Windows 11 was officially released on October 5th, and if you’re wondering how long it takes to upgrade, the answer is a few hours. The good news is that you can upgrade to Windows 11 entirely for free. However, before upgrading, you’ll want to check if your PC meets the minimum system requirements. If it doesn’t, don’t worry, there’s a workaround.
To check if your computer is capable of running Windows 11, head to the Microsoft website and scroll down to the bottom to see the system requirements. You can also download the PC health check app that will tell you if your PC qualifies. If your PC does not qualify, you have two options. The first is to stay on Windows 10, which Microsoft will continue to support through 2025.
However, if you really want to upgrade to Windows 11, you can download the ISO, which will bypass the system requirement checks. Keep in mind that Microsoft has stated that you might not get security or driver updates if you take this path. After downloading the ISO, click on the file to kick off the installation process.
Before upgrading, it’s always a good idea to back up all your files to an external hard drive or to use Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage solution. Once you’re ready to upgrade, click on your start menu, select settings, then select update and security to see if you can upgrade to Windows 11. If you can, click on download and install.
If your PC doesn’t qualify, head to the Microsoft website to see your options for installing and upgrading to Windows 11. The easiest path is to use the assistant, but you can also create installation media or create an ISO.
Upgrading to Windows 11 should keep all your apps and files, but it’s always a good idea to have a backup just in case. And there you have it, a guide on how long it takes to upgrade to Windows 11 and how to do it entirely for free.