Is Windows 11 Free To Upgrade

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. Warren noted that he rarely used the Widgets panel or Microsoft Teams, citing that he preferred the weather display that later versions of Windows 10 offered, and didn't use Teams to communicate with his friends and family.

He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications. If your existing Windows 10 PC is running the most current version of Windows 10 and meets the minimum hardware specifications it will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 will be offered to upgrade at the same time.

Computers still running a copy of Windows 8.1 can upgrade to Windows 11 without losing data or applications using the ISO file since it's a supported installation path. However, before you upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1, you have to make sure that your laptop or desktop meets the minimum system requirements. For example, the computer must have a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and Secure Boot present and enabled, it must also have a UEFI firmware, and the processor has to be an Intel's 8th Gen or newer or an AMD Zen 2 or newer. Microsoft commercially released Windows 11 on Oct. 4, and noted that it's a free upgrade for Windows 10 systems that meet the new operating system's minimum requirements. Individuals with Windows 10 systems that pass Windows 11's stringent hardware requirements will be offered the new OS via the Windows Update mechanism.

It'll replace the underlying Windows 10 bits with Windows 11 bits via an automated "in-place upgrade" approach. However, it's possible for users to decline the upgrade and continue with Windows 10. 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.

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. 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 . 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. If the Microsoft Surface family of products isn't your style though, other brands like Dell, Asus and HP have all released pages online that specify what devices are Windows 11 ready. Note that many won't come with the new operating system installed, but as they all meet the minimum system requirements, you can simply buy the laptop or 2-in-1 as normal and then update it yourself.

If you are having a brand new laptop or PC, then your system must be compatible with Windows 11 or even might come with it preinstalled. But issues may arise with the older versions of PCs, as its hardware might not match with the requirements of Windows 11. If your PC has a 7th gen or previous Intel CPU, then it is unsupported by the latest upgrade. Still, you can migrate to Windows 11, but the way is a little more complicated as you will need to download install files, then perform a clean install and then restore the program and data files.

We'll click on the 'download and install' button in Windows Update, and an hour or so later we'll have a different UI with a centre aligned taskbar, a few extra features... 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. 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. 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.

All HUAWEI PCs with Windows 10 currently being sold on HUAWEI Consumer BG website 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.

Will Windows 11 Be Free To Upgrade 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. 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. 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. All Dell PCs with Windows 10 currently being sold on dell.com will be able to upgrade to Windows 11.

Windows 11 is a free upgrade, but the minimum system requirements are quite a bit higher than ever before. Microsoft calls Windows 11 the most secure Windows yet, and that tag comes at the cost of backward compatibility. Trusted Platform Module 2.0, aka TPM 2.0, is one of those requirements. There are ways to manually install Windows 11 on incompatible systems, but those include giving up on official future updates via Windows Update and/or modifying the Windows 11 ISO file to remove security checks. To put it precisely, if your PC or laptop has a 7th Gen Intel Core or AMD Zen 1 processor and meets other hardware requirements, it will run the Windows 11 preview build. The stable build of Windows 11 will, however, not support these two CPU families, according to what Microsoft has necessitated at this moment.

But Microsoft may change its stance at the time of release depending on the feedback that it will get on the Windows 11 preview build. Microsoft has yet released an official statement regarding the pricing of Windows, or whether it will be a free upgrade like the previous versions were free updates for license holders. However, as per an article by Android Authority, Windows 11 will most likely be a free upgrade for individuals using Windows 10 or Windows 8 with valid licenses.

The Windows 11 free upgrade will be installed onto your computer/laptop just like any other Windows update, without any hassle or manual updation required. The article by Android Authority also states that all of your personal user data and settings will be preserved in the update and will be applied to the Windows 11 update. Windows 11 download will be available once Microsoft released the update publicly. With its machine learning technology, Microsoft has determined further devices on which the Windows 11 update prompt should now appear automatically.

The Redmond-based software company has not revealed any additional information on which exact PC configurations are included in this third group. However, manually triggering the Windows 11 update, which is how many tech enthusiasts probably installed Windows 11 in the past weeks, is no longer necessary on these PCs. Users can simply check the regular Windows Update application in order to verify whether the Windows 11 upgrade is ready to download on their respective device. 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. Microsoft has recently announced the next major Windows update - Windows 11. The current Windows 10 version has been running over the past 6 years since its launch. Tech enthusiasts had been waiting for a long time for any updates on the upcoming Windows version. Now that Microsoft has made the official announcement, many people are wondering whether the upcoming Windows update will be free or will people have to pay for the license.

Read on to know more about the upcoming Windows 11 features and is Windows 11 free. 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 also the possibility that some bugs and issues may appear on Windows 11 at release. Waiting to roll out free upgrades would give Microsoft the time to address any problems before rolling out the free upgrade.

The computing giant did something similar in 2018 when it delayed its October update by a month after some users who installed the update reported losing files. If you opt to wait for the official Windows 11 rollout, you can upgrade your PC the traditional way. Microsoft allows you to download the files via the Windows update feature. You simply click the install updates button in Windows 7 or check the updates button in Windows 10, and you will get a new OS.

On the other hand, the Windows Insider Program is already offering access to a preview build. This preview is available exclusively to Windows Insider Program members. Microsoft recently released an ISO file to allow members to install the new operating system directly. As a first build, the preview version does not come with a complete set of Windows 11 features.

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. 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.

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.

Microsoft is rolling out the OS in phases, so your system might not prompt you to upgrade just yet -- in fact, you might not find it even if you tell your computer to check for updates. An August blog post from Microsoft said the company expects "all eligible devices to be offered the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022." Don't want to wait another half a year? Read on to find out how the Windows 11 Installation Assistant is your shortcut to Windows 11.

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. Note that Windows 11 will only be a 64-bit release and won't come in a 32-bit flavor. That's fair since 32-bit PCs are not sold anymore anyway and 64-bit editions can run 32-bit applications just fine. Of course, Windows 11 supports System on a Chip which means Windows 10 on ARM devices will get the upgrade as long as they meet other criteria.

The above screenshot makes it clear that Surface Pro X running Windows 10 on ARM is eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. Tech enthusiasts have been waiting for a long time for the Windows 11 update. All the previous Windows versions were usually released with a gap of around 3 years, so the 6 years between Windows 10 and 11 was a long wait. However, Windows 10 was unlike previous Windows updates and Microsoft provided frequent large patches and updates to Windows 10 to keep it fresh and relevant. As per an announcement by Microsoft, Windows 11 be officially launched on June 24, 2021, about a week from now. While June 24 has been declared as the official launch date, it is unclear when the update will be made available for Windows users for download.

On the day 24 June, Microsoft unveiled the next OS generation Windows 11, which comes with an overhaul new UI, Start Menu arrangements and solid security requirements of a TPM 2.0 chip and UEFI secure boot. The overall security improvement in Windows 11 is optimistically estimated to be a 40% increase than Windows 10! Microsoft hopes that all the modern computers and laptops get the Windows 11 free upgrade from Windows 10 since they meet the minimum system requirements as below. Microsoft offers several ways to download Windows 11 manually.