June 22, 2022
People in Russia can no longer download Windows 10 and Windows 11 ISOs and installation tools from Microsoft.
When users in Russia try to download the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, they are shown a message saying, “404 – File or Directory not found.” When trying to download Windows 10 and Windows 11 ISOs, users are shown an error saying, “There was a problem with your request.”
However, users can still download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, even though it eventually generates an ox80072F8F-ox20000 error that says, “For some unknown reason, this tool failed to run on your computer.”
Several users in Russia found that once they connect to a VPN server outside Russia, they can download the files from Microsoft again.
Microsoft refuses to give information on the reason for the blockade, but since the invasion of Ukraine, the company has been withdrawing services from Russia, starting with the suspension of all sales in the country in March. Earlier this month, the company also announced that it would lay off 400 employees in Russia as they gradually cease their activities in the country.
The sources for this piece include an article in BleepingComputer.
