Windows 11 download: Skip the wait and get the free update from Microsoft now

Windows 11 is on its way to your PC… eventually. Microsoft’s new operating system will be released on eligible devices from 5th of October and the upgrade will be free if you already are a Windows 10 user. However, Microsoft is rolling out the update in phases, meaning some users will have to wait months to get their hands on Windows 11 – in August blog post of Microsoft said the company expects “all eligible devices to receive the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022.”

If you’re not in a rush, you can just wait for the Windows 11 update to be pushed to your device. When the new operating system is available to you, the upgrade process will be similar to a normal Windows 10 update, as long as your device is compatible and meets the minimum requirements needed. (And even if it isn’t, Microsoft offers a workaround, although it is not supported by the company.)

Don’t want to wait until next year? Windows Insider Program members can download and test some of the Windows 11 Insider Preview builds today new functions, as widgets, snap layouts, virtual desktops and the new Microsoft Store. We tell you how below. For your download, here is everything you need to know about the new software from Microsoft.

First, to see if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11, you can: check in a few different ways. And if you buy a new PC between now and general release, that computer is also eligible for the free upgrade.

If you haven’t updated to Windows 10 yet, don’t worry – there’s a trick for it Download Windows 10 for free that still works. Now would be a great time to make the switch to prepare your machine for the Windows 11 upgrade. That trick is the same one you use if you want to manually upgrade an older machine to Windows 11, although Microsoft doesn’t encourage it as it may not be eligible for the same updates.

However, keep in mind that the Windows 11 rollout is slow — it may take months to be available on your device. New PCs will get the upgrade first, and all compatible devices are expected to receive it by mid-2022, depending on the age and hardware of the device.

Windows 11 has a sleek new design, with pastel colors, rounded corners, a new startup sound, and generally a more Mac-like look. The Windows Start menu has been moved from the bottom-left corner of the screen to the center, with app icons in the center next to it. You will find many new desktop tools, such as widgets that can give you information at a glance, and create virtual desktops more easily. And Android apps are integrated into Windows and installable from the Microsoft Store – although that feature won’t be available right away. (View all) the best Windows 11 features and how to use them.)

The update marks the first major change to Microsoft’s operating system since Windows 10 launched in 2015. Rumors of a major Windows redesign circulated over the past year. At the Microsoft Build developer conference on May 25, CEO Satya Nadella said: Microsoft planned to be “one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade,” confirming that 2021 is a major change for the operating system’s 1.3 billion users. And in mid-June, Microsoft quietly announced that it would end of support for Windows 10 in 2025 if leaked images of Windows 11 scatter.

For more, check out everything we wanted to see in Windows 11 but didn’t, and all the major differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11.