Microsoft Halts Access for Downloading Windows 10 and Windows 11 in Russia

Pixabay/Tawanda Razika

People living in Russia can no longer download and install Windows 11 and Windows 10 from Microsoft. This measure is shocking considering that the majority of PCs from all over the world are using either one of the two operating systems.

The news about Microsoft’s decision is brought by bleepingcomputer.com. What’s perhaps even more shocking is that the Redmond-based tech behemoth didn’t even provide an explanation for the radical measure, but we can all guess what it might be.

This means that netizens located in Russia no longer have the possibility to download the Media Creation Tool that allows the download and installation of Windows. They don’t even have access to updates, as the Update Assistant isn’t available anymore as well. Once people from Russia attempt to download such files, they’re being prompted with the “404 – File or Directory Not Found” message.

While Microsoft no longer gives people from Russia the possibility to get their hands on ISO installation files for Windows 11 and Windows 10, it’s obvious that they might still be able to get their hands on those files by using a VPN.

Microsoft recently took another interesting decision by phasing out the legendary Internet Explorer browser. However, pretty much nobody can be annoyed by the decision since the Redmond-based giant’s browser has clearly been obsolete for a lot of time already.

Sean Lyndersay, the program manager of Microsoft Edge, stated via the Windows Blog:

Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications. Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.

We can still hope that Microsoft will provide an explanation soon enough regarding its radical measure toward Russian netizens.

Cristian Antonescu

Cristian is in love with technology, as are many of us. He has a vast experience as a content writer in the field. He's involved especially in the hardware area, where he covers the latest news regarding smartphones, laptops, PC components, and so on.