• long running

Free Upgrade to Windows 11 for Windows 10 Users

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Microsoft is suggesting this is only for a limited time – mirroring the upgrade strategy it used to entice Windows 7 users to make the leap to Windows 10.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-11-specifica…
Requirements are listed here: Main things are TPM2.0 and i9 7th gen, 8th Gen Intel or 2nd Gen Ryzen or newer
Clear stated:Still possible to use Windows 11 without meeting the TPM requirements with steps documented here: https://winbuzzer.com/2021/08/09/how-to-install-windows-11-w…
Check compatibility with this program: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-11#pchealthc…
Windows 11 Installation Assistant, Create Windows 11 Installation Media, Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

Microsoft has announced that it will allow users to install Windows 11 on all modern hardware, including 1st Gen Ryzen and 6th and 7th Gen Core processors. There is a catch, though. You won’t be able to upgrade your PC directly from Windows 10 to 11 if you are running older hardware, not in the official requirement list. Instead, you’ll have to download the Windows 11 ISO from the official Microsoft website and do a clean install.

The upgrade will then roll out over time to in-market devices based on intelligence models that consider hardware eligibility, reliability metrics, age of device and other factors that impact the upgrade experience. We expect all eligible devices to be offered the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022.

Here are 11 highlights of this release

  1. The new design and sounds are modern, fresh, clean and beautiful, bringing you a sense of calm and ease.
  2. With Start, we’ve put you and your content at the center. Start utilizes the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what device you were viewing them on.
  3. Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops provide an even more powerful way to multitask and optimize your screen real estate.
  4. Chat from Microsoft Teams integrated into the taskbar provides a faster way to connect to the people you care about.
  5. Widgets, a new personalized feed powered by AI, provides a faster way to access the information you care about, and with Microsoft Edge’s world class performance, speed and productivity features you can get more done on the web.
  6. Windows 11 delivers the best Windows ever for gaming and unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware with technology like DirectX12 Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR. With Xbox Game Pass for PC or Ultimate you get access to over 100 high-quality PC games to play on Windows 11 for one low monthly price. (Xbox Game Pass sold separately.)
  7. Windows 11 comes with a new Microsoft Store rebuilt with an all-new design making it easier to search and discover your favorite apps, games, shows, and movies in one trusted location. We look forward to continuing our journey to bring Android apps to Windows 11 and the Microsoft Store through our collaboration with Amazon and Intel; this will start with a preview for Windows Insiders over the coming months.
  8. Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed version of Windows with new accessibility improvements that were built for and by people with disabilities.
  9. Windows 11 unlocks new opportunities for developers and creators. We are opening the Store to allow more developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to bring their apps to the Store, improving native and web app development with new developer tools, and making it easier for you to refresh the look and feel across all our app designs and experiences.
  10. Windows 11 is optimized for speed, efficiency and improved experiences with touch, digital pen and voice input.
  11. Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work, delivering new experiences that work how you work, are secure by design, and easy and familiar for IT to deploy and manage. Businesses can also test Windows 11 in preview today in Azure Virtual Desktop, or at general availability by experiencing Windows 11 in the new Windows 365.

Related Stores

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Comments

    • +1

      So true, I watched their promotional video saying there won't be another rehashed Windows after 10 and thought that was great news.

      Yet here we are, after Micro$oft failed 3D glasses hardware hollowlens and other gimmicks failed, and apple being apple with no true innovation since the first iMac… The lesser of two evils still prevail.

  • -6

    BEST BARGAIN EVER !!!!!

    Not….

  • +2

    Free downgrade to Windows 11 for Windows 10 users

  • Windows 11 looks quite okay

    • +3

      Windows Defender has a detected a Trojan Virus

    • +5

      Username does not check out…

      • Hey, I check out competitors too 😉

        • +5

          Get a real Jobs…

      • Not really, it looks closer to MacOS than any other version of Windows

        • +1

          This is what I thought when saw central taskbar and start

  • +1

    Got an i7-7500 2.7GHz cpu on my laptop which has been ruled out by TPM…
    Very sad.

  • If you have Windows 11, you now require TPM enabled to play Valorant, even if you don't have TPM.

    Good reason to never upgrade to Windows 11.

    • +6

      Good reason to not play Valorant?

      • +1

        It could easily be a sign of things to come.

    • +2

      There's no reason they can't roll out that same restriction to Windows 10 users, TPM is fully functional on Windows 10 (even XP has TPM support).

      Riot can easily say 6mo after Windows 11 is out that everyone will need TPM enabled to play Valorant regardless of platform.

  • Thanks OP

  • Run, Run as fast as you can just like you did from windows 8 this Free upgrade is the guinea pig trial and we are the guinea pigs for Microsoft .

  • I wonder when the LTSC version will become availalbe. Done with all the ads.

  • Cue all the phishing emails giving you a link to the "upgrade".

  • I'll probably wait for everyone to beta test it for a year or so before deciding.

    Side note, I thought windows 10 was supposed to be the last version? Maybe they haven't baked in enough user data gathering tools?

