It’s almost time: Windows 11 will be officially rolled out on October 5, 2021. From that date, PC users will be able to upgrade to Microsoft’s new operating system and purchase new Windows 11 laptops. But what’s new? Can you upgrade at all? And what about that TPM chip you need? Here’s everything you need to know about Windows 11.
Windows 11 FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Windows 11?
Windows 11 is Microsoft’s new operating system. Although Microsoft proudly announced when Windows 10 announced that it would be the last brand-new operating system, there will still be a new version.
When will Windows 11 be rolled out?
Windows 11 will be available worldwide on October 5, 2021 for PCs and laptops that support the software. From that date, new PCs and laptops with the new OS will also be sold.
Is Windows 11 Free?
Windows 11 is a free upgrade from Windows 10. Whether that will remain the case in the future is not yet certain, but for now you can upgrade for free with a W10 PC or laptop.
Can my PC or laptop run Windows 11?
That is a good question. There are some additional system requirements compared to Windows 10. First, you need UEFI firmware secure boot to support. You also need a relatively modern processor: an Intel Core chip from at least the 8th generation or a Ryzen processor from the 2000 series. Older processors may eventually be supported as well. Also important is the so-called TPM chip, a kind of protection for the processor. With a TPM 2.0 chip you are safe anyway, but a TPM 1.2 chip doesn’t seem to cause any problems either. You can read more about this later in this article. Finally, your graphics card must support DirectX 12.
Can I already upgrade to Windows 11?
As a member of the Windows Insider program, you can already install a trial version of Windows 11. Make sure that you do this on a not too important PC, and always make sure you have a good backup. Also keep in mind still unresolved bugs.
Can I still use Windows 10?
Of course. Windows 10 will in any case still be supported in the coming years. Microsoft will eventually push the rollout of Windows 11 considerably. From October 2025 you will really have to upgrade.
Windows 11: a successor to Windows 10 after all
Microsoft was very proud of the announcement of Windows 10: it would be the very last version of Windows, not because the company stopped, but because small updates were the future. And suddenly there was the big news: a new version after all, namely Windows 11.
And that has quite a few implications. For example, there are additional system requirements, which means that not every PC that runs Windows 10 can also be upgraded. And while the upgrade to Windows 10 went smoothly for the vast majority of users, there were still plenty of people who ran into problems – the Windows 11 upgrade will be no different.
Windows 11: What’s New?
But what’s actually new about Windows 11? First, the operating system has received a fresh coat of paint. The tiles that Microsoft introduced in Windows 8 are gone. This immediately makes the system look a bit less clinical; in the editors we thought it was a bit of a mix between Windows 7 and Windows Vista, but with the best of both worlds. Not bad, although that is a matter of taste.
Under the hood, more has changed. For example, functions around the touch screen have been made less important than in Windows 8(.1) and 10. In Windows 11 it is possible to run Android apps: useful for those who still work on a touchscreen. Furthermore, Microsoft Teams is built quite deep into the operating system, and the Edge browser will receive a major update.
You can find out more about the new features of Windows 11 in this article.
Curious about the extra features within Windows 11? You will find it here.
Windows 11: Free Webinar
Tech Academy is organizing a webinar to familiarize you with Windows 11. You can Register for free via the website.
Is my PC suitable for Windows 11?
With the extra system requirements, it is not at all certain that you can upgrade your Windows 10 machine on October 5th. Old PCs and laptops can run into the processor problem: Initially, an 8th Gen Intel Core chip is needed, or a Ryzen 2000 or higher. It may just be that that list will be expanded, but a relatively new processor is still a requirement for the time being.
Windows 11 system requirements
- A 64-bit Intel Core processor (8th generation or newer) or an AMD Ryzen 2000 processor (or newer).
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0 (but TPM 1.2 seems to work fine too)
- DirectX 12 support in the graphics card / WDDM 2.0 or higher
- 64GB storage, 4GB RAM
Microsoft will soon be launching a tool with which you can check whether your PC is suitable for Windows 11, the PC Health Check App. Read more about it here.
Install Windows 11
Do you want to get started with Windows 11? Which can! You can download a test version of the operating system via the Windows Insider program. Just keep a few things in mind.
Upgrading is also best done on a PC that you don’t use for your daily tasks. Builds like this one can still be a bit buggy, and hangs or crashes cannot be completely ruled out. So always make a good backup before performing the upgrade.
In this article, you’ll learn how to sign up for the Windows Insider Program and download and install Windows 11.
Windows 11: Already buying a new PC or laptop?
Windows 11 does not just run on PCs and laptops that now run on Windows 10. If your device does not meet the system requirements, you can decide to buy a new one now. Then you know for sure that you can perform the upgrade in October.
But is that really necessary? And is it a good idea at all, now that everything is still a bit vague? In this article we list the pros and cons.
Windows 11: Clean Install
When you upgrade to Windows 11, your files and settings will be neatly included. At least, if you want to. You can also choose to start with a clean slate. This is called a clean install: the old system is overwritten and the new one is installed without fuss.
The downside of this is obvious: all programs, files in settings that you don’t have in a backup are gone for good. The big advantage is that all useless, slowing files are removed from your PC or laptop. Your machine is suddenly almost as fast as when it came out of the store.
In this article you can read more about the pros and cons of a clean install, and how to do it.
Windows 11: the contextual menu
Right-clicking on a file or folder within Windows gives you access to a lot of functions, every PC user knows that. This “contextual menu” is organized slightly differently in Windows 11, as it was on most Windows versions. What should you know about the new ‘right-click menu’? And why has everything changed again? You read it in the article Menu buttons in Windows 11.
Windows 11: On-Screen Keyboard
Although Windows 11 does not rely as much as its predecessors (especially Windows 8) on possible use via a touchscreen, the handy touch functions have certainly not disappeared. One of the most important features is the on-screen keyboard. In Windows 11 you can adjust that keyboard quite well to your own wishes. You can read how to do that in the article about it on-screen keyboard in Windows 11.
Windows 11 course bundle on Tech Academy
We have already created an extensive first starter course for Windows 11 via Tech Academy. This way you can be sure that you don’t miss anything when upgrading and using the system. Order the course book, with an included online course, now with a significant discount.