Request for Official SHA-256 Verification

Question

Request for Official SHA-256 Verification

Lenco Lloyd 0

Hello Microsoft Support Team,

I am requesting official verification of a Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation ISO downloaded directly from Microsoft's Evaluation Center.

Downloaded ISO details:

Edition: Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation

Architecture: x64 / AMD64

Filename: 26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENT_IOT_LTSC_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso

File size: 5,060,020,224 bytes

Source: Official Microsoft Evaluation Center

SHA-256 calculated from downloaded ISO:

2CEE70BD183DF42B92A2E0DA08CC2BB7A2A9CE3A3841955A012C0F77AEB3CB29

SHA-256 listed in Microsoft's official verification PDF for x64:

8ABF91C9CD408368DC73AAB3425D5E3C02DAE74900742072EB5C750FC637C195

The downloaded file matches the size provided by Microsoft's download server, but its SHA-256 differs from the official verification document.

I understand that other users have reported similar discrepancies.

Could Microsoft please confirm:

Is the downloaded ISO with SHA-256 2CEE70BD183DF42B92A2E0DA08CC2BB7A2A9CE3A3841955A012C0F77AEB3CB29 an authentic Microsoft release?

Does the published x64 SHA-256 reference correspond to a different or earlier build?

Is there an updated official checksum or verification document for the ISO currently distributed through the Evaluation Center?

I intend to use this ISO in an isolated Hyper-V virtual machine for software evaluation and would like to verify its authenticity before installation.

Thank you for your assistance.Hello Microsoft Support Team,

I am requesting official verification of a Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation ISO downloaded directly from Microsoft's Evaluation Center.

Downloaded ISO details:

Edition: Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation

Architecture: x64 / AMD64

Filename: 26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENT_IOT_LTSC_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso

File size: 5,060,020,224 bytes

Source: Official Microsoft Evaluation Center

SHA-256 calculated from downloaded ISO:

2CEE70BD183DF42B92A2E0DA08CC2BB7A2A9CE3A3841955A012C0F77AEB3CB29

SHA-256 listed in Microsoft's official verification PDF for x64:

8ABF91C9CD408368DC73AAB3425D5E3C02DAE74900742072EB5C750FC637C195

The downloaded file matches the size provided by Microsoft's download server, but its SHA-256 differs from the official verification document.

I understand that other users have reported similar discrepancies.

Could Microsoft please confirm:

Is the downloaded ISO with SHA-256 2CEE70BD183DF42B92A2E0DA08CC2BB7A2A9CE3A3841955A012C0F77AEB3CB29 an authentic Microsoft release?

Does the published x64 SHA-256 reference correspond to a different or earlier build?

Is there an updated official checksum or verification document for the ISO currently distributed through the Evaluation Center?

I intend to use this ISO in an isolated Hyper-V virtual machine for software evaluation and would like to verify its authenticity before installation.

Thank you for your assistance.

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Do not install the ISO as verified media: Microsoft’s verification procedure requires an exact SHA-256 match, and the currently published reference does not match your file.

What can be confirmed

The filename identifies a Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation x64 refresh based on build 26100.1742. Microsoft documents build 26100 as Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 (24H2). ^1^
The Evaluation Center currently offers separate x64/AMD64 and ARM64 downloads for this 90-day evaluation. Its instructions say to calculate the ISO’s SHA-256 value and compare it with the published hash PDF; a match confirms that the file has not been corrupted, tampered with, or altered. ^2^
Your calculated value,
2CEE70BD183DF42B92A2E0DA08CC2BB7A2A9CE3A3841955A012C0F77AEB3CB29,
does not match the PDF’s x64 value,
8ABF91C9CD408368DC73AAB3425D5E3C02DAE74900742072EB5C750FC637C195. ^3^
The identical discrepancy has already been reported on Microsoft Q&A, but that report has no accepted or recommended answer establishing which checksum is authoritative. ^4^

Consequently, the available Microsoft-published information does not establish that 2CEE70BD...3CB29 is authentic. Matching the server-reported file size is not a substitute for matching the cryptographic hash.

There is also no published evidence here that:

8ABF91C9...7C195 belongs to an earlier build or media revision;
2CEE70BD...3CB29 is the replacement x64 checksum;
the two values were accidentally assigned to different architectures; or
Microsoft has issued an updated verification document for this ISO.

Recommended next steps

Retain the ISO but do not boot or mount it on a trusted system.
Recalculate both SHA-256 and file length locally to preserve an exact support record:

$iso = "C:\Downloads\26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENT_IOT_LTSC_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso"

Get-Item $iso | Select-Object Name, Length, LastWriteTimeUtc
Get-FileHash -Path $iso -Algorithm SHA256

Optionally download the x64 ISO again from a newly generated Evaluation Center link, preferably using another network and storage location. If the second copy produces the same hash, that demonstrates repeatable delivery but does not itself provide official authentication while the published reference differs.
Add the second result to the existing Q&A report or submit it through the Windows IoT feedback form linked from Microsoft’s release-history page. Request a response that explicitly maps:
- complete filename;
- architecture and language;
- byte length;
- SHA-256;
- media revision/publication date.

Only a corrected Microsoft hash publication or an explicit Microsoft Support/Windows IoT engineering confirmation can resolve the discrepancy authoritatively.

For an isolated Hyper-V evaluation, isolation reduces operational exposure but does not solve provenance verification. Wait for the checksum reference to be corrected or obtain separately verifiable evaluation media before installation.

References

Answer 2

Hello Lenco,

Thank you for posting your question on the Microsoft Windows Forum!

The most important finding is that the SHA-256 hash you calculated does not match the SHA-256 value published in Microsoft's verification document, despite the ISO having been downloaded directly from the official Microsoft Evaluation Center. [cdn-dynmed...rosoft.com], [microsoft.com]

Based on the information provided, it is not possible for community contributors on Microsoft Q&A to officially validate or certify a specific ISO hash value. Only Microsoft can authoritatively confirm whether a particular ISO currently being served by the Evaluation Center is the intended release.

What the available evidence suggests

The published verification document currently lists the following SHA-256 value for:

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation x64
8ABF91C9CD408368DC73AAB3425D5E3C02DAE74900742072EB5C750FC637C195

However, the ISO filename you provided references build:

26100.1742.240906-0331

which suggests a refreshed image. A similar checksum mismatch has recently been reported by another user for the ARM64 evaluation ISO, where the build date of the downloaded image appeared newer than the date associated with the published verification document. In that discussion, it was noted that the most likely explanation is that the Evaluation Center image was refreshed while the linked checksum document had not yet been updated. [learn.microsoft.com]

What can be confirmed

If the ISO was downloaded from the official Microsoft Evaluation Center and the file was retrieved successfully without download errors, that supports authenticity, but it does not independently verify that the currently published checksum document corresponds to the exact ISO being served today.

Recommended next step

While awaiting official clarification from Microsoft, the following steps may help preserve evidence and determine whether the discrepancy is reproducible:

Retain the downloaded ISO and verification results. Since the SHA-256 value does not match the published reference, I would avoid treating the media as officially verified until Microsoft confirms the discrepancy.
Recalculate the file size and SHA-256 hash locally to ensure the recorded values are accurate.

$iso = "C:\Downloads\26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_CLIENT_IOT_LTSC_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso"
Get-Item $iso | Select-Object Name, Length, LastWriteTimeUtc
Get-FileHash -Path $iso -Algorithm SHA256

Consider downloading the ISO again from the Evaluation Center using a newly generated download link. If a second download produces the same SHA-256 value, that would indicate the discrepancy is reproducible. However, a matching result across downloads still does not by itself provide official verification while the published checksum differs.
Document the results and submit them through the appropriate Microsoft feedback channel.

It would be helpful to include:

Full filename
Architecture and language
File size in bytes
Calculated SHA-256
Published SHA-256
Download date

This information will help Microsoft determine whether the Evaluation Center media has been updated without a corresponding checksum update.

Microsoft References

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation Center [microsoft.com], [microsoft.com]
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 Evaluation Hash Values [cdn-dynmed...rosoft.com]

One observation that may be relevant is that your reported mismatch closely resembles a recently reported case involving the ARM64 evaluation media, where the checksum document and the currently distributed ISO appeared to be out of sync. While that does not confirm the authenticity of your specific ISO, it does suggest that the discrepancy may be related to documentation lag rather than corruption.

I hope this information is helpful. If so, please click on Accept Answer and consider upvoting it. Doing so helps other community members identify useful solutions to similar issues.