Microsoft released Windows 11 as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 devices, with a number of new features and improvements. If your PC meets the minimum system requirements for windows 11 you will receive the Windows 11 download popup under the windows update section on settings. Again similar to windows 10 the new operating system can also be installed through windows update, Windows 11 Installation Assistant, or using ISO files. However, the Windows 11 installation process gettings stuck for some early adopters, showing Windows 11 error code 0x f. With a number of new features and enhancements, Microsoft launched Windows 11 as a free update for eligible Windows 10 devices.
If your PC satisfies the Windows 11 minimum system requirements, a Windows 11 download popup will appear in the Windows Update area of your settings. The new operating system may be installed via Windows Update, Windows 11 Installation Assistant, or ISO files, much like Windows 10. However, for certain early users, the Windows 11 installation process becomes stuck, displaying Windows 11 error number 0x f.
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. Before installing Windows 11, there are a couple of things that a user shall take care of. Firstly, important documents, files, applications and other data must be backed up on a separate drive or external flash storage. That being said, a user needs to head on to the Settings on Windows 10, click on Updates and Security and check for updates. If the Windows 11 update is not available to download and install there, Microsoft has also released a Windows 11 Installation Assistant.
Check how to download Windows 11 using Microsoft Windows 11 Installation Assistant below. He also acknowledged the expansion of Microsoft Store to include more "traditional" desktop applications. Since Windows 11 requires complete reinstallation, computers may also experience other problems that are not caused by the new version. Instead, the upgrade process may get stuck or fail because of driver issues, incompatible applications, device drivers, custom configurations, or problems with some pieces of hardware.
This will not erase any of your personal files and is similar to an OTA (over-the-air) update – however, it's always advisable to have backups. Similarly, you can create a bootable USB drive or a disk image to perform a clean install. Microsoft released the final Windows 11 build earlier this week, after several months of beta testing the new operating system.
Windows 10 users who qualify for the upgrade can jump to Windows 11 right away. That's because Windows 11 has strict hardware requirements in place that caused quite an uproar over the summer. Microsoft found itself having to explain time and again why not all Windows 10 devices can upgrade. Eventually, it relented and made it possible for unsupported PCs to install Windows 11, with some huge caveats. And now, the company provides detailed instructions on how to bypass the Windows 11 hardware restrictions.
Windows 11 is the next major release of the desktop OS that will start rolling out to compatible devices on October 5, 2021. 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 ever consumer version of Windows not to support 32-bit processors and 16-bit software . 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. 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. Microsoft notes that you should verify your device meets minimum requirements before you boot from media. That's because you'll be able to install Windows 11 if you have TPM 1.2, but the process will not check whether your processor is on the supported list or not.
This note concerns Windows 10 users who want to bypass the restrictions. The Redmond giant is currently seeding the update to selected users so not everyone will see the new update right away. However, if you are impatient and want to jump on Windows 11 right away then there is an option. Microsoft is offering an Installation Assistant that can download and install Windows 11 on supported systems. You can head to Microsoft's website and download the installer. Once downloaded, follow the steps below to upgrade your system to Windows 11.
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. In addition to the above two methods, you can use disk image ISO to install Windows 11 using an installation assistant. However, it is slightly complex compared to the above two methods and is only for users interested in creating bootable installation media.
Furthermore, you will need the product key to unlock the edition. Another reason, which may encounter the error is the outdated graphics driver. Using obsolete graphics drivers is never a good idea and it is really important to ensure that you are running the latest version available. If the error occurs due to incompatibility with the drivers, then you can try to update them by following the steps below.
On that web page you'll want to scroll to the "Windows 11 Assistant" section and click "Download Now". Optionally, if you want to do a clean install or make a bootable disk, you can choose the "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" option or the "Download Windows 11 Disk Image " option. Those are good for installing on multiple PCs, too, since you can re-use the installation media. By late August, Microsoft relented, saying that Windows 10 users with incompatible hardware will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. Rather than moving from the current Windows 10 installation to Windows 11, you'd have to perform a clean Windows 11 install on the unsupported PC.
That meant you'd have to move your data manually to Windows 11 after the installation completes. The Windows 11 installation assistant is a Microsoft utility that helps you install Windows. It can be used to create a bootable USB drive, or to set up a virtual machine . On some occasions, the installation process may fail with an error code of 0x f. Get the details and see if there are things you can do in the PC Health Check app". These are the minimum system requirements that are set by Microsoft to be able to Windows 11 on your PC.
Many users are facing the issue while installing Windows 11. Not only this much, but when running the PC health check app on their PC, it shows that their PC isn't compatible with Windows 11. Also, there are those problems that are direct results of bugs with the new version. For instance, the installation may fail because of a compatibility issue with an app or hardware, or these problems could be related to drivers and security software like antivirus. Microsoft makes it easy for you to opt into beta testing, but not as easy to opt out. Complicating matters somewhat, if your computer meets the Windows 11 hardware requirements, you might additionally see that OS as available for installation in Windows Update.
The following methods need a Windows 11 ISO file to work. You should really only try this if you know what you're doing. If you don't know what an ISO or virtual machine is, you really shouldn't go this route. Windows 11 offers several upgrade methods, but the preferred method is using the Windows Update to download and install the new version manually. Usually, during the early days of a release, it is not recommended to rush the upgrade because it may not still be fully compatible with your computer. This is not a secret, and it is one of the reasons Microsoft releases major updates in faces and places temporary holds on certain devices to prevent problems.
