Here come some questions: can I upgrade my Windows 10 to Windows 11? How do I upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11? In terms of Windows 11 update, it is possible as long as your machine meets some conditions and it is easy to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Proceed with this post and you can find much information offered by MiniTool Software.
Should I Upgrade to Windows 11?
Since the official release of Windows 11 on June 24, 2021, perhaps some users have installed the preview build of Windows 11 on their computers so that they can enjoy the brand new UI design and some improved & new features.
If you are also curious about this brand new operating system, you may want to install Windows 11 on your PC (currently Windows 10 is installed). Then, here comes a question: should you upgrade to Windows 11?
The answer is yes, most likely. This is because the new system brings a visual design, Android apps support, a new Microsoft Store, etc., better handles multitasking, improves gaming experience, and more when compared to Windows 10. To know more information on the differences between Windows 11 and 10, refer to this post – [6 Aspects] Windows 11 vs Windows 10: What Are the Differences.
Tip: So far, Windows 11 is in the testing phase and its official version will be rolled out later this year. At that time, Windows 11 will be the most reliable. You can wait it out a bit and install Windows 11. If you want to experience this new operating system now, it is possible to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Can You Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11?
To install Windows 11 on your PC, the machine should meet some requirements.
System Minimum Requirements
As a brand new operating system, Microsoft offers new system minimum requirements when compared with Windows 10. Refer to this post to know the differences – Windows 10 vs 11 Minimum System Requirements: Why Need a New One. From the official website, you know much information:
- Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
- RAM: 4GB memory
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
- Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
- System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
- Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- Internet connection: Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home
If you need to update Windows 10 to Windows 11, make sure your PC meets these requirements. Besides, make sure your device has a TPM version 2.0 that is enabled and Secure Boot is also enabled.
Check PC Compatibility for Windows 11
To quick know if your PC can run Windows 11, you can perform a compatibility check. Microsoft offers you a professional compatibility tool called PC Health Check to help you see if your PC meets the requirements to run Windows 11. Refer to this post- Check Computer Compatibility for Windows 11 by PC Health Check to know how to use it.
Oryou can use a PC Health Check alternative like WhyNotWin11 or Win11SysCheck to perform Windows 11 compatibility test. Just go to download WhyNotWin11 from the GitHub website, double-click the executable file to launch this app and you can see many details on whether the PC is compatible with Windows 11.
If your PC meets all the conditions of Windows 11, you can upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Microsoft allows you to update to Windows 11 for free. Just follow the step-by-step guide below to easily finish Windows 11 update task.
How to Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for Free?
Create a Backup Before Windows 11 Update
DoI needtobackupbeforeupgradingto Windows11? If you ask this question, the answer is yes.
When performing a Windows 11 update, there are some things you should get ready for, for example, be ready for Windows 11 mentally, create a backup, etc. Refer to this post to know more – . Most important of all, it is necessary to back up your important files or create a system image in advance.
As stated above, Windows 11 is not reliable currently since it is in the test stage. Some unknown issues may happen, for instance, file deletion, some bugs on Taskbar, Search, Settings, etc., system crash, and more.
PC backup is important. You can restore your computer to the previous state using a backup in case of file loss or system breakdown. Besides, if you want to roll back to Windows 10 after 10 days, you can also ask the PC system backup for help.
How to back up your computer in Windows 10? This new OS allows backing up files to OneDrive but OneDrive offers only 5GB free space and it doesn’t support system backup. To back up your computer well, we recommend backing up your computer to an external hard drive or USB flash drive using MiniTool ShadowMaker.
As a professional and free computer backup software, MiniTool ShadowMaker can help to back up files & folders, create a system image, clone disk, sync files, and more. It is compatible with Windows 10/8/8.1/7. Now get its trial edition by clicking the following download button and install it on your Windows 10.
How to back up your PC before starting updating Windows 10 to Windows 11:
1. Double-click the icon of MiniTool ShadowMaker to launch it to its main interface.
2. When going to the Backup tab, you can see this software backs up the system by default. You only need to choose a destination to store the system image.
