Microsoft Swells Windows Downloads Past 8 GB as Copilot+ AI Files Add 3 GB
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 30
Microsoft Swells Windows Downloads Past 8 GB as Copilot+ AI Files Add 3 GB
3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 30
Summary
Windows 11 ISO downloads now exceed 8 GB, roughly double the size of the original Windows 10 release a decade ago, with even Media Creation Tool images still at 6.8 GB.
About 3 GB of that growth appears tied to shared AI models for Copilot+ PCs, which are bundled into cumulative updates and downloads even on PCs without NPUs.
Michael Niehaus, a former Microsoft deployment specialist, said Copilot+ makes Windows and its updates "much worse," partly because Microsoft ships large AI code packages through Windows Update instead of the Store.
Storage pressure is becoming more visible: a fresh Windows 11 install on Microsoft's minimum 64 GB system drive peaked at 28.2 GB before apps or user files, raising concerns for business deployments and low-capacity PCs.