Back in August, Microsoft revealed the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11. Due to the Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 requirement, several popular Windows 10 PCs became ineligible for Windows 11 upgrade. If you are okay with the risk of running into compatibility issues or other issues, you can still install Windows 11 on a PC that does not meet Windows 11 minimum system requirements using the below method. Microsoft's other methods include creating Windows 11 installation media. There's a Windows 11 software download page with a "create tool now" button. This will lead you through the steps you need to take to install from an installation device.
The Windows setup has an "appraiser" service that checks to see if your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for that version. It's possible to replace the file in the Windows 11 setup with one from an older build of Windows 10. Windows 11 SE was announced on November 9, 2021, as an edition exclusively for low-end devices sold in the education market, and a successor to Windows 10 S. It is bundled with applications such as Microsoft Office for Microsoft 365, Minecraft Education Edition, and Flipgrid, while OneDrive is used to save files by default. Windows 11 SE does not include Microsoft Store; third-party software is provisioned or installed by administrators.
To check for Windows 11 compatibility, download and run the PC Health Check app, which will identify specific compatibility issues that prevent an upgrade. PCs purchased in 2016 or earlier are almost certain to be unsupported. Once you have more information, follow our guide to installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC for concrete steps you can take to resolve your issues.
For example, on some PCs, you may simply need to enable TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot in the UEFI firmware . If the problem is that your PC has an older CPU or it only has TPM 1.2, there's a registry hack that will let you bypass the hardware requirements and install Windows 11 anyway. Alternatively, you can download an ISO file directly from Microsoft's upgrade page, should you want to create bootable installation media or create a virtual machine before you install Windows 11. Once your download is complete click the file and hit Run.
This will check your PC to ensure you meet all the Windows 11 system requirements. Once it's confirmed you can run Windows 11, hit Accept and Install and once the software is installed you'll be prompted to restart your PC. First get the 8Gb USB disk that we made previously to include the Windows 10 installation files.
If the Windows 10 installation "Install now" screen does not come up after a reboot, you may have to change your BIOS settings to allow booting to a USB drive. Each manufacturer's BIOS settings are different, but accessing them will involve pressing a specific keyboard key during the initial boot process when you turn the system on. You may have to look up the proper key combination on the manufacturer's website or manual.
In order to restore the system image, we'll need to make a Windows 10 boot disk. Start by getting a USB disk with nothing important on it and at least 8Gb of storage space. Then go to Download Windows 10 (microsoft.com) and download the Windows 10 installation media tool. If you right-click on the taskbar, you now see just one option that lets you enter the taskbar settings, instead of the plethora of options in previous versions of Windows.
However, this means you cannot reposition the taskbar to either side or the top of your screen anymore with Windows 11, which is kind of a bummer. The Start button follows all the new design fundamentals of Windows 11 with rounded corners, colourful icons, pinned apps, and a huge search bar. The search button feels more useful and responsive compared to Windows 10's version. If you hover over the icon, it will show you your most recent searches, which could save you some time. After the announcement of the launch of Windows 11, there was a lot of fuss about the devices that could support it.
Windows 11 officially requires a Trusted Platform Module 2.0, UEFI, and Secure Boot in order to run on a machine, and if yours doesn't meet those requirements, you will not be able to install it. The easiest way to check whether your hardware is eligible is by installing Microsoft's own PC Health Check application. I always use the release of a new feature update to be the sign that I need to ensure that all of my main computers are on the prior release. I prefer to stay one release behind, as it typically provides me with a stable system with full Microsoft support, and I'm able to identify what issues I may face. So I'm using this time to ensure I have a copy of Windows 10 21H1, which was released in May, saved on a flash drive or on a storage location on a hard drive.
My advice is to hold off installing either release for the time being. Many of us Windows admins consider it unwise to install either a new feature release or a new version for several months after it's been released. Time after time we've seen the first few updates after each major release full of fixes for bugs and issues triggered by the new release. Microsoft hasn't been clear on this point, even in our numerous attempts to get a straight answer. As it stands now, it seems that unsupported installations won't receive critical security updates. They may not receive driver updates, either, so you'll need to seek out all of the drivers for your machine on your own.
Still, Microsoft provides the option, albeit unofficially. You can head over to the same Windows 11 download page noted above but instead, download the Windows 11 Installation Media Creation Tool. This will tool will allow you to create a bootable USB drive or DVD with which you can perform a clean install of Windows 11. You only need to download the Media Creation Toolfrom Microsoft, launch the setup and use the Upgrade this PC now option. Then select the option to keep your files and apps and continue with the on-screen directions. Usually, third-party security software can cause installation issues.
Windows 11 Assistant Not Working If you have an antivirus , or another type of security software, you should disable or temporarily uninstall them before upgrading to Windows 11. Applications designed for older versions of the OS can also cause problems. If you suspect an app that may cause a problem, it's best to remove it. Another factor that may cause the issue is an out-of-date graphics driver. It's never a good idea to use outdated graphics drivers, and it's critical to make sure you're using the most recent version available.
If the issue is caused by a driver incompatibility, you may try updating them by following the instructions below. Windows 11 Home may be restricted by default to verified software obtained from Microsoft Store ("S Mode"). Windows 11 Home requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account in order to complete first-time setup. Windows 11, the first major Windows release since 2015, builds upon its predecessor by revamping the user interface to follow Microsoft's new Fluent Design guidelines. The redesign, which focuses on ease of use and flexibility, comes alongside new productivity and social features and updates to security and accessibility, addressing some of the deficiencies of Windows 10.
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 . Install the drivers on your computer and then perform a system restart.
