How to Download Ubuntu Desktop Safely

An Ubuntu installer begins as an ISO image. An ISO is one file containing the files and structure needed to create installation media. It is not a Windows setup program, and double-clicking it is not the normal way to install Ubuntu on a physical computer.

Download from Ubuntu’s official Desktop page, not from a reposting or “download portal.” A third-party copy can be old, incomplete, or modified, and it makes later troubleshooting much harder.

Choose the current Desktop LTS image

On the verification date, the official page presents Ubuntu 26.04 LTS as the current Desktop LTS. An architecture identifies the processor family for which the image was built. Choose the Intel or AMD 64-bit architecture download for an ordinary modern PC with an Intel or AMD processor.

The filename is similar to:

ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso

• ubuntu identifies the distribution.
• 26.04 identifies the release. The number means April 2026, not a decimal measurement.
• desktop distinguishes the graphical desktop image from the server image.
• amd64 names the 64-bit PC architecture used by common Intel and AMD processors.
• .iso is the file extension for the image.

The name amd64 comes from the architecture’s history. It does not mean the image works only on AMD-branded processors. A typical 64-bit Intel laptop or desktop also uses this image.

ARM computers are a different case. Raspberry Pi boards, ARM PCs, and Apple Silicon Macs need hardware-specific guidance or images. This series follows an ordinary Intel/AMD PC installer and does not turn an Apple Silicon Mac into a supported target by renaming the file.

Save the ISO to the computer first

Let the browser save the ISO in the computer’s Downloads folder or another known folder on its internal disk. Do not choose the future installation USB as the download location.

Downloading and writing are two different operations:

1. The browser downloads the ISO as an ordinary file to the computer.
2. An image-writing application reads that completed file and rewrites the USB into installation media.

Dragging the .iso file onto an otherwise normal USB only copies one file. That does not create the boot structure expected by the computer’s firmware, the startup software that runs before Windows or Ubuntu.

Confirm that the download completed

Wait until the browser no longer shows a progress indicator. Then open Downloads and check:

• The filename ends in .iso, not .crdownload, .part, .zip, or .exe.
• Its size is several gigabytes and broadly matches the size shown on the official download page.
• The browser did not create a second partial copy after a failed retry.
• You can identify the exact path before opening Rufus or another writer.

Do not rely on a size printed in this article forever. Ubuntu images change as releases are rebuilt. Compare against the current official page for the exact image.

Optional: verify the file with SHA256 on Windows

A SHA256 checksum, also called a file hash, is a long sequence of letters and numbers calculated from a file’s contents. If two checksums match exactly, the files match for this integrity check.

This check is useful but optional for a first installation from Ubuntu’s official download page. It has three separate parts.

1. Find Canonical’s checksum

Open the official Ubuntu 26.04 release directory and select SHA256SUMS. Find the row containing the exact Desktop ISO filename you downloaded.

Keep that published value visible. Do not use a checksum copied from a forum, search snippet, or different image filename.

2. Calculate the downloaded file’s checksum

Open PowerShell. The prompt may show a folder path followed by >. Do not type the prompt itself. Type only this command:

Get-FileHash "$HOME\Downloads\ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso" -Algorithm SHA256

Here is what each part means:

• Get-FileHash asks PowerShell to calculate a file hash.
• $HOME is PowerShell’s variable for the current account’s home folder. The dollar sign marks a variable; do not replace $HOME with somebody else’s account name.
• The quoted text is the file’s path. Double quotes keep it together and allow PowerShell to replace $HOME with the current home-folder value.
• Backslashes separate Windows folders.
• -Algorithm is an option. The leading hyphen marks it as an option rather than part of the path.
• SHA256 selects the same algorithm used by Ubuntu’s published SHA256SUMS file.

PowerShell output has columns similar to this, but the hash below is deliberately not a real Ubuntu checksum:

Algorithm  Hash                                      Path
---------  ----                                      ----
SHA256     A_LONG_VALUE_CALCULATED_FOR_YOUR_FILE     …\Downloads\ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso

3. Compare the two values

Compare Canonical’s published value with the value in PowerShell’s Hash column. For this comparison, uppercase and lowercase versions of a letter are equivalent. Every position must otherwise match.

If the complete values match, the downloaded ISO passed this check. If any character differs, stop and download the file again.

Common mistakes and recovery

Downloading Ubuntu Server. Server uses a different installer and does not install the same desktop experience by default. Return to the Desktop download page.

Choosing ARM because the computer is new. Processor brand and architecture matter. For a normal Intel/AMD PC, use the Intel or AMD 64-bit image. Apple Silicon is outside this native PC flow.

Copying the ISO to USB. Delete the ordinary copied file if needed, then use the correct image writer in Chapter 2. The writer will erase and restructure the USB anyway.

Comparing the wrong checksum row. Match both the release and the complete filename. A hash for the server, ARM, or another point image is not interchangeable.

Typing a sample prompt. Only the Get-FileHash line belongs in PowerShell. The website’s copy button copies that command without a prompt or sample output.

What to learn next

Windows users can continue to Create an Ubuntu Bootable USB with Rufus. If you are currently using Linux or macOS, use the graphical Linux and macOS alternatives.