  • +1

    For those that have an issue with the Taskbar and few other changes, check out "StartIsBack".

    For Windows 11 go to http://startisback.com/tbd/

    Note: I have no affiliation with StartIsBack. I was just looking for a solution to the taskbar being unmovable in Windows 11 when I came across it.

    • +1

      This and 7 Taskbar Tweaker. Can't live without them.

  • +3

    OpenSUSE is better.

    • +2

      Until you actually need to use any common commercial software Office, Adobe, CAD etc etc

  • +3

    Am I the only one who clearly remembers Windows 10 billed as the final version?
    “ Right now we’re releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we’re all still working on Windows 10”

    • I remembered that line too… but clearly they felt the need to get people on board.

      What worries me more is given they're a software company and they've gone down the (pretty much) free approach, I wonder how much other 'revenue streams' they're making out of me through telemetry/advertising/etc.

      • +1

        They're a hardware company too so there's a lot of revenue there. In terms of software the money is coming from Office 365 and business software. I deal with Microsoft audits every year with businesses using Volume Licensing, Server CALs etc and also deal with SQL licenses that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

    • -1

      Windows 10 billed as the final version?

      I got mine free…

  • My virtual pinball cabinet runs on 3 screens and a bunch of force feedback devices and custom software. lol no chance i'm going to upgrade that it will break everything.

    My main pc however, sure i will give it a try.

  • +3

    You should try installing Windows 11. Even if you don't like it, just roll back. At least that way your device will lock in the free upgrade for any point in the future. That's assuming the system stays the same as the Windows 10 update process.

  • My parents are still on Windows 7 :)

    • +2

      That's why parents are wise smart people .

  • How much faster is W11 composted to W10?

    • 5 Frames faster in modern games in benchmarks I've seen. Usability UI wise might be faster once used to it.

    • A little bit faster on Intel CPUs due to the new process scheduler. A little bit slower on AMD CPUs due to the new process scheduler.

  • -1

    HOLD ;p

  • Anyway to go from Win8 to Win11 or even Win10 free? or cheap?
    thanks

  • I've been on the insider version for a while and have found it more stable than Windows 10 for me!

  • How about my cracked windows 10???

    • curious, does your cracked windows still get updates?

      • +1

        Is there a reason to "crack" Windows? You can get a genuine license for free with HWIDGen. It is indistinguishable from a genuine version. You still get updates for it.

  • Have an old Asus laptop from 2010 lived for 11 years with various upgrades ram and HDD. Upgraded from win7 to win10.

    Not sure how that would work on win11

    I7 it is

  • -1

    Make w10 buggy a f so we are forced to upgrade to 11. Sigh , and so it begins…

  • Thanks for the heads up OP. Had to go into the bios and enable a couple of security options but my system is now ready to go.

  • Anyone know if you can use W11 without an MS account like you can with 10 ? I don't want an MS Account, they have made it harder and more obscure each time but I was hoping that was still the case.

    • -2

      I have heard that having to have an online login account is part of their new plan which in turn is for so they can increase a data log the sh%t out of you to play catchup on building their AI.

      Is it any wonder why its free to upgrade to W10 and now to W11.

      Each time MS do an upgrade they seem to only move or hide features and throw a stack of eye candy at it which seems to please the majority but forget about what exactly are MS gaining "From You"!

      There many users online who have given their Good, Bad and Ugly to what and where this is going.

      I myself try to always remain neutral and objective but I certainly am not afraid to move full time to a variation of Linux to break away from the mainstream follow me brigade as having a few workstations available is always handy.

      Each to their own though :)

    • You need W11 Pro for local account.

  • I just recently upgrade to windows 10 from windows 7, should I upgrade or wait for another 10 years? :)

  • +2

    Yeah - nah

    Will be endless "Time for an update". Then again already is.

    And monumental Spyware.

  • Hopefully this means no more forced "feature updates" on windows 10, which seem to keep breaking stuff on my computer

  • -1

    I'll stick with Windows 10 LTSC

  • I'll give it a go.

  • Free? Bah, where is the challenge like the good ol' day's of finding cracks for Windows using Limewire.

    • +2

      Rule 1 of Limewire, never download an executable from Limewire

  • If you need that extra push over the cliff

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o

  • -1

    UPVOTE for those that have the truely awesome Intel 4770K z87 Platform? :)

    • +1

      3770K here, still super speedy. Waiting for Quantum Computers to upgrade.

  • +1

    I have 3 windows licences attached to my ms account, I was wondering if I can use them on new hardware to upgrade to w11 without buying another licence?

    Or, since one workaround for not having the right hardware is to download w11 and do a clean install, does that mean you don't need to have a w10 licence to install and use w11?

    • +1

      On Windows 10 you normally login to your Microsoft account and then go to the activation screen and underneath where it says you are not activated is a repair button and that will search your Microsoft account for licenses to activate.

