So recently I’ve been playing catch up, to get both of our computers ready for the Windows 11 23H2 upgrade. (Due to caring for a very ill family member, I’ve been late to the party on getting all the ground work done for this.) I wanted to download and save the Windows 11 23H2 ISO for future use, as per Susan’s advice a little over a week ago, but I seemed to have missed my chance. 🙁
Susan’s link takes me to MS’s website, but the only ISO on offer seems to be 24H2 now. Ouch. What are my options for finding 23H2 now, from a legitimate source? Does MS have an online archive for users, for “older” ISO’s?
For what it’s worth, it seems like the Internet Archive, has it. I’ve never used that site before. And I know enough to want the SHA256 hash for the offered download, and they don’t provide any. (Note that I’m talking about the download link for the ISO image near the bottom of the page, on the right-hand side, under the “Download Options” section, rather than the sketchy “Download Links” found under the “Reviews” section.)
If I were to get the ISO from the Internet Archive, and some kind souls here were willing and able to post the SHA256 hash here on the forums, for the Windows 11 23H2 ISO (English – United States) version, and they match, then that would ensure that the file is same, right? Assuming the helper(s) got their file directly from Microsoft, and it is also the English – United States version. Could that work? Would that be enough to show that the file hasn’t been tampered with? Are there other security considerations I should also look at? Are there other options that I should consider instead?
Honestly, I trust the Askwoody team and MVP’s here far more than the Internet Archive. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.