There are several reasons why you might need to download a install.wim file for Windows 10:

Inside a Windows 10 ISO or USB drive, you’ll find the sources folder. In that folder resides install.wim (or install.esd for online downloads). When you boot from installation media, Windows Setup uses this file to deploy the OS onto your target drive.

In conclusion, downloading a install.wim file for Windows 10 can be a bit tricky, but it's a crucial file for performing a clean installation or upgrading to Windows 10. By using the Media Creation Tool or extracting the file from an ISO file, you can obtain the install.wim file and use it to install Windows 10 on your device.

As mentioned, modern Media Creation Tool ISOs contain install.esd instead of install.wim . ESD (Electronic Software Download) is more compressed but not as easily editable. To convert ESD to WIM for customization: