Downloading the Operating System
This section covers how to download both Windows 10/11 and the Virtio ISO.
Keep in mind that Windows 11 has some additional requirements, like TPM (Trusted Platform Module), which makes its setup a bit different.
Don't worry, I'll guide you through every step, so just follow :)
Visit the Website to Download the ISO
You can find the Windows ISO files on Microsoft's official website, should be simple lol.
For a more tailored approach, here are a couple of recommended sources:
Revision
The Revision website offers Windows ISO files and provides a playbook for debloating Windows. Although I won't go into the debloating process here, you can download the ISO from:
Revision - Windows ISO Downloads
AtlasOS
AtlasOS is another excellent option, especially if you're interested in debloating Windows 10/11. Again, I won't cover the debloating process here, but you can download the ISO from:
Downloading the Virtio ISO
For better performance with virtual machines, you'll need the Virtio drivers. Download the latest or stable Virtio ISO from the official GitHub repository:
- Visit the Virtio Win GitHub page.
- Download the stable or latest ISO from the provided links in the repository.
Fastest Way to Download
Downloading via a standard browser can be slow because it uses a single thread. To speed up the process, I recommend using aria2
, a tool that supports multi-threaded downloads. Here's how to use it:
-
Install
aria2
withpacman
:sudo pacman -S aria2
-
Copy the download link from the website or use your browser's network monitor (press F12) to grab the URL.
-
Use
aria2
to download the ISO with multiple threads:aria2c -x 16 "paste-your-download-link-here"