How to Create an ISO Image from Your Operating System [2 Ways]

What Exactly Is an ISO Image and Why Need It?

ISO image is a disc image, saved with the .iso extension, that contains the official Windows installation files provided by Microsoft. With it, you can create a bootable USB or CD/DVD to start a computer or reinstall Windows.

As computer technology develops, many third-party software have created different image formats, such as VHD, XML, etc, which include an exact copy of your operating system, such as Windows itself, installed programs, system settings, and even personal files. It’s a full system backup as it is right now.

Both help you restore or repair your computer if it crashes, gets infected, or the hard drive is damaged. However, the official ISO image is only available for fresh installation, while third-party ones offer more versatility, especially for quick recovery, easy migration, and providing peace of mind before upgrades.

What You’ll Need

Before you start creating an ISO image from your operating system, it’s important to prepare a few essentials, ensuring the process goes smoothly. Alternatively, get the best solution.

	Official ISO Image	Full System Image Backup
Storage	USB drive with at least 8GB space, preferably 16GB or larger.	Backup drive with a larger capacity, referring to the used space on the current drive.
Tools	Official tools, such as “Backup and Restore” or “Media Creation Tool,” though these are more limited in functionality.	Reliable ISO image creator - AOMEI Backupper Standard. Create a full system image, including Windows, settings, apps, and files, not just an installation image. It’s free and easy to use.
👍Best for	Clean install Windows 11 or 10	Quick recovery, easy migration, or keep peace of mind before upgrades

⚠️Note: You’ll need administrator rights to create an ISO image from your operating system as this operation requires access to protected system files, boot data, and registry information.

How to Create an ISO Image from Your Operating System

As mentioned earlier, there are two methods on how to create an ISO image from your operating system on Windows 11. Select the one best suits your needs.

• Try Method 1 to create a full system image backup in Windows 11.
• Try Method 2 for the official ISO image, allowing you to reinstall Windows or repair your computer.

Method 1: Create a Full Windows 11 ISO Image using AOMEI Backupper (for Most Scenarios)

The easiest way to create an ISO image from your operating system is by using AOMEI BackupperStandard - a free and reliable backup and restore tool for Windows 11, 10, 8/8.1, and 7. It allows you to backup and restore OS, settings, files, and apps exactly as they were-no need to reinstall or reconfigure anything. Zero data loss.

Step 1. Open AOMEI Backupper Standard after installing. Then, click Backup in the left menu and select System Backup. The software will automatically select the system partitions required for Windows to start.

⚠️ Note: Click Disk Backup if you want to create an ISO image from my hard drive. It will include the OS and all data on the entire drive.

Step 2. Click the PC icon to choose a destination. You can store the system image on an external hard drive, USB drive, NAS, network drive, or another local drive with sufficient free space. It’s best to choose a different drive than your system drive for safety.

Step 3(Important). Click Schedule to set a free schedule backup. Select from daily, weekly, monthly, or event-triggered basis. This ensures your system always stays up to date. Once done, click Start Backup to create an ISO image from your operating system.

After the backup is complete, it’s still suggested to create a bootable USB, similar to an official ISO image, to start Windows when needed. Click Tools in the left menu and select Create Bootable Media to get started.

Method 2: Create an Official ISO Image using MediaCreationTool

This method is mainly for creating an installation image or recovery media, not a full system backup - meaning it contains Windows setup files only, without your personal data or installed programs. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1. Go to the official Windows 11 Software Download page, provided by Microsoft, and click Download Now under Create Windows 11 Installation Media.

Step 2. Run MediaCreationTool. Accept the license terms when prompted on the “What do you want to do?” screen, select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC.

Step 3. Choose your preferred language, edition, and architecture. If you’re not sure, leave the option “Use the recommended options for this PC” checked.

Step 4. Select USB flash drive as the media to create an ISO image from your operating system. Be sure to select your USB drive to save it.

Step 5. It will now download the Windows 11 installation files from Microsoft and create an ISO image. The process might take some time depending on your internet speed. Once completed, click Finish.

Final Thoughts

Creating an ISO image from your operating system means creating a full system image backup or Windows installation image to start or repair your computer. Select the corresponding method above.

AOMEI Backupper Standard is the best tool if you want your Windows setup, programs, and files to be always safe and ready to use. It’s fast and worry-free. You can create and restore ISO images, schedule backups, and make bootable media -all with just a few clicks.