

Accept the User Account Control:

You will see the Windows logo:

The Windows 10 Setup will get a few things ready:

Accept the License Agreement:

It will continue get a few things ready:

Select Create Installation Media and then select Next:

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool will automatically select the Language, Edition and Architecture matching your current install*.

* When run on a Windows 7 English UK installation, it will incorrectly select English US opposed to English UK. To avoid installation of improper English (US), you will need to manually select English (UK).

Otherwise select your desired language:

I will download an English UK (English International) installation .iso:

For Edition there is only "Windows 10". This is because the installation .iso is actually multiple Edition covering all OEM and Retail Licenses:

The Windows 10 Version 1803 .iso contains the following Editions:

  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Home N
  • Windows 10 Home Single Language
  • Windows 10 Education
  • Windows 10 Education N
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 10 Pro N

Notes:

  • N=European Commission Editions. These are inferior to the Standard Editions and exist only because the European Commission filed a lawsuit against Microsoft. They have no media features. Like the European Commission they are extremely unpopular even in European Union countries.
  • Single Language as the name suggests is a Windows 10 Edition locked to a Single Language. You can't readily switch language once Windows is installed. However it is possible to download an .iso of another Language and Clean Install… It's sole purpose is to prevent cheap exports particularly from China and India where Microsoft lowered the price of a Windows License because piracy was previously an issue.
  • S=Secure Mode. This was a separate Edition in Windows 10 Version 1709 where you are locked into installing software certified by Microsoft such as Microsoft Office 365 and Apps available via the Microsoft Store. Microsoft's implementation of these Editions have been seen "as pay for full functionality" opposed to a more Secure Edition and were hence quite unpopular. As a result Microsoft merged S Editions into the main Windows 10 Editions.

Note 2. The Installation .iso from the Direct Download Links see Downloading Windows 10 Using Direct Download Links contains more Editions however these Editions are typically only for large organisations such as Universities or Enterprises:

  • Windows 10 Home
  • Windows 10 Home N
  • Windows 10 Home Single Language
  • Windows 10 Education
  • Windows 10 Education N
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 10 Pro N
  • Windows 10 Pro Education
  • Windows 10 Pro Education N
  • Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
  • Windows 10 Pro for Workstations N

I advise using the 64 Bit (x64) architecture in almost all cases as the 32 Bit (x86) architecture is more or less falling into obsolesce.

Select .iso file. The tool can make a Bootable USB directly but in my experience this is less reliable than downloading the .iso and creating a Bootable USB with Rufus.

The .iso will by default be saved in Documents (you can move this to your desired location). Microsoft by default call all installation .isos created by the Media Creation Tool Windows 10. It would be better if they added the version number, language and architecture which I will do manually. Once you have renamed the .iso, select save:

The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool will now download the setup files:

It will then verify the setup files:

Finally it will create Windows 10 Installation Media (in this case the Bootable .iso) from the Setup Files:

Because the .iso is physically created on your computer (and not downloaded in .iso format direct from a Microsoft Server) it will have a unique creation date and hence will have a unique .iso checksum. There is no point in checking the .iso checksums for .isos created by the Media Creation Tool.

It will tell you to Burn the .iso to a DVD, ignore this completely and select Finish. Optical Drives are obsolete and a multitude of installation problems occur on systems that do have Optical Drives due to badly burned DVDs or via the Optical Drive being blocked via Secure Boot.

The setup will clean (remove all Windows 10 setup files which are no longer needed now that the .iso is created). Once it has done this the Media Creation Tool will close.

You will now have your new Windows 10 Version 1803.iso in Documents (or your selected location):

Now that you have the installation .iso you can mount it via Windows Explorer (Windows 8 or Later) and launch the setup to perform an in place upgrade or you can use Rufus to Create a Bootable USB.

For more details see Creating a Windows 10 Bootable USB for a UEFI BIOS.