Microsoft finally launched Windows 11 earlier this week, proving that the operating system update isn't what many feared — a Windows 10 paint job. Windows 11 comes with a new user interface that puts the start menu front and center, which is the kind of visual transformation that would qualify as a Windows 10 theme makeover. But Windows 11 also brings over various new features that users will be excited about.
If your existing Windows 10 PC is running Windows 10 20H1 or later and meets the minimum hardware specificationsit will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized, but for most devices already in use today, we expect it to be ready sometime in early 2022. Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade will be offered to upgrade at the same time. To see if your PC is eligible to upgrade, refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems.
Once the upgrade rollout has started, you can check if it is ready for your device by going to Settings/Windows Updates. Similar to how end users are notified when updates are available in Windows 10, end users will see an indication in the notification areas of the taskbar in the bottom right, that the upgrade is available. More information on how that is presented will be available at a later date. Additional desktop notification options may be also be added at a later date.
If your existing Windows 10 PC is running Windows 10 20H1 or later and meets the minimum hardware specifications it will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. To see if your PC is eligible to upgrade, refer to the specifications here. Original equipment manufacturers can still ship computers without a TPM 2.0 coprocessor upon Microsoft's approval. Some third-party software may refuse to run on unsupported configurations of Windows 11. He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications.
The official, release version of Windows 11 is now available as a free upgrade to anyone who has Windows 10 and a PC that meets Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements. However, the Redmond software giant isn't pushing the upgrade to every eligible system at once. Some users will be offered the option to upgrade in their Settings menu on or around the October 5th official launch date while others may be waiting until 2022. Cunningham concluded that "as I've dug into and learned its ins and outs for this review, I've warmed to it more", but argued that the OS was facing similar "public perception" issues to Windows Vista and Windows 8. Microsoft does not recommend downloading Windows 11 on PCs that do not meet its standards, such as minimum 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, TPM chips, and supported processors.
Windows 11 will not come as an automatic update for unsupported devices, but users will be able to download it off the web. Microsoft has an app called PC Health Check, which can be used to determine if a PC is ready for Windows 11. Some PCs also have TPM chips installed but disabled and you can turn them on by going into your BIOS settings. For now, Windows 7 users might upgrade to Windows 10 and wait for the official public launch of the new operating system by Microsoft. According to an FAQ page recently published by Lenovo, Windows 7 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 through a clean install. However, only the devices that meet the minimum Windows 11 hardware requirements will be able to run Windows 11.
From what it looks like, Windows users have three options to upgrade to the upcoming version of the operating system. They can either upgrade, clean install a new version or reimage their devices. Internet Explorer has been replaced by the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge as the default web browser, and Microsoft Teams is integrated into the Windows shell. Microsoft also announced plans to allow more flexibility in software that can be distributed via Microsoft Store, and to support Android apps on Windows 11 . It's not imperative that you upgrade your system to Windows in the next couple of weeks, or even months.
For many people, that's about the time to upgrade to a newer device, one that will come with Windows 11 already installed. Windows 11 will be provided as a free update to all eligible devices that are currently running Windows 10. Eligibility for automatic upgrade is based on certain minimum hardware requirements.
Most Windows 10 PCs currently being sold will be able to upgrade to New Windows. For the PC to be able to upgrade to New Windows, it must meet the minimum hardware specifications and specific hardware is required for some features found here. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalised but is scheduled to begin late in 2021 and continue into 2022. Citing security considerations, the system requirements for Windows 11 were increased over Windows 10.
While the OS can be installed on unsupported processors, Microsoft does not guarantee the availability of updates. Windows 11 also drops support for 32-bit x86 CPUs and devices which use BIOS firmware. Windows 11 has higher technical requirements than Windows 10, is possible to install Windows 11 on devices that don't meet the minimum requirements.
Upgrading unsupported hardware to Windows 11 will require you to install the update manually using an ISO. There is a different set of minimum minimum requirements your PC will have to meet including 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage space, and two-core 64-bit 1 GHz processor. You can refer to our knowledge base for a list of tested systems to determine if your device eligible to upgrade to Windows -11.
