One yr on, Home windows 11 has obtained a bunch of efficiency and have upgrades, and it’s positively price upgrading to the working system now.
Nevertheless, for a lot of PC customers, and particularly some customized PC customers (like myself), upgrading isn’t so simple as it may appear. Not like Home windows 10, when upgrading from Home windows 7, 8 or 8.1, it’s not so simple as clicking the notification within the taskbar and downloading the improve.
So, how would possibly one improve to Home windows 11? Right here’s our helpful information on how one can do it. Notice that your expertise could also be completely different relying in your machine. And if you wish to leap straight to the set up a part of this information, click on right here.
Home windows 11 system necessities
Home windows 11 has steeper, extra demanding system necessities than every other Home windows OS. It’s maybe harder than it needs to be, as a result of Microsoft revealed a minimal spec, then tweaked it, then waived sure elements of it for the testing interval, leaving us all totally confused about which computer systems would be capable to run the brand new working system and which wouldn’t.
Broadly talking, in case your pc was bought throughout the final 5 years or so, or was assembled by elements launched within the final 5 years or so, then it’s a reasonably protected wager that it’s Home windows 11 suitable (except, clearly, it’s a Mac). If you wish to see in case your particular pc can run Home windows 11, obtain Microsoft’s PC well being test app. It’s a fast software that assesses your pc for compatibility with the brand new working system, and is a superb place to start out.
Proper now, the listing of system necessities features a 1GHz or sooner CPU (with two or extra cores), 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
These specs are simple to fulfil and most computer systems might be suitable with them. What’s harder is the storage and motherboard necessities.
You’re going to wish a model 2.0 Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which takes care of assorted security-related duties — TPMs are included on most fashionable motherboards, so chances are you’ll have already got one, even when it’s not enabled. If it’s not enabled, you’ll want to enter your BIOS and manually allow it (I had to do that on my customized PC, however not on my laptop computer). We offer extra on how to do that within the subsequent part.
You’ll additionally must allow Safe Boot and have the booting arduous drive set to GPT. We offer data on this within the sections after TPM.
Microsoft additionally says that you just should be operating Home windows 10 (model 2004 or later) to improve, nevertheless, there’s nothing stopping Home windows 7 and Home windows 8.1 computer systems from upgrading, supplied they’ve suitable {hardware}. The free improve, nevertheless, is unique to Home windows 10 customers.
Use the About display to test your system specs. (Screenshot: Home windows 10)
In case your desktop or laptop computer doesn’t meet the bottom {qualifications}, then Microsoft says “chances are you’ll not be capable to set up Home windows 11″ — though you’ll be able to nonetheless attempt to put in it you probably have entry to a licence or the free set up.
There are some further feature-specific necessities past the fundamental specs, overlaying elements of the working system like two-factor authentication (you’ll want a PIN, biometric entry technique, or a smartphone for this). If you wish to make the most of the brand new DirectStorage system for video games, you’ll want an NVMe SSD as considered one of your storage drives.
How one can allow TPM 2.0 in your PC
That is probably the most troublesome factor about the complete improve course of and it varies extensively from machine to machine. Most new machines ought to have it enabled, however some customized PCs would possibly lack it (comparable to my very own).
If you wish to test if this function is enabled, press Home windows Key + R and kind tpm.msc into the prompted menu.
You’ll both get a message indicating that ‘suitable TPM can’t be discovered’ (by which case, comply with the information beneath), otherwise you’ll get a message confirming TPM is able to use.
If it’s TPM 2.0, you’re good to go, in any other case your motherboard might not be suitable with Home windows 11.
To allow TPM 2.0, you’ll must:
- Restart or flip in your pc
- Entry your BIOS (by urgent DEL or regardless of the prompted key’s on startup)
- If you happen to’re having hassle accessing your BIOS, you will discover particular data on how one can by going to your motherboard producer’s web site or on the lookout for a information to your particular motherboard
- In your BIOS, navigate to a piece labelled ‘Superior’, ‘Safety’ or ‘Trusted computing’
- The choice to ‘Allow TPM’ could also be worded in another way, and might be listed underneath Safety Machine, Safety Machine Help, TPM State, AMD fTPM swap, AMD PSP fTPM, Intel PTT, or Intel Platform Belief Know-how
When you’ve enabled TPM 2.0, be sure you save your modified BIOS settings and exit the BIOS. When you’ve carried out this, your pc ought to begin to boot usually. If you happen to additionally must allow Safe Boot, that must be carried out within the BIOS as nicely (nevertheless you must be sure that GPT can also be enabled).
How one can allow GPT in your arduous drive
Home windows 11 depends on a unique arduous drive partition type to earlier variations of Home windows and won’t run on a booting arduous drive with out being despatched to GPT (as a substitute of MBR).
Most arduous drives needs to be operating GPT, however simply in case yours isn’t, there’s a helpful software for overcoming this. You may as well test in case your arduous drive is operating GPT or MBR by accessing ‘Disk Administration’ in your PC (‘Create and Format Arduous Disk Partitions’ in Management Panel).
Supplied that you just’ve saved Home windows 10 updated, you’ll simply must do the next steps:
- Open Settings > Home windows Replace > Restoration > Restart Now (underneath superior startup)
- Click on Troubleshoot > Superior Choices > Command Immediate
- Now that Command Immediate is open, kind mbr2gpt /valdiate to verify your drive might be transformed
- Now kind mb2gpt /convert
- It will take a couple of moments, however after that is carried out, allow Safe Boot in your BIOS utilizing the above information
How one can allow Safe Boot in your PC
Notice that Safe Boot requires GPT to be enabled. The part beneath particulars how one can allow this.
Entry the BIOS by following these steps:
- Restart or flip in your pc
- Entry your BIOS (by urgent DEL or regardless of the prompted key’s on startup)
- If you happen to’re having hassle accessing your BIOS, you will discover particular data on how one can by going to your motherboard’s producer’s web site or on the lookout for a information to your particular motherboard
- In your BIOS, navigate to a menu referred to as ‘boot mode’ or ‘CSM mode’
- Click on on this setting and allow UEFI/BIOS
When you’ve carried out this, be sure you save your settings and exit the BIOS. When you’ve carried out this, your pc ought to begin to boot usually.
Verify your information and backups
If you undergo the Home windows 11 improve course of, your whole purposes, information, and folders ought to nonetheless be intact whenever you end. However simply in case, again up your essential information.
If you happen to’ve been doing all of your every day computing with out the protection internet of backups in place, now’s the time to alter that. Use the File Historical past software that comes as a part of Home windows: From Settings go to Replace & Safety, then Backup, then click on the Add a drive choice to decide on the place you wish to save copies of your information.
It’s improve time: Have you learnt the place your Dropbox information are? (Screenshot: Dropbox)
Many individuals now flip to cloud storage companies to maintain essential information backed up on the net and synced to a number of units without delay. Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive (the plain alternative for Home windows, because it’s constructed proper in) are all good choices. You’ll must pay a month-to-month subscription payment to retailer a severe variety of information, nevertheless it’s often good worth. The Google Drive desktop software program has simply been up to date to make it simpler to make use of as a backup resolution for Home windows.
Even when all of your key information are saved on the net, we’d advocate retaining an area copy on an exterior arduous drive as nicely and updating it as soon as every week or so. Not solely does it offer you another choice if one thing disastrous ought to occur to your cloud locker (or your web connection), it’s usually a lot faster to revive information from an area drive than obtain terabytes of information over your broadband connection.
Verify your put in software program
It’s price noting that not the entire options and native instruments of Home windows 10 are going to make it to Home windows 11 — if there’s one thing on this listing that you just’ve come to like and depend on, then you definitely would possibly wish to maintain off on upgrading to the subsequent working system till you’ve discovered an acceptable alternative or workaround.
In relation to checking the whole lot at present put in in your system, simply click on the Apps entry on the principle Home windows Settings pane to see an inventory. You may kind it primarily based on file dimension and date of set up, so if there are any applications you’re not likely utilizing anymore, you would possibly wish to eliminate them, particularly in the event that they’re taking over loads of room — the more room you’ve acquired to put in Home windows 11, the higher.
Verify the apps you’ve acquired put in on Home windows 10. (Screenshot: Home windows 10)
As together with your information, putting in Home windows 11 shouldn’t intervene together with your purposes, nevertheless it’s greatest to arrange for the worst anyway. Just be sure you know how one can re-download and reinstall your whole most essential software program packages (double-check on licence codes, obtain areas, and so forth), simply in case you’ll want to begin once more from scratch — and ensure all of your tasks, saved video games, and the like are backed up someplace.
We haven’t heard of any Home windows 10 program that’s going to refuse to run on Home windows 11, however there’s all the time an opportunity with significantly previous software program. If you happen to usually depend on a program that hasn’t been up to date in a few years, you would possibly wish to contact the developer to verify it’ll work with the brand new working system — and maybe maintain off on putting in Home windows 11 till you’ve confirmed.
How one can improve to Home windows 11
To get began:
- In your PC, open Settings > Replace & Safety > Home windows Replace
- Verify for updates
- If the Home windows 11 improve is obtainable, the choice to obtain and set up will seem earlier than your eyes (go on, click on it)
- Observe the prompts to configure your new settings.
In case your machine isn’t prepared and also you don’t wish to wait:
- Head over to the Home windows 11 software program obtain web page
- Utilizing the Home windows 11 Set up Assistant, click on Obtain Now and comply with the directions
- You may as well create a bootable USB or DVD by deciding on Create Home windows 11 Set up Media
- And after following the instructions, you must have efficiently put in Home windows 11.
Do I’ve to improve to Home windows 11?
There’s no actual stress to put in Home windows 11. Microsoft says it is going to assist Home windows 10 House and 10 Professional till no less than October 14, 2025, which supplies you three extra years to determine your improve plan. And even then, we wouldn’t be shocked if Microsoft extends the assist timeline for Home windows 10, much like what Microsoft did for Home windows 7.
Nevertheless, you’ll miss out on key software program and efficiency upgrades which might be unique to Home windows 11, such because the 22H2 replace, which added a complete bunch of accessibility, gaming and productiveness options (my favorite is the flexibility to snap layouts for your whole open apps).
Anyway, comfortable upgrading. Hopefully, this information has made the method simpler for you.
This text has been up to date because it was first revealed.