If you need to back up files, go to SOURCEto choose items that you want to back up and go to DESTINATIONto select a storage path.
3. Click Back Up Nowor Back Up Later to start backing up immediately or later.
Tip: It is recommended to create a bootable USB flash drive with MiniTool Media Builder so that you can perform a system recovery when your PC doesn’t work properly after Windows 10 to Windows 11 update.
Next, it is time to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Currently, there are two ways for you to free install Windows 11 on your device.
Free Update Windows 10 to Windows 11 via Windows Insider Program
If you are running the system earlier Windows 10, version 2004, you can install Windows 11 via Windows Insider Program.Not all the versions of Windows 10 support Windows 11 update via Windows Insider Program.
Here is what you should do:
Step 1: Join Windows Insider Program
Make sure you are a member of Windows Insider Program. If you don’t know how to become an insider, refer to this post to know much information – How to Join the Windows Insider Program to Be a Windows Insider.
Step 2: Download and Install Windows 11 Preview Build like 22000
- In Windows 10, open the Settings app by pressing the Win + I keys on the keyboard.
- Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update.
If there are updates that are available, Windows will start checking for updates automatically and then download & install on your computer. After downloading, Windows needs to restart several times to finish the installation.
This is the simplest way to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 and it is worth recommending.
Tip: According to reports, some users fail to update Windows 11 via Windows Update, for example, Windows 11 Update downloading stuck at 100%, Windows 11 installation stuck at 35%/85%, etc. If you also run into one problem, click the corresponding link to look for solutions.
Upgrade Windows 10 to WIndows 11 viaInstallation Assistant
If your PC have installed Windows 10, version 2004 or higher, you can upgrade to Windows 11 via the tool called Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Besides, you should have a Windows 10 license.
1. Go togo totheMicrosoftwebsiteand click Download Now from theWindows 11 Installation Assistant section.
2. Run this tool with admin rights.
3. If the the device hardware is compatible, accept the license terms.
4. Click the Restart Now button to complete the installation on yourPC. This will take some time to install Windows 11.
In this post – , you can find some useful details.
Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 via an ISO File
Here is another way for you to perform a Windows 11 update from Windows 10 and that is to use an ISO file of Windows 11. If the above way fails to work, you can try this way.
Tip: If you want to upgrade Windows 7 or 8/8.1 to Windows 11, you can also try this way to perform a clean install.
Step 1: First of all, you need to prepare an ISO file for Windows 11.
1. To get Windows 11 ISO file, you can go tothe Microsoftwebsite.
2. Under the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) section,choose Windows 11 and click Download.
3. Choose a language to continue.
4.Click the 64-bit Download button to get the ISO file of this new OS.
Tip: If you want to perform an in-place Windows 11 update, you can right-click the ISO file of Windows 11 you have gotten and click Mount. Then, click the setup.exe file to get Windows 11 Setup interface. Just start an update by following the instructions on the screen.
Step 2: You can create a bootable USB flash drive.
If you have a CD/DVD, you can burn the ISO file to it. Or if you have a USB drive, it is easy to make a bootable drive. Here, take a USB drive as an example.
- Go to download Rufus from its official website.
- Launch this app on your Windows 10 PC. Then, select the USB drive you have connected to the machine, choose Partition scheme, Target system, and more.
- Click the START button to start creating a bootable USB flash drive.
Step 3: Install Windows 11 from the bootable USB flash drive.
To upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can boot the PC from the created USB drive and run an installation. Just restart Windows 10, press a specific key to enter BIOS, change the boot order and run the PC to the Windows Setup interface. Now, start Windows 11 installation.
