New Update Windows 11 Development Environment

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Microsoft usually releases new Windows 11 virtual machines every month, shortly after Patch Tuesday updates. However, the company skipped December 2023, leaving those using its evaluation virtual machines hanging without a newer release. The wait is finally over, and Microsoft has a new set of fresh Windows 11 virtual machines you can use for free for 90 days.

Windows 11 Development Environment (that is the official name for Microsoft's Windows 11-based virtual machines) version 2401 is based on Windows 11 Enterprise version 22H2 with build number 22621.3007, the latest Patch Tuesday update released on January 9, 2024.

Windows 11 Development Environment virtual machines are available in four pre-built configurations: Hyper-V Gen 2, VMWare, VirtualBox, and Parallels (for macOS). You need at least 70GB of free space on your drive (double that since you must unpack it before installing) and a minimum of 8GB of RAM.

You can download a free Windows 11 virtual machine from the official website. Version 2401 will expire on April 9, 2024.

Microsoft releases new free Windows 11 virtual machines with the latest updates

Microsoft has released new Windows 11 virtual machines available for free evaluation. Version 2401 includes the latest cumulative updates for Windows 11 version 22H2 and various developer tools.

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Microsoft has finally updated its free virtual machine, also known as the "Windows Development Environment" (WDE). Version 2403 was supposed to come out in March, but Microsoft delayed the release for unknown reasons. You can download the latest Windows 11 virtual machines from the official website. As usual, they are available in four prebuilt variants for different virtualization software: VMware, Parallels (macOS), Hyper-V Gen 2, and VirtualBox.

Windows Development Environment version 2403 is built upon Windows 11 build 22621.3296, the March 2024 Patch Tuesday update.

Microsoft releases new free Windows 11 virtual machines with March 2024 updates

Microsoft has released a new set of free Windows 11 virtual machines. Version 2403 is now available for download in four different configurations for various virtualization software.

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Microsoft has just released Windows Development Environment version 2405, which contains the latest updates and developer tools.

Windows Development Environment version 2405 is based on Windows 11 Enterprise (Evaluation) version 22H2, build 22621.3447. It contains the April 2024 Patch Tuesday updates, which Microsoft released on April 9, 2024 (KB5036893). That means you can try out the new features of the latest "Moment 5" update for Windows 11.

Microsoft releases new free Windows 11 virtual machines with Moment 5 features

If you need a virtual machine to experiment with Windows 11 and its dev tools, Microsoft has just released a new version of its official and available for free virtual machines with Moment 5 features.

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Microsoft has updated its page where users can download official Windows 11 evaluation virtual machines, also known as Windows Development Environment. According to the update, some of the currently available virtual machines will be taken down due to "ongoing technical issues." The virtual machines in question are versions made for Parallels (macOS) and VMware (multi-platform). Here is the message Microsoft posted:

Due to ongoing technical issues, downloads for VMWare and Parallels will be temporarily unavailable starting July 15, 2024.

Windows Development Environment virtual machines are available in four variants: VMware, Hyper-V Gen 2, Parallels Desktop, and VirtualBox. Microsoft updates its official virtual machines roughly every month after releasing Patch Tuesday updates. However, for some reason, Microsoft skipped the June release, leaving its latest Windows Development Environment virtual machines stuck on version 2404.

Although you can still download the latest release for VMware and Parallels, version 2404 has its timebomb set to July 15, 2024. That means that after the specified date, Windows 11 will start nagging you with activation prompts. And since you cannot activate Windows Development Environment even with a genuine key, users will have to wait for Microsoft to release a fixed version for VMware or Parallels or switch to another virtualization software for some time.

Microsoft will temporarily remove some of its free Windows 11 virtual machines

Microsoft has posted a notification that some of its free virtual machines will soon be delisted from their download page. The virtual machines in question are for VMware and Parallels for Macs.

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One month ago, Microsoft notified users that it would remove some of its Windows 11 virtual machines. They are usually available in four variants: Hyper-V, VMware, Parallels, and VirtualBox. However, due to unknown "ongoing technical issues," on July 15, Microsoft pulled the VMware and Parallels variants. A little later, Microsoft released version 2407 of its virtual machines (they are known as Windows Development Environment) with the latest Patch Tuesday updates.

Now, one of the previously delisted virtual machines is back—Microsoft re-released Windows Development Environment version 2407 for VMware, letting users of VMware Workstation Player or Workstation Pro download the latest Windows 11 VM from Microsoft.

In addition to publishing WDE 2407 for VMware, Microsoft updated the expiry date, giving the latest update a few more weeks of work. Now, version 2407 is set to expire on October 29 instead of October 9. Microsoft's official virtual machines are available for free for 90 days, and they do not support activating with genuine license keys. Once they expire, they start nagging users with typical messages of a non-activated Windows installation, such as a black desktop background, regular shutdowns, and notifications.

Microsoft restores some of its previously removed free Windows 11 virtual machines

The recently updated Windows 11 virtual machines from Microsoft are now again available for VMware users. Microsoft resolved unknown technical issues, but the variant or Parallels is still missing.

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On October 23, 2024, all Windows 11 Development Environment virtual machines expired, which means if you still have one up and running, you will now face activation issues. Since Windows Development Environment does not support activation with product keys, expired virtual machines will turn their desktop background black and shut down every hour.

Microsoft does not say much about what happened to its virtual machines. All we have is a brief message on the official website that says the following:

Note: Due to ongoing technical issues, as of October 23, 2024, downloads are temporarily unavailable.

Microsoft's official Windows 11 virtual machines are no longer available

Want an official Windows 11 virtual machine from Microsoft? Too bad—they are no longer available, at least for now.

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