Microsoft’s free upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 is now available. Before making the OS available to other qualified current gear, Microsoft is starting to provide the free update to new devices that are still arriving with Windows 10.
However, not every current Windows 10 PC will be able to update to Windows 11. TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) compatibility, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage will be required with Windows 11.
Intel 8th Gen Coffee Lake or Zen 2 CPUs and above will be required. Millions of PCs will be unable to update to Windows 11, however unsupported solutions may be available if you truly want Windows 11.
Because Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 in stages, the free update will not be available to all officially supported PCs right away. According to Microsoft, all current and eligible PCs should be offered the Windows 11 update by mid-2022.
If you have a new PC that came with Windows 10 or a device that can update to Windows 11, here’s how to obtain Windows 11 right now.
- Check that your PC is officially supported through Microsoft’s PC Health Check app.
- Back up all of your important documents, apps, and data.
- On your Windows 10 PC, head into Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
- Check for updates.
- If the free Windows 11 upgrade is available, you’ll see an option to download and install.
- Click download and install.
- Follow the on-screen prompts and configure Windows 11 settings.