1. Choose a language, time format, and keyboard method for Windows 11. Click Next to continue.
2. Click Install now to go on.
3. After a while, click I don’t have a product key.
4. Accept the license terms and click Next to continue.
5. There are two types of installation for you. To upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can click the first option to install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications. If you want to perform a clean install, you can click Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
6. Finish the Windows 10 update/installation by following the on-screen prompts.
Update to Windows 11 Without TPM
In the above parts, we have shown you how to update Windows 10 to Windows 11 when the PC meets the update conditions of Windows 11. If your PC doesn’t meet the requirement of TPM, you can still update to Windows 11 without TPM.
1. When using the bootable USB drive to perform Windows 11 update, you may receive the error message “This PC can’t run Windows 11”. Just press Shift + F10 to launch the Command Prompt in the Windows Setup interface.
2. Type regedit and click OK to get Windows Registry Editor.
3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup, right-click the Setup folder and choose New > Key. Name it LabConfig.
4. Right-click on LabConfig and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the key as BypassTPMCheck and double-click it to set the value data to 1.
5. Create another DWORD key called BypassSecureBootCheck and also set its value data to 1.
6. Exit Registry Editor and Command Prompt. Then, you can complete the Windows 11 installation as normal.
Tip: If you run the setup.exe directly to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can also install Windows 11 without TPM by replacing the appraiserres.dll file in Windows 11 Setup. Just go to search the detailed steps on the Internet.
Bottom Line
How can you upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free? After reading this post, you know much information. Just perform a Windows 11 compatibility check and then follow one way to update to Windows 11 if the PC meets the requirements of this new operating system. Note that you should create a backup before the update to restore the PC in case of system update issues.
If you have any ideas, send an email to [emailprotected] or leave a comment below.
I'm an experienced professional in the field of Windows operating systems, particularly in the context of upgrades and system migrations. My expertise stems from years of hands-on experience, keeping abreast of industry developments, and actively engaging with relevant software and tools. Let me guide you through the intricacies of upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Can You Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11?
Yes, upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is indeed possible. However, certain conditions must be met to ensure a seamless transition. The critical prerequisites include:
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System Minimum Requirements:
- Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
- RAM: 4GB memory
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
- Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver
- System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
- Display: High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- Internet connection: Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home
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Check PC Compatibility:
- Utilize Microsoft's PC Health Check tool or alternative tools like WhyNotWin11 or Win11SysCheck to assess compatibility.
How to Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for Free?
Before embarking on the upgrade process, it's crucial to undertake some preparatory steps:
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Create a Backup:
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Backing up your important files or creating a system image is essential due to the test stage of Windows 11, which may pose risks such as file deletion or system bugs.
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Use reliable backup software like MiniTool ShadowMaker to ensure a comprehensive backup of your system.
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Free Update Options:
a. Windows Insider Program:
- Join the Windows Insider Program.
- Download and install Windows 11 Preview Build (e.g., 22000) via Windows Update.
b. Windows 11 Installation Assistant:
- If your PC has Windows 10 version 2004 or higher, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant.
- Download the tool from the Microsoft website, run it with admin rights, and follow on-screen instructions.
c. Upgrade via ISO File:
- Prepare a Windows 11 ISO file from the Microsoft website.
- Create a bootable USB flash drive using tools like Rufus.
- Install Windows 11 from the bootable USB drive by adjusting BIOS settings.
Update to Windows 11 Without TPM:
If your PC lacks TPM but you still wish to update to Windows 11, follow these steps:
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During Windows 11 installation from a bootable USB drive, if you encounter a "This PC can't run Windows 11" error, launch Command Prompt with Shift + F10.
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Access Windows Registry Editor (regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup.
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Create a new key named LabConfig and within it, create DWORD (32-bit) Values named BypassTPMCheck and BypassSecureBootCheck, setting their values to 1.
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Exit Registry Editor and Command Prompt to complete the installation.
In conclusion, upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is a viable and beneficial move, provided your system meets the specified requirements. Backing up your data and following the appropriate upgrade method ensures a smooth transition to the enhanced features of Windows 11. If you have further inquiries or ideas, feel free to reach out via email or comments.
