Windows 11: How to update your PC for free before October 5?

Update 09/28/2021: Microsoft plans to launch Windows 11 for the general public on October 5. But a preview version is available now for those who really can't wait.

The opportunity to test the new features announced by Microsoft. Among other things, the latest iteration of Microsoft's operating system will bring big changes to the Start menu (which is now centered) and the taskbar. A complete overhaul of the Settings app is also on the agenda, as is a Widgets pane designed to deliver news and reminders.

To test this new version, here's how to do it.

Check your hardware compatibility

If you are already on Windows 10, Windows 11 will be available for free. But Microsoft suggests it's only for a limited time, mirroring the upgrade strategy used to entice Windows 7 users to make the jump to Windows 10.

“Windows 11 will be available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs starting the holidays. To check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11, download the PC Health Check app,” Microsoft says.

Download > PC Health Check (Windows 11 compatibility tool)

Microsoft has announced the release of Windows 11, find out with its specialized tool if your computer will be compatible with this new system, download today PC Health Check (compatibility tool Windows 11).

The PC Health Check app will allow you to check if your current PC meets the requirements to run Windows 11. If so, you will be eligible for a free upgrade at some point after its launch .

Check PC eligibility when purchasing

Microsoft didn't specify an end date for the free upgrade offer, but did set new hardware requirements which cover Intel and Arm processors, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage, and TPM version 2.0.

As it rolls out, Windows 11 will also come to newly sold PCs that were manufactured before Windows 11 was launched. it says it is eligible for a free Windows upgrade.

"We're also working with our retail partners to make sure the Windows 10 PCs you buy today are ready to upgrade to Windows 11," Microsoft says.

When will my PC be running Windows 11?

As was the case with Windows 10, after launch there will likely be a gradual rollout of Windows 11 to PCs Windows 10 capable of performing the upgrade.

Deployment could take several months. Microsoft says this process should continue "until 2022". Newer PCs should also receive the upgrade first. If not, when your PC will be able to upgrade depends on several factors.

Microsoft plans to use “artificial intelligence models that consider hardware eligibility, reliability, metrics, device age, and other factors” to deploy the upgrade. It will use Windows Update to notify Windows 10 users when their devices are eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. As Mary-Jo Foley points out, if you don't want to install Windows 11, you can also just stay on Windows 10, which will remain supported until October 14, 2025.

But for those who don't want to wait for the October 5 launch, there's a preview available now. Just remember that this is a pre-release version, not the final version. It may therefore contain bugs, and features may be missing, or not working very well. It is therefore advisable to run this preview on a test device, if you have one, and avoid using your main device, in case things go wrong.

How do I get a preview of Windows 11?

If you want to try Windows 11, you can join the Windows Insider program, which Microsoft describes as "a community of millions of Windows fans who are first to discover new things”. Testers can provide feedback on builds, which go directly to Microsoft engineers working on the project.

Download > Windows 11 Home

Discover all the new features and improvements of Microsoft's new operating system, Windows 11, unveiled on Thursday, June 24, 2021 and available since October 5, 2021.

You must have a copy of Windows 10 on your PC, and be an administrator. You can then join the program or sign in to your Windows Insider account. To register, you need to sign in with your Microsoft account or work account in Azure Active Directory. You can then "start flying" - that's Microsoft's term for running a preview build of Windows Insider on a device.

To try out the latest experiences from Microsoft, you can join the Dev channel. But this channel includes cutting-edge updates that aren't necessarily tied to the Windows 11 release slated for October. To test out what will be available in October, head over to the beta channel. Or, according to Microsoft, if you want something "extremely stable", you can try the latest version of Windows, but with advanced quality updates and key features, in the Release Preview channel.

Microsoft notes that if you install an Insider Preview build in one channel and want to switch to another channel, you may need to perform a clean install of Windows and reset your Windows Insider settings on that device. This underlines that the execution of previews is reserved for test machines and people with a technical mind.

Why are taskbar widgets so important?

Big new features in Windows 11 include Mac-inspired features, as well as taskbar widgets, a change virtual desktop, pen haptics for sketching and gestures.

Microsoft is relying heavily on its improved widgets, as it has done away with the Windows 8-era Live Tiles, which at the time were meant to compete with Apple's iPad design. The Timeline feature also ends up in the trash, as does the cross-device desktop wallpaper.

Windows 3D Viewer, OneNote for Windows 10, Paint 3D, and Skype will no longer be pre-installed on Windows 11. However, the new Windows will feature a Microsoft Teams chat button, instead of the Skype button.

What are Snap Layouts and Snap Groups?

Snap Layouts, the snap layouts menu, should make multitasking easier by organizing apps and windows for easier access. Users can group apps and websites and then open the group from the taskbar, rather than minimizing and maximizing windows. This is a trend seen in browsers like Google Chrome, with grouped tabs.

Snap groups are for those who fix a computer to a screen and have problems arranging apps after logging out: they will no longer have to rearrange open apps after logging out.

Source: ZDNet.com