Many PCs that are less than four years old will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. They must be running 20H1 or later version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware requirements to receive the Windows 11 upgrade. All Dell PCs with Windows 10 currently being sold on dell.com will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. For the PC to be able to upgrade to Windows 11, it must meet the minimum hardware specifications and specific hardware is required for some features.
The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized but is scheduled to begin late in 2021 and continue into 2022. For both types of upgrades, head to Microsoft's Windows 11 download page. To perform an in-place upgrade, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. For a clean install, you must create a bootable USB drive or DVD disc. Windows users should first try the Media Creation Tool for this process, since it does all the work for you.
Mac and Linux users will have to flash or burn the ISO file for Windows 11 to a drive or disc, respectively. You can check out our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 11 for more details on each of these methods. As part of the minimum system requirements, Windows 11 only runs on devices with a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 security coprocessor. According to Microsoft, the TPM 2.0 coprocessor is a "critical building block" for protection against firmware and hardware attacks. In addition, Microsoft now requires devices with Windows 11 to include virtualization-based security , hypervisor-protected code integrity , and Secure Boot built-in and enabled by default. The operating system also features hardware-enforced stack protection for supported Intel and AMD processors for protection against zero-day exploits.
A redesigned user interface is present frequently throughout the operating system, building upon Fluent Design System; translucency, shadows, a new color palette, and rounded geometry are prevalent throughout the UI. In October 2019, Microsoft announced "Windows 10X", a future edition of Windows 10 designed exclusively for dual-touchscreen devices such as the then-upcoming Surface Neo. Legacy Windows applications would also be required to run in "containers" to ensure performance and power optimization. Microsoft stated that it planned to release Windows 10X devices by the end of 2020. Microsoft offers several ways to download Windows 11 manually. One is to use the Installation Assistant app, which you install on your PC to trigger a normal upgrade install via Windows Update.
The second is to use the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, which automates the process of creating a bootable USB install drive or downloading an install ISO file. Once you have a USB drive, you can either boot from it to perform a clean install or run the Setup app from within Windows 10 to do a normal upgrade install. You can also burn the ISO to a DVD, but installing from any USB drive, even an old USB 2.0 drive, will be much faster, so you shouldn't do that. Finally, you can just download an ISO file directly from Microsoft's site.
Microsoft continues to test new features and improvements after Windows 11 was released. It only tests the latest version of Windows with members who participate in the Windows Insider Program in the Dev, Beta and Release Preview channels. The Beta and Release Preview channels offer admins and users a sneak peek at the end of the month of non-security updates that will arrive in the Patch Tuesday update, which falls on the second Tuesday of every month. With the Insider build being tested by many users, it's only a matter of time before Microsoft details the release schedule for Windows 11 and what the upgrade eligibility will be. However, with Lenovo seemingly jumping the gun on this, it may alleviate some users' worries if their PC is eligible, as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
Windows 11 is the first version update to the most widely used PC operating system in the world in more than five years. Windows 11 raises the bar for security by requiring hardware that can enable protections like Windows Hello, Device Encryption, virtualization-based security , hypervisor-protected code integrity , and Secure Boot. These features in combination have been shown to reduce malware by 60% on tested devices. That's why all Windows 11-supported CPUs have an embedded TPM, support secure boot, and support VBS and specific VBS capabilities. Microsoft makes you accept that the company can stop providing updates, and security patches to Windows 11 on these devices. While Microsoft is unlikely to do that in practice, it's still better to be on the safer side.
Also, you're likely to run into driver incompatibility issues on unsupported devices. Especially, if your computer is running hardware that is more than 5-6 years old. There is a way to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, but we wouldn't recommend it.
