Can I Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for Free?

Can I Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for Free? The answer is YES, you can upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for free, provided your Windows 10 Laptop or Desktop meets Windows 11 requirements.

This has been the case since Windows 11 was officially released on 5th October 2021. Your Windows 10 version must be a minimum of 2004. You can quickly update your OS version by running “Check for Updates” on your PC to install any available updates.

Your current licensed edition of Windows 10 will unlock the equivalent edition of Windows 11 features. For example, if you’ve Windows 10 Home edition, your Windows 10 Laptop or Desktop will be upgraded to Windows 11 Home. Likewise, your Windows 10 Pro Laptop or Desktop is upgraded to a Windows 11 Pro Laptop or Desktop.

Windows Device	OS Edition Before Upgrade	OS Edition After Upgrade
Windows Laptop / Desktop	Windows 10 Home	Windows 11 Home
Windows Laptop / Desktop	Windows 10 Pro	Windows 11 Pro

Can I Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for Free?

Can I upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for Free? If your Laptop or Desktop computer’s operating system is an activated Windows 10 version, you’re eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 for FREE as from 5th October 2021 until further notice from Microsoft.

Is it Possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free?

Is it possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free? There was a time when you could upgrade for free, but this expired, although you can still try in case the scheme has been made available again.

If for whatever reason you haven’t yet upgraded your Operating System (OS) from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can still use tools available from Microsoft to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

To upgrade your current Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, your OS license must be activated with Microsoft, to enable you to update your PC to Windows 10.

You can get the tools you need to upgrade your Operating System to Windows 10 from HERE. You can download from this link.

Download either of the following:

• the update assistant or
• the Installation media creation tool or
• the ISO image.

Please Note: Its always recommended to back your system before carrying out any major upgrade like this would be to give you the option to go back.

Windows 11 requirements (Minimum system requirements)

Read here for more information on system requirements and information on how some PCs might be able to update or change settings to meet the requirements.

Processor:	1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
Memory:	4 GB RAM.
Storage:	64 GB or larger storage device.
System firmware:	UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement.
TPM:	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement.

Graphics card:	Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
Display Resolution:	High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel.
Internet connection:	Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home.

Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade. Free updates are available through Windows Update in Settings>Update and Security.

Certain features require specific hardware. System requirements to run some apps will exceed the Windows 11 minimum device specifications. Check device compatibility information specific to the apps you want to install. Available storage on your device will vary based on installed apps and updates. Performance will scale with higher end, more capable PCs. Additional requirements may apply over time and for updates.

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10? There are several ways to upgrade your Windows 10 system to Windows 11. This is currently offered free as of 5th October 2021 until further notice from Microsoft.

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 – using Settings > Update & Security

This is what you do using the “Settings > Update & Security” method to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11

1. Right Click Windows Start Icon at the bottom left on Taskbar.
2. Click “Settings“.
3. Click “Update & Security“.
4. Click “Windows Update“
5. Click “Check for Updates“
6. If your system meets the Windows 11 requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, a link to Download Windows 11 will be given under Windows Updates for you to click and install your new OS.

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 – using Search field “Check for Updates“

This is what you do using the “Check for Updates” method to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11

1. Type “Updates” in the Search Field
2. Open best match which should be “Check for Updates“
3. Click Check for Updates
4. If your system meets the Windows 11 requirements for upgrading to Windows 11, a link to Download Windows 11 will be given under Windows Updates for you to click and install your new OS.

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 – using Download Windows 11 from Microsoft

So how do you upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11? Apart from using the Windows Update – Check for Updates described above, there are other options that use Download Windows 11 tools.

You can find the Windows 11 update for Windows 10 download link here.

Option 1: Download Windows 11 Installation Assistant

For the device you’re currently using, the best option for installing Windows 11 is to use Installation Assistant.

1. Check for Windows updates and install the latest available Windows 10 updates.
2. Check to see if your system meets the minimum Windows 11 requirements either
   • Manually by running “SystemInfo” and compare the report summary with the minimum requirements above.
   • Download and install the PC Health and Run it.
   • If your system meets the Windows 11 Requirements then procced to the next step.
3. Download Windows 11 Installation Assistant
4. Run Windows 11 Installation Assistant as an administrator
   1. The tool will confirm your device hardware meets the Windows 11 requirements.
   2. Accept license terms and install.
   3. Click the Restart Now button to complete installation.
   4. Ensure you don’t turn off your PC.

Option 2: Download Create Windows 11 Installation Media

As this article on Upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10, the assumption is you already have Windows 10 activated on your PC.

As we are upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 10, we need to:

• Check for Windows updates and install the latest available Windows 10 updates.

Use the option to download the media creation tool to make a bootable USB or DVD, so that you can reinstall or clean install Windows 11 on a new or used PC.

• Creating a bootable Windows 11 DVD you will need:
  • DVD Burner
  • 8GB blank DVD
  • Use a higher capacity Dual Layer DVD
  • Burn the ISO Image to create bootable DVD
• Creating a bootable Windows 11 USB disk you will need:
  • Blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space.
  • (Please note any data on USB Disk will be deleted during the creation of the bootable disk)

Media Creation Tool 

1. Download the Media Creation Tool.
2. Run Media Creation Tool as an administrator.
3. If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.
4. On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.
5. Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit) for Windows 11.
6. Select which media you want to use:
   1. USB flash drive: Attach a blank USB flash drive with at least 8GB of space. Any content on the flash drive will be deleted.
   2. ISO file: Save an ISO file to your PC. This can be used to create a bootable DVD. After the file is downloaded, you can go to location where the file is saved, or select Open DVD burner, and follow the instructions to burn the file to a DVD.
      1. Locate the folder where you downloaded the Windows 11 ISO to.
      2. To use Windows Disk Image Burner to create the installation DVD, right-click on the ISO file and select Properties. Under the “General tab”, click “Change…” where it says, “Opens with:” and select Windows Explorer. Select Apply. This will enable the Burn disc image to display when you right-click on the ISO file.

