Is Windows 11 Free For Everyone

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. Anyone with one of the newer chips should have no trouble installing Windows 11 via Windows Update. Microsoft made a downloadable ISO disk image file for the beta Insider version available for installing Windows 11, allowing in-place upgrades or clean installations on a PC or in a virtual machine.

A similar installation option is now available for the release version of Windows 11 via the Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page. Some sources have reported that installing the OS with the ISO installer bypasses the system's hardware requirements, but that's not advisable as you may not get future OS updates if you install it on unsupported hardware. Perhaps the most important thing to know about the release of Windows 11 is that we should expect it to change significantly over the next few years.

I've been using beta versions of Windows 11 for a month in the lead-up to writing this review, and it seems like every few days there's a minor new feature or redesigned app to check out. We may not see that feature fully realized in Windows until next year. The date that millions of Microsoft fans have been waiting for is finally here with the all-new Windows 11 operating system launching today October 5. This blockbuster update from the US technology firm features a whole swathe of changes including a refreshed look, upgrades to the Start Menu, better compatibility with Teams plus info-packed and fully interactive widgets. Windows 11, unfortunately, ditches a couple of its best tablet- and touch-friendly features. Most importantly, you can no longer swipe in from the left to open the task-switching view, a gesture I use all the time on my Surface Go tablet.

You can no longer swipe down from the top to close an app, either. This omission is less of a big deal because you can still hit the X in the window's upper right corner as you'd do in desktop mode. Again, though, for a handheld device, the down-swipe is more direct and requires less dexterity. There are, however, new three-finger swipe gestures to show the Task View and to minimize and app on the desktop. And you can, of course, use the Task View button in the Taskbar, but that's not as immediate as a swipe of the thumb.

I'd argue that switching tasks is more important to tablet users than accessing Widgets, the new result of that gesture, too. Windows 11, the latest operating system from Microsoft, is finally here. The software giant unveiled the new OS at a virtual event on Thursday. We'll focus on those security features and system requirements in this review while also covering the new design and the broad strokes of new and updated apps and the other changes Microsoft has made to Windows under the hood. Minor complaints aside, we like to see Microsoft giving its marquee software some attention.

For the last few years, the company has focused more on its Azure cloud computing services—justifiably given that business's profitability. Windows 11 brings slick new looks, useful new tools, updated default apps, extra capabilities, and performance advances. Perhaps that's enough to lure away some Chrome OS users or Mac users. Regardless, it's still early days for the desktop OS that's used on 1.3 billion PCs, so we look forward to Microsoft fine-tuning and perfecting Windows 11's design in future updates. 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. Apart from this, Windows 11 also offers what Microsoft calls the Desktops feature that gives the user the ability to set up and manage multiple iterations of your desktop.

It's a simple and easy feature to use, which when gotten used greatly improves ease of use. This can be accessed by going to this new icon that all Windows users of the past will instantly notice on their home screens. This Task View button sits alongside the Start button and looks like contrasting windows over one another. Hover your pointer over it, and you'll see a small preview of all the desktops you have open, as well as the option to set up a new one. 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. 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 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. Microsoft promises to deliver the best PC gaming experience with Windows 11.

Windows 11 will also support DirectStorage technology with specific hardware and drivers, for faster load times and more detailed game worlds. It is located in the centre of the taskbar and can be accessed by clicking on the new Start button. The Start menu straightaway presents the simpler design of the new OS with most of the top half dedicated to pinned apps and the bottom half showing recommended files and apps. There is a search bar at the top of the menu that can be used for searching the device, as well as the web. With the live tiles and other elements removed, the Start menu essentially looks cleaner and offers things that a user would need to get started.

Besides, Start is powered by cloud and Microsoft 365, which makes it possible to display recent files on the menu, even if they were accessed on a different device or platform. The second feature here is DirectStorage that promises to greatly enhance the gaming experience by cutting downloading times of games. This appears to be an extension of the attempts being made by Microsoft with the Xbox Series X/S consoles where it has used clever tricks to greatly improve load times of games. However, do note that this feature will only be available on select games that support DirectStorage API on a PC with an NVMe SSD and a GPU that supports DirectX12 Ultimate.

The Windows 11 preview build brings a new Start menu, new icons, new startup sound, and other visual changes, per what Microsoft outlined at the event. There is also a new File Explorer that replaces the ribbon with a new command bar that should simplify tools for you. The notification centre is also revamped, along with rounded edges for windows, new volume flyouts, and the Windows 11 widget that brings all necessary yet personalised information in one place and is available via the taskbar.

The Windows 11 in this preview build supports new themes, including new wallpapers and both light and dark modes. 12 Windows 11 system requirements13 How to install Windows 1114 Windows 11 launch date15 F.A.Q. 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. If you haven't seen it through Windows Update yet, you can still get the final build through the Beta and Release Preview channels of the Windows Insider Program, as long as you have a compatible PC. The Dev channel is already running rs_prerelease builds to test out new features, so be careful with that. If you enroll in the Dev channel, you'll have to do a clean installation of Windows 11 to roll back.

And of course, you can also get it on a bunch of new laptops and desktops like the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8. 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. Windows Widgets are back in Windows 11, accessible via the dock, with Microsoft touting AI-powered dynamic features that enable widgets, as with the Start menu, to change depending on the apps you're using and the time of day.

