Guide to Windows Update, ISOs, and more

Emma Watson

3 years ago

table of contents

Windows 11 is here and it brings with it a lot of questions. Windows upgrades aren’t usually nonsense, but Windows 11 has brought with it a higher standard for hardware compatibility. This means that the actual installation of the Windows 11 update, although free like the Windows 10 update, is a little more difficult. There is some flexibility in hardware requirements, however, even though you may not have a system that looks suitable on paper. Here is our full guide on how to install Windows 11 now.

See also: Everything you need to know about Windows 11

System requirements for Windows 11: Will my PC run Windows 11?

Windows 11 has stricter minimum eligibility requirements than Windows 10. Microsoft has updated the Windows 11 system requirements a few times and will likely give them a little more flexibility. It won’t stop you from manually installing Windows 11 on older systems as long as they meet these system requirements, but it will raise the bar for updates via Windows Update.

For now, here are the absolute minimum system requirements to install Windows 11:

System requirements for Windows 11
processor	1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system-on-a-chip (SoC)
R.A.M.	4 gigabytes (GB)
storage	64 GB or larger storage device
System firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM	Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
graphic card	Compatible with DirectX 12 or higher with WDDM 2.0 driver
advertisement	High definition display (720p) with a diagonal of more than 9 inches, 8 bits per color channel
Internet connection and Microsoft account	Windows 11 Home Edition requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account
Current Windows version	Windows 10, version 2004 or higher

If you want the official upgrade via Windows Update, you will still need an Intel 8th CPU. You will also need at least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Microsoft offers some apps to help with compatibility and installation in case you can’t get the update through Windows Update. More on this in the next section.

also read: Windows 11 impressions

How to install Windows 11

Windows 11 is now being rolled out to eligible PCs worldwide through Windows Update. If your system meets the minimum requirements listed above, you can proceed with the update. There is a way to verify that your system is eligible for this upgrade just to be sure.

Your system must also have an activated Windows 10 license and be running Windows 10 (version 2004 or higher). You will also need 9 GB of free space to download the update.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to install Windows 11:

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Once downloaded, open the installation file and install the PC Health Checker app.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Open the PC Health Checker app. You may be asked to sign in to your Microsoft account if not. Continue to verify your eligibility for a free upgrade by clicking Check Now.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

The app shows you the eligibility of your system for the free Windows 11 upgrade. You can check the details by clicking “View All Results”.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

If your system is eligible, go to Windows Update. Open it by going to the Settings app and clicking on Update & Security. Keep in mind that this update is a slow rollout so it will take a while for everyone to get it. If you already want to get the update, you should see it when you check for updates.

If you don’t see the update, you can bypass the waiting time by downloading Microsoft’s Windows 11 installation wizard. Run the app. It will check the system requirements again and then show you the license terms.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

The update will be downloaded. Wait for the update to download and then install.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

After the installation bar is full, you will be prompted to restart your PC to complete the installation. If you ignore the prompt, the wizard will automatically restart your system 30 minutes after the installation percentage reaches 100. So make sure you pay attention and save your work, or at least click “Restart Later”.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

After the restart, the process will continue like any other new Windows operating system startup setup. The update will take some time to install and your PC will restart a few times. Follow the process and congratulations, you have successfully installed Windows 11!

also read: 5 big changes in Windows 11

How to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs with an ISO

This process actually consists of three steps. First you need to get a Windows 11 ISO, then you need to create a bootable USB drive, and finally you need to do the actual installation. We split the process up to make it easier.

Download the official Windows 11 ISO

Visit the official Windows 11 ISO website.
Under “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO),” click the “Select Download” drop-down menu and select Windows 11.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Click on the blue “Download” button below. A language selection drop-down menu will appear.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Click on “Confirm”. The download link will appear embedded in a blue button that says “64-bit Download”. Click on it to start the ISO download. Note that this link is valid for 24 hours from the time it was created.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Download a Windows 11 ISO with TPM bypass

Trusted Platform Module, also known as TPM, is one of the most important requirements Microsoft enforces for Windows 11. Older systems may require you to work around this, and there is now a way to do it using Windows 11 ISOs.

Download AveYo’s Universal MediaCreationTool from Github. It’s a compressed zip file.
Unzip the zip file. Run the MediaCreationTool BAT file in the extracted folder by double-clicking it. Windows will mark it as a potentially suspicious file, but click More Info, then click Run Anyway.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

The app will run and show you a popup where you can choose the version you want for the ISO download and build. Click on “11”.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Another popup will appear. Click on “Create ISO”.

Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Give Windows Powershell permission when prompted. The ISO download and build process begins. Note that this procedure uses the old Windows 10 media creation tool, so the progress window shows Windows 10 instead of 11. You can ignore this as the ending ISO is Windows 11 without the TPM checks. Also note that you can click Create USB if you want to save yourself the hassle of using another app.

Related: Why did Microsoft choose Amazon over Google for Windows 11 Android support?

Create a Windows 11 bootable USB drive

Now that we have our ISO, we can create the bootable Windows 11 to install the operating system. You can do this by using the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool. Here are the steps.

Download Rufus. Please choose the latest version.
Click the “SELECT” button next to the “Boot Selection” label. Navigate to your saved Windows 11 ISO file and select it.
Make sure that the label “Partition Scheme” says “GPT” and the label “Target system” says “UEFI (non CSM)”.
Click the “Start” button, then click the “OK” button to confirm. Rufus finishes creating a bootable Windows 11 USB.

You can then use the bootable USB to install the update by opening the setup file from it or booting from the drive using the boot options if your computer starts while the drive is connected.

Since this is an unofficial solution, we recommend that you stick to Microsoft’s official methods for the best experience and avoid any problems. If you choose the other options, you do so at your own risk.

How to install Windows 11. Have fun with the new software from Microsoft!

Source link