Installing Windows 11

It’s always a good idea to back up your PC before installing any new operating system.

1. Go to PC’s BIOS or UEFI settings to change the Boot Order to match where you want to boot from
   1. If booting from USB Disk select USB as your 1st boot device or
   2. If booting from DVD select CD/DVD as your 1st boot device.
2. Restart your PC.
3. On the Install Windows page, select your language, time, and keyboard preferences, and then select Next.
4. Select Install Windows.

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 without losing data

It’s always a good idea to back up your PC before installing any new operating system.

To keep your data and Apps from Windows 10 operating system, here is what you need to do.

1. Boot up your Windows 10 PC.
2. Check for Windows updates and install the latest available Windows 10 updates.
3. Insert your Windows 11 DVD or Windows 11 USB Flash Disk or Mount Windows 11 ISO.
4. Run “Setup.exe” from DVD or USB disk or Mounted ISO as an administrator.
5. Follow the instructions that are given as you proceed to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10.
6. Once the installation is complete, remember you’ve 10 Days to go back to Windows 10 if you’re not happy with Windows 11.

Option 3: Download Windows 11 Disk Image ISO

Download Windows 11 Disk Image ISO.

Burn Windows 11 ISO DVD

1. Locate the folder where you saved the Windows 11 ISO to.
2. To use Windows Disk Image Burner to create the installation DVD, right-click on the ISO file and select Properties. Under the “General tab”, click “Change…” where it says, “Opens with:” and select Windows Explorer. Select Apply. This will enable the Burn disc image to display when you right-click on the ISO file.

Mount Windows 11 ISO Image as a Virtual Disk Drive

To mount the ISO file:

• Go to the location where you saved the ISO file.
• Right-click the ISO file and select Properties.
• On the “General” tab, click ”Change…” where it says, “Opens with:” and select Windows Explorer for the program you would like to use to open ISO files and select Apply.
• Right-click the ISO file and select Mount.
• This will create a “virtual” disc. Double-click on it to view the files within. Double-click setup.exe to start Windows 11 setup.

Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 without losing data

It’s always a good idea to back up your PC before installing any new operating system.

To keep your Data and Apps from Windows 10 operating system here is what you need to do.

1. Boot up your Windows 10 PC.
2. Check for Windows updates and install the latest available Windows 10 updates.
3. Insert your Windows 11 DVD or Mount Windows 11 ISO.
4. Run “Setup.exe” from DVD or Mounted ISO as an administrator.
5. Follow the instructions that are given as you proceed to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10.
6. Once the installation is complete, remember you’ve 10 Days to go back to Windows 10 if you’re not happy with Windows 11.

Should I Upgrade to Windows 11?

Should I Upgrade to Windows 11? In my opinion the answer is YES and NO. And here is why:

YES, you should Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10

• Every new Windows operating system (OS) has been built on the back of the best bits of the OS it is replacing.
• the New OS, Windows 11 is built for the prevailing IT environments, for example the big increase in the number remote workers.
  • Before the 2020 Covid pandemic most businesses’ IT network security was based on the Office perimeter but the enforced work from home meant that companies had to rapidly deploy solutions that enabled their employees to work away from the traditional office.
  • Suddenly the IT networks became more distributed such that security was now placed on the user and device they were using to access company resources.
  • For example, one of the requirements of Windows 11 is to have TPM 2.0 enabled on the device which provides features such as bank level encryption. for more details on TPM see this article.
• Installing Windows 11 now gives you the opportunity to get familiar with some of the new features that can help you do more in a given time.
• Being able to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free won’t last forever, so take advantage of this benefit while it exists.

If you have a spare PC that you can use as your Test PC, then by all means go ahead and install Windows 11 even if you have to use work arounds.

NO, you shouldn’t Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10

Although Microsoft are offering free upgrade from licensed Windows 10 to Windows 11 at present, it’s tempting to proceed with upgrading especially if your PC meets the Windows 11 requirements.

However, in my opinion you shouldn’t upgrade your Windows 10 OS at this time especially if this is the PC you use daily for your work or anything important to you.

Here are my reasons for not upgrading right now.

• If your PC hardware was manufactured before 2016, it’s most likely it would not match Windows 11 requirements and the only way to upgrade would be to take some of the work rounds to install Windows 11.
  • You can find the CPU and TPM work around on this article but you won’t be supported by Microsoft as they have said you do this at your own risk.
  • Also going forward your system may not receive security updates which can expose your PC to all the threats out there.
• Windows 10 was officially released in October 2015 and Microsoft have a 10-year support for most of its products. Meaning Windows 10 is going to be supported with security updates until October 2025. that’s for more years from October 2021.
• Windows 10 works well today and you can always update after most of the bugs have been identified and fixed.
• If your PC is mission critical, then it’s best to keep using Windows 10 for a while.

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