He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications. 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 you have a device running Windows 7, you can upgrade it to Windows 11 without losing your files using the ISO file, but the process will require a complete reinstallation. This means that your apps and settings won't carry over to the new installation.
However, before you upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 7, you will have to check that the laptop or desktop meets the minimum system requirements. For instance, the computer must include a motherboard with UEFI firmware, and the processor must be an Intel's 8th Gen or newer or an AMD Zen 2 or newer. Also, the computer needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, at least 64GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM. 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. 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. 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. 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 . 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. As I've noted in past blogs, being on the latest version of Windows provides you with the best in creativity, protection and productivity. Windows 11's minimum system requirements enable a new era of experiences, reliability and security.
AsPanos Panay shared in June, this is the first version of a new era of Windows. And, for customers who are using a device that is not eligible for Windows 11, Windows 10 is a great place to be. Windows 10 will be serviced through Oct. 14, 2025and we previously announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming very soon, continuing to offer you both support and choice with Windows. 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. Upgrading to Windows 11 doesn't delete any data as long as you click the "Keep personal files and apps" option. If you lose data during the OS upgrading process, turn to EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. This all-in-one file recovery software makes data recovery easy and fast.
This is why you need a newer computer to operate Windows 11 at full capacity. 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. Devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements will remain on Windows 10 and continue to be supported with security updates. Customers using long term service releases will continue to be supported through the published end of support dates. For more information about Windows 10 support, see HP products tested with Windows 10.
Our launch approach to Windows 11 leverages the well-established systems and processes used for the 1.3 billion Windows 10 devices we have shipped and serviced for over five years. We will use a measured and phased process in offering Windows 11 as we have done with Windows 10 feature updates. Our objective is to provide you with a smooth upgrade experience.
We will begin to offer the upgrade to eligible new devices first1,2. Then, as with previous rollouts, we will study device health data and other signals to determine the pace at which Windows 11 is offered via Windows Update. In other Taskbar news, the app buttons are less informative. Similar to how it works in macOS, they don't as clearly show you which programs are running and which ones are just pinned.
You can't make them wider, and they don't show download or processing progress as Windows apps can. Finally, the Windows 11 taskbar doesn't offer as much drag-and-drop support, though reports indicated that Microsoft is working on addressing this in future updates. The upgrade is free for Windows 10 PCs that are compatible with Windows 11. Microsoft will release an updated version of its PC Health Check app before the launch so users can see if their PC meets the system requirements to run Windows 11. Before you are going to download Windows 11 ISO files, you must check Windows 11 requirements and know everything about it. Then, follow the steps below to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free.
When the Windows 11 official version is generally available to download, none of the Insiders users can directly click the Check for updates button for a full Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrade. A Microsoft account is mandatory to access all features. The new Windows OS takes cues from its smartphone relatives, simplifying basic settings changes and making them easy to access.
One click or tap in the corner of your taskbar to pull up a control panel similar to Apple's Control Center, which lets you futz with settings like brightness and volume, connectivity, and more. Windows apps now feature more aesthetically pleasing curved corners, and the Settings app has more options to change how you interact with the OS thanks to more accessibility features. New sounds and audio cues are available for blind users, and themes for people with light sensitivity or those working long hours have been updated to be easier on the eyes. Instead of the somewhat clunky tiling system found in the previous iteration of the iconic taskbar, Windows 11 peels away the cruft and gives you what you need. In my case, it's a list of recently accessed files along with a tray of pinned apps for easy access, with a universal search bar at the top for easy web (or on-device) searching. The clean lines and use of widgets to display information like weather, news, and photos is a welcome change of pace from the busy screen in Windows 10.
The biggest change to Windows 11 is its more stringent hardware requirements. If your PC is recent, say, within the past five years, you should be alright, but older devices may be stuck with Windows 10 for the foreseeable future. That's not to say the company won't be providing security updates to Windows 10, but that's about as much as you can hope for. Since the controversial hardware decision—implemented for both performance and security reasons—Microsoft added Windows 11 support for some older computers, but the company still recommends against it. This upgrade offers new, intuitive features to help you navigate your PC.
Luckily, you'll be able to upgrade certain Samsung devices starting on October 5, 2021 such as the Galaxy Book Pro360 and Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha. To begin the process, you can use the PC Health Check app, which is available from the Microsoft website. The app will check if your PC has the recommended system requirements to install Windows 11. You can also upgrade through the Windows Update program on your PC. Microsoft doesn't recommend installing Windows 11 on devices that don't meet the system requirements, but you'll still be able to do so.
It's worth noting that you might not get Windows 11 updates on PCs with unsupported processors. 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 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.
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 consumer version of Windows not to support 32-bit processors . 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. 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. If you're using Windows 10, installing Windows 11 will feel just like installing a Windows 10 feature update. Microsoft has said exactly that, which means the upgrade process should be pretty easy. It's also been confirmed that Windows 11 will be a free update for Windows 10 users, as long as their PC is compatible.
The free upgrade will start rolling out this holiday and it has no set end date yet, so you should be able to upgrade whenever you feel ready. 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. 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.
Updating From Windows 7 To Windows 11 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. Now you need to look at these details carefully so that you can either update or upgrade to these Win11 System requirements in order to run it smoothly. Even after having all these system requirements, your PC has errors for installing windows 11 then install the PC health check App tool from the Microsoft website.
It will help you to look for unresolved issues with your PC and give you a pop-up about the bugs and errors. Open Settings and choose "Update & Security" and click "Activation." From here, you can see if the Windows 10 upgrade worked. If not, press an "Activate" button ; this will create a digital Windows 10 product key. For long-time Windows users, this update may cause a few annoyances.
For example, the taskbar can no longer be resized or moved. The start button resides in the center by default, although you can move it back to the left. Also, the right-click menu hides away some menu options, like some app-specific functions you get with apps like Winrar, or some other Windows options like Troubleshoot compatibility.
Unveiled in June, Windows 11 is designed as Microsoft's most advanced operating system for PCs. The new version brings a fresh user interface that includes a centrally aligned Start menu and upgraded fonts as well as notification sounds. It also integrates Microsoft Teams to let users connect with others over chat, voice, or video calls.
Windows 11 also improves multitasking with Snap Layouts and Groups. It also supports multiple desktops and carries a range of accessibility features such as Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions, and Windows Speech Recognition. Microsoft has also provided an option to create a bootable USB drive or DVD from its Windows 11 software page. Additionally, you can create a Windows 11 Disk Image that will be available on a bootable installation media such as a USB flash drive or DVD to help you install the new Windows version on your machine.
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. Microsoft has some pretty strict hardware requirements for upgrading to Windows 11.
Microsoft's processor lists don't include most 7th gen or older Intel CPUs or first-gen AMD Ryzens. There are more details on the official Windows 11 system requirements page. Windows 11 may have odd bugs here and there, or specific hardware devices may not work perfectly with it at launch until drivers are updated. If you have a mission-critical computer that you need to "just work," you may want to hold off on the upgrade, even if your PC is supported. 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. Task View, a feature introduced in Windows 10, features a refreshed design, and supports giving separate wallpapers to each virtual desktop. When a display is disconnected in a multi-monitor configuration, the windows that were previously on that display will be minimized rather than automatically moved to the main display.
If the same display is reconnected, the windows are restored to their prior location. After the download, double-click the ISO file and then double-click the setup.exe file. Click Next at the initial install screen to check for and download any updates to Windows 11. At the Ready to Install screen, you will see that Windows 11 will be installed and personal files and apps will be kept by default.
