when can you download windows 11 for free

There are reportedly ways around these Windows 11 limitations, but they might prove shaky ground for your system over the duration of the OS' lifespan.Answer: Microsoft customers who run an activated Windows 10 installation on a device may upgrade to Windows 11 for free. If it's not, you can still install Windows 11, but Microsoft warns you may not receive critical updates that could impact the security of your system.

Microsoft has relaunched its PC Health Check app in the days leading up to Windows 11's launch, which should give you a general indication of whether your PC is officially supported or not. Whether you decide to force an upgrade or not, you will want to take note of the strict Windows 11 system requirements. There's no exact timing for when this might be, however, and it will depend on Microsoft carrying out 'behind-the-scenes testing and validating for your specific PC.' You can check whether this is done by heading to the Settings/Windows Update screen on your Windows 10 PC. If you prefer to wait around for Microsoft to give you the go-ahead for your Windows 11 install, Microsoft says this will occur into 2022. We have a guide on how to install Windows 11 on your PC safely, which you'll want to read through thoroughly to check that you're not risking any of your important data in the process.īest CPU for gaming: the top chips from Intel and AMDīest graphics card: your perfect pixel-pusher awaitsīest SSD for gaming: get into the game ahead of the rest However, most Patch Tuesday updates and Insider Builds go live roughly around, or a little after, that time, so it appears Microsoft's MO for these kinds of updates. That's not a confirmed time from Microsoft as the company has yet to state the exact timing. That's 1pm Eastern, 6pm BST, and 7pm UTC+1. We expect the update to go live roughly around 10am Pacific. In the meantime, then, if you want to experience Windows 11 you'll need to download it for yourself on the day, which should be easily done on the Windows website.

Despite being a free upgrade, Microsoft won't be pushing Windows 11 to compatible Windows 10 devices until sometime in 2022-likely to bide the company some time to work out any launch day bugs.

On that day, not much will actually happen for most Windows 10 users. Windows 11 will be available to download on October 5, 2021.

When can you download windows 11 for free