Although Microsoft hasn't confirmed it, the company has heavily implied that unsupported users won't receive critical security updates. If you still want to install, you can do so using the Media Creation Tool, which bypasses hardware checks. At least 16GB of RAM The basic system requirements of Windows 11 differ significantly from Windows 10. Windows 11 only supports 64-bit systems such as those using an x86-64 or ARM64 processor; IA-32 processors are no longer supported. Thus, Windows 11 is the first ever consumer version of Windows not to support 32-bit processors and 16-bit software . The minimum RAM and storage requirements were also increased; Windows 11 now requires at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
S mode is only supported for the Home edition of Windows 11. The compatibility list includes the Intel Core i7-7820HQ, a seventh-generation processor used by the Surface Studio 2, although only on devices that shipped with DCH-based drivers. Windows 11 SE was announced on November 9, 2021, as an edition exclusively for low-end devices sold in the education market, and a successor to Windows 10 S. It is bundled with applications such as Microsoft Office for Microsoft 365, Minecraft Education Edition, and Flipgrid, while OneDrive is used to save files by default. Windows 11 SE does not include Microsoft Store; third-party software is provisioned or installed by administrators. Windows 11, the first major Windows release since 2015, builds upon its predecessor by revamping the user interface to follow Microsoft's new Fluent Design guidelines.
The redesign, which focuses on ease of use and flexibility, comes alongside new productivity and social features and updates to security and accessibility, addressing some of the deficiencies of Windows 10. "Most devices available for purchase now will be upgradeable to Windows 11. You will have the option to upgrade, clean install, or reimage Windows 10 devices to move to Windows 11.
For Windows 7 devices that meet hardware requirements, you will need to clean install or reimage to go directly to Windows 11," the guide on Lenovo's website reads. Microsoft said the launch will be "phased and measured," with new eligible devices getting the upgrade first and the rest getting offered the free upgrade sometime between October and mid-2022. Microsoft is making sure that those who purchase a new laptop prior to Windows 11 being pre-installed by manufacturers will be able to update first. Microsoft's free upgrade offer for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users ended way back in 2016, but you can still upgrade to Windows 10. As expected, Microsoft says it will continue to support Windows 11 users upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 as long as they meet the minimum system requirements. Microsoft may adopt a similar approach for Windows 11, providing a seamless upgrade for all existing Windows 10 devices.
A free upgrade to Windows 11 will be directly accessible through Windows Update as a typical installation. However, just like you can stop Windows 10 updates, users will have the option to defer a Windows 11 upgrade if preferred. Upgrades to Windows 11 will begin to roll out late in 2021 and continue into 2022. During this time, we will be doing some behind the scenes testing and validating for your specific PC.
Windows Update will provide an indication if and when your PC is eligible. You can check to see by going to Settings/Windows Update. Microsoft is offering Windows 11 to newer PCs with Windows 10 installed.
It will use data to figure out when other PCs will get the upgrade. This is similar to how Microsoft has determined which devices received Windows 10 features updates for the past few years. And it's different than how Apple handles updates since Microsoft has to work with lots of partners that also sell Windows computers.
Reception of Windows 11 upon its reveal was positive, with critics praising the new design and productivity features. However, Microsoft was criticized for creating confusion over the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. On August 31, 2021, Microsoft announced that Windows 11 was to be released on October 5, 2021. The release would be phased, with newer eligible devices to be offered the upgrade first. Click Next to have Windows 11 check for any updates, then accept the license terms. The Ready to install screen shows that Windows 11 will be installed and that your personal files and apps will be kept.
You can then elect to keep personal files and apps, personal files only, or nothing. You should have no concerns when it comes to buying a Windows 10 laptop or PC now, provided it's compatible with Windows 11. As GSMArena reports, Microsoft now offers users the choice to install Windows 11 when they're setting up an eligible Windows 10 device for the first time.
Microsoft has ended its support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. If you are still running Windows 7, your computer will no longer receive technical support for any issues, software updates, and security updates or fixes. Due to this, the best way to stay secure is to upgrade to the latest Windows operating system.
There will be many new features and improvements in this new version of Windows. For example, Windows 11 has a new UI , taskbar, Start menu, context menu, Microsoft Store, and more. We believe that many users want to upgrade to Windows 11 no matter they are currently running Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, or Windows 10. Microsoft says users will be able to install Windows 11 on those PCs that are running Intel 8th generation chips, AMD Zen 2 chips, Qualcomm 7/8 series chips or newer versions. Earlier users could download Microsoft's "PC Health Check app" to find if your current PC meets the requirements to run Windows 11.
