Your Windows download keeps getting bigger, and AI is to blame - here's why it matters

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• Microsoft's ISO downloads for Windows have ballooned in size.
• In the last 10 years, the download has doubled to more than 8 GB.
• The most likely cause is Microsoft's AI files for Copilot+ PCs

Windows downloads are bigger than ever. I noticed this a few times over the past six months ("Huh, I don't remember a download being this big before") but hadn't had time to dig into the details.

Then I saw a recent post from Michael Niehaus titled "How can Windows 11 keep getting bigger?" and I realized, no, it was not my imagination.

Also: Microsoft goes all in on new AI-powered Windows security strategy - what it means for you

Just how big are these downloads?

Here's Michael's chart showing the increase in size for multi-edition downloads from Microsoft's Visual Studio (subscription required). The...

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