What does Windows 11 mean for Windows 10? There’s even a new Windows 11 SE specifically for schools. Microsoft refers to Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro as different editions of Windows 10, and yes, there’s Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. Will there be different versions of Windows 11? Just follow this Windows 11 upgrade checklist. (Here’s how to get Windows 10 for even cheaper.) Weirdly, you still can’t buy a standalone Windows 11 license at press time, though you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free. We’d expect the price for a standalone version of the operating system to be around the current price of Windows 10: $110 for Windows 11 Home, and $150 for Windows 11 Pro. Some of you may be wondering what Windows 11 will cost. As a related story, here’s how to upgrade to Windows 11 - you can choose from Windows Update, downloading an ISO file, and more. Here’s how to get Windows 11, which now includes standalone ISO files, too. (Don’t worry, you can stay on Windows 10 until Microsoft retires it in 2025.) How do I get Windows 11? Microsoft appears to be placing some fairly substantial hardware requirements on Windows 11, and if your PC doesn’t meet them, you won’t be allowed to upgrade, either. Only Windows 10 users with a genuine copy are eligible to download Windows 11.If you’re wondering whether you’ll be able to opt out of Windows 11-the answer is, surprisingly, yes. Internet - You will need the internet to activate Windows 11, besides, of course, downloading it on your PC. Most laptops have either 14-inch or 15.6-inch screens, while monitors come in different sizes all bigger than 9-inch, so display should not be a problem for your old PC. Do not worry, you do not need to do much for that, but I will tell you more about this a bit later.ĭisplay - Your PC needs to have at least a 9-inch screen with HD (720p) resolution.

Nearly all graphics cards from Intel, Nvidia, and AMD recently launched support DirectX 12, but you may want to check whether your PC has a compatible one or not. Graphics card - Microsoft recommends DirectX 12 compatible graphics cards with WDDM 2.x for Windows 11.

Secure Boot is a set of programs that check whether your operating system is secure for running on a machine. UEFI is very similar to BIOS and is essential for connecting a computer’s firmware to its operating system. System firmware - Your PC needs to have UEFI and Secure Boot for Windows 11. I think it is a pretty small requirement, so most old PCs and laptops will be covered. Storage - 64GB is the minimum storage your PC needs to have.

Windows 11 laptop launch date