Windows Server 2022 ISO Overview
Windows Server 2022 ISO is the current Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release of Microsoft's server operating system, released August 2021 and supported through October 2031. The Windows Server 2022 ISO is approximately 5.0 GB and includes Standard, Datacenter, and Datacenter: Azure Edition variants in a single image — the edition is selected during installation based on your product key. The Server 2022 ISO is the standard installation method for new server deployments, virtual machine templates, and air-gapped environments. The ISO is downloadable from the Microsoft Evaluation Center for a free 180-day trial without a key, or via the Volume Licensing Service Center for organizations with active agreements. The evaluation ISO converts to a fully-licensed installation by entering a valid product key. Key new features in Server 2022 include Secured-core server (TPM 2.0 + virtualization-based security mandatory for Datacenter: Azure Edition), SMB over QUIC for branch office traffic without VPN, hot-patching for Azure Edition VMs, and improved Storage Spaces Direct performance with NVMe Tier 1 caches. Server 2022 supports installation in three modes: Desktop Experience (full GUI), Server Core (no GUI, smaller attack surface), and Nano Server (containerized, deployed as an image). For Hyper-V hosts and infrastructure roles, Server Core is the recommended deployment.