On the touchscreen, you can slide from the left on the desktop to have widgets appear. Windows 11 features a new version of the Microsoft Store, with a new interface and a broader selection of apps. This new store is meant to have an easier to use and better-curated digital storefront. It should also be faster, "We rebuilt for speed", said Panos Panay during the Windows 11 announcement. So far our experience of it is much the same as the rest of Windows 11... But it's also still mostly filled with apps you'd likely download direct from your browser, or wouldn't want to touch at all.

For enhanced productivity, Windows 11 includes features such as Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops. The Snap Layouts present different layout options when working with multiple apps simultaneously, and swiftly arrange the apps side-by-side on the screen to aid multitasking. Snap Groups are a collection of apps that a user is working with, which can be accessed together quickly, even after a break, straight from the taskbar.

Additionally, the Desktops can now be customised with individual wallpapers, and users can create multiple Desktops for work, entertainment, or gaming with different sets of apps to stay organised. The OS also offers new easier docking and undocking experience for multiscreen users. Microsoft has shifted its focus to providing solid versions of its apps on iOS and Android, and even Microsoft's modern-day phones run a Microsoft-flavored version of Android rather than anything Windows-related. The new version of Windows is more preoccupied with the places where Windows already is and is likely to stay—risk-averse, money-rich, security-conscious businesses. There are plenty of user-facing changes, sure, but the PCs that run Windows 11 need to support a range of hardware- and firmware-level security mechanisms that are fully supported but optional in Windows 10. Microsoft's Windows 11 launch news has been something of a mixed bag.

Is Windows 11 Update Free On one hand, the latest version of Windows looks promising with big improvements to its UI and under the hood enhancements said to deliver 40 percent better performance. On the other hand, there has been a lot of confusion and disappointment among some users with relatively new machines who don't appear to be eligible to upgrade at all due to strict new requirements. Windows 11 is coming on October 5, and everyone with a compatible device will be eligible for a free upgrade, according to a blog post by Microsoft.

However, if you like to update to Windows 11 early, you can do that now. Note that it is not a beta version or development version that we are talking about. The reason you will be able to download it early is that it is a release preview.

It's been a few years since Microsoft released Windows 10 to a plethora of supported devices, giving people on previous Windows releases a year to upgrade their machines to the newest operating system for free. Considering the backlash the new Windows 11 hardware requirements is getting, people must have forgotten how annoying Microsoft was about the Windows 10 update. Microsoft's Windows 11 hardware requirements mess is the biggest Windows 11 controversy so far. The OS update will be available for free to Windows 10 device users.

All supporting machines will get the update by mid-2022, if you can think that far ahead. For those at the head of the line, you'll still miss out on Android app support, which won't be available on launch. Microsoft plans to introduce the feature in a Windows Insider preview build sometime in the "coming months." File Explorer is a good example of Windows 11's new look, particularly its updated left panel controls and folder icons. Note the simplified ribbon along the top, which is far less busy and distracting than the previous File Explorer's.

The New button at the top left works for new folders or documents supported by your apps, and the same viewing options for files are available. The overflow menu offers file compression, selection, and Properties options, as well as the old Folder Options dialog. The right-click context menus, which have grown longer and longer over the years, get shorter, smarter, and clearer in Windows 11. Pinned app buttons (they're larger than icons but smaller than Windows 10's tiles) are at the top of its panel. Recent and frequent apps and documents are in a section below them.

The Start menu's new mini-tiles are still good for touch input, but you lose info that live tiles offer, annoying as those could sometimes be. Another quibble I have with the new Start menu is that it's harder to get to the All Apps view than in Windows 10. With that version of Windows, you can see all installed apps as soon as you open the Start menu; they're in a list on the left while tiles for your pinned apps are on the right. 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. Notably, there's a new Desktops feature which helps you set up and manage multiple iterations of your desktop.

There's a new Task View button alongside the Start button which looks like two contrasting windows overlapping one another. These feel like features Microsoft will inevitably add back in over the coming months, which does highlight how meager an upgrade Windows 11 feels on launch day. And we're likely to see some other problems pop up as more people start using Windows 11, like the file explorer memory leak. Aside from the new aesthetic, the few big features Microsoft talked about in its presentation this summer—especially the ones to do with gaming—just aren't here yet. Windows 11 is officially out, meaning millions of PC owners are free to upgrade today (as long as their computers meet Microsoft's ridiculously strict system requirements). I've been testing a near-final pre-release version of Windows 11 for a while, and I'm here to spread the good news that my computer hasn't blown up once.

Windows 11 is so far a completely non-lethal operating system, which is definitely a good sign, but maybe not enough justification to install it. To make the call on whether other PC gamers should actually install Windows 11 today, I've been spending some quality time with its new Start menu and rounded corners. The Acer Swift 5 (SF514-55) ultrathin-and-light notebook marries an uber-stylish design with the latest performance technology. The touchscreen display is covered with a layer of Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass, and you have the option to further include an antimicrobial solution on the touchpad, keyboard and all covers of the device.

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. Intriguingly, Microsoft also intends for the store to start distributing Android apps, which will run alongside regular Windows apps courtesy of an under-the-hood technology layer . Since many Windows laptops now come with touchscreens, this could be a clever way to open up a whole new universe of apps and games at minimal cost, as Google has already done with its Chromebooks. This programme allows PC users and developers to test upcoming features and versions of the operating system before they are released.