  • -1

    uh dun wan eet

  • +2

    Here's a quick comment review of Windows 11:

    I downloaded and used the dev/beta channel isos on my Lenovo e14 gen 2 AMD (16gb ram 4500u) since they came out until I rolled back to 10 last Friday.

    What I love:
    Sleek new look is nice.
    The Microsoft Store is infinitely better with a wider app choice.
    When you hover your cursor over the maximise button you are presented with screen window snapping options, it is an amazing feature and makes multitasking fantastic.
    New settings pages are good and you don't feel like you are as limited or need to find a legacy setting.

    What I don't like:
    The new app drawer is pretty, but not that useful in the real world. It's customisation and organisation features are limited.
    I've had some glitches with apps like zoom. Performance feels a bit more sluggish than windows 10 although others feel differently.
    I haven't checked for certain but I don't think my lenovo is going from 15w to 26w when plugged in like windows 10 did.

  • +1

    Wow, the entire blurb on Windows 11 only mentions "Privacy" in relation to privacy-shutters on webcams (i.e. unrelated to Windows).

  • +3

    Wasn't the point of win10 the endless seamless updates?
    Now back to upgrade hell.

  • I'm on the insider preview. They can't even centre the app icons in the taskbar properly

  • +1

    The guinea pigs are lining up

  • Who is buying windows these days :)

    • People in glass houses who shouldn't throw stones

  • What if Win10 is not activated? Would it be worth trying one of those cheap keys if needed?

  • +1

    lol easy

  • Im running the latest build on the dev channel and have issues with my start menu not loading sometimes. Highly recommend holding off until a final release comes in you need stability

    • +4

      Dev channel is newer than Beta and Release Preview channel its supposed to be buggy.
      "Build numbers are higher in the Dev Channel than the Windows 11 preview builds in the Beta Channel because we’ve moved the Dev Channel back to receiving builds from our active development branch (RS_PRERELEASE). This means the builds released to the Dev Channel no longer match the Windows 11 experience that will be released to customers on October 5th."

  • Please hurry and release so that we get proper window management when monitors turn off or go to sleep.

  • +1

    Very soon high end CPU's and motherboards will be cheap soon, given the requirements (screw Microsoft, not gonna buy into the monopoly)if

    Windows 11 will crush piracy with its new requirements, they want to pursue what apples persuing.

    I guess with windows 11 you'll have to pay or bleed, and they'll eventually change the file extensions in the future, or have exe run in virtualization, or locked behind a wall.

    Wow: "In some cases, PCs that are capable of running TPM 2.0 are not set up to do so. If you are considering upgrading to Windows 11, check to ensure TPM 2.0 is enabled on your device. Most retail PC motherboards used by people building their own PC, for example, ship with TPM turned off by default even though it is almost alwatys available to be enabled"

    Spelling mistake, shame on you Microsoft.

  • +1

    Isn't windows always basically free? Last two times i paid 5 bux on ebay for a code.

    • Last time, I used "MAS" on Github.

      • I use HWIDGen. It gives you a digital license tied to your motherboard. It's the same as if you upgraded from 7.

        • HWIDGen is built into MAS. Also MAS is open source.

    • People who buy a new prebuilt PC are buying a license for Windows with it. And to get this free upgrade you must of had to have previously purchased a previous Windows. It's not actually really free.

      So yeah it's not as if every prebuilt PC comes with a free copy of Windows. Not as if that Microsoft is generiously giving Windows out for absolutely free.

      • Yeah was talking more self builts. Its so cheap to get keys.

  • did any one use Sony 1000XM3 with Win11 dev version? mine didn't work well

  • Switch to Ubuntu! Period

  • +1

    Why does this post have 400+ upvotes? Why?

    • The other 200 hadn't voted yet.

    • They don't understand Microsoft's operating system marketing going forward. They definitely don't understand the competitors (Apple and Linux versions) are also free. Just because a company might put a notional price on something doesn't mean the majority of users can't legally be given/get it free forever ;-)

  • Can we download then grab the free key somehow install later when it's final?

  • Yeah not sure if I want to upgrade. I have to purchase a TPM module (I have a Gigabyte mobo), they aren't that expensive ~$25, but like video cards, nobody has them or if they do, its inflated.

    I also need to enable secure boot….

    • Check to see if your CPU has a built-in TPM. if you computer was purchased in the last 6 years the CPU probally already has it and you just need to enable it in BIOS. if not, it is straight forward to bypass the TPM requirement as well as secure boot, Its definitely not worth buying one at the moment as the security requirements are not an actual requirement affecting function of the OS, just something they are trying to enforce so that they can get more widespread adoption of these security features and claim the new windows is much more secure.

      • Is this applicable for the i5-6700 also? I have recently removed this motherboard (so I can't check the bios to see the TPM thingy) from my current case as i have just upgraded to the Ryzen 5 but it would be good to be able to reuse the i5 on another box with windows 11.

  • I've only just got comfortable with Windows 10. Seems like yesterday I voted no back in 2015 to hold onto Windows 7

    • I only upgraded to 10 in 2019. Windows 7 was great.

      • Same, I really liked windows 7 aswell

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