Microsoft confirms Windows 11 is a free upgrade for Windows 10. In theory, Windows 7, Windows 8, and
Windows 8.1 users will also get the update for free if they
upgrade to Windows 10. It’s not yet clear if there will be a
direct update path to Windows 11 from Windows 7 or 8.1
Starting in the fall of this year, owners of Windows 10 can
upgrade to Windows 11 through Windows Update at no cost as long
as they have a genuine copy of Windows.
Windows 11 is Microsoft’s successor to Windows 10 desktop
operating system and
it was announced on June 24. During the event, Microsoft
said that it’s launching the operating system for consumers
this fall and the company made it clear that it won’t simply
open the floodgates, allowing anyone to get the update today.
Instead, as the company has said, Windows 11 will be rolled out
to Windows Insiders first next week, so those testers will see
the upgrade notification before others.
Is Windows 11 a free upgrade?
Yes, Windows 11 is a free upgrade, according
to Microsoft.
Microsoft will be offering the same Windows 10 methods to
download Windows 11, including downloading the updates through
multiple sources. Later this year, consumers can download it
through Microsoft’s Windows Update.
As shown in the above screenshot, Microsoft is working on a new
“PC Health Check” tool that will run a compatibility check, and
you’ll get feedback on whether your installed software or
hardware is compatible with Windows 11.
Windows as a service
Microsoft is basically continuing the strategy of delivering
“Windows as a service”, which means frequent updates will be
released to the operating system for free. You can update your
existing hardware as long as it meets these requirements:
- 64-bit CPU
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of storage.
- A genuine and activated copy of Windows 10.
This new version of Windows isn’t just a visual update. Windows
11 brings
new features and security improvements to your machine that
are crucial to getting your work done. From the simply Start
Menu to the new gaming experience you’ll notice instantly,
upgrading to Windows 11 will be worth your time.
As you’re probably aware, some Windows features are now
unbundled from the main OS so users can get faster updates.
Rather than waiting for a full Windows update, Microsoft will
be updating features like Windows widgets, native apps like
Paint and Notepad via Windows Store.
Windows Search is also web-based, which means these features
can be updated with improvements without having to wait for
larger OS-wide update.
