Windows 10 users worldwide are slowly upgrading their PCs to Windows 11. Now that Windows 10 will reach the end of support shortly, you might be considering upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11. Most of the new computers that we buy today ship with Windows 11. Though Windows 11 is getting traction among users, there are many questions and doubts regarding Windows 11. In this guide, we answer a few of your questions that can help you know Windows 11 better and understand its impact and features. So, let’s find out what you need to know about Windows 11 before you upgrade.
What to know about Windows 11 before upgrading
Before getting into the details of Windows 11, there are minimum system requirements Microsoft has laid out to install Windows 11. If your PC does not reach those requirements, you cannot install Windows 11 on your PC. The system requirements of Windows 11 are:
| Processor: | 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC). |
| Memory: | 4 GB RAM. |
| Storage: | 64 GB or larger storage device. |
| System firmware: | UEFI, Secure Boot capable. |
| TPM: | Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement. |
| Graphics card: | Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver. |
| Display Resolution: | High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. |
| Internet connection: | Microsoft account and internet connectivity are required for set-up for Windows 11 Home. |
If your PC meets all the system requirements and runs Windows 10, version 2004 or later, you can upgrade it to Windows 11 through Windows Update in the Settings app.
How to check Windows 11 compatibility?
You can check if your PC will be compatible with Windows 11 easily with the PC Health Check tool. It is available to download on Microsoft Store to install on your PC. Once you have downloaded it, you can run it and click on Check now button to find the compatibility. The tool will check your PC and show the results in seconds. If your PC is compatible, you will see This PC can run Windows 11; if not, you will see This PC doesn’t currently meet Windows 11 system requirements with some suggestions to make it compatible.
How to force Windows 11 Update?
There are different ways you can use to force Windows 11 updates. Before that, go to the Settings app on your PC and see if any updates are available to download and install. If there are none, you can use:
- Windows Installation Assistant to download and install Windows 11 automatically
- Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) file manually from Microsoft
- Create a Windows 11 bootable installation media using the Media Creation Tool
You can use any of these three methods according to your convenience and force update Windows 11.
How to bypass TPM 2.0 Windows 11?
You can bypass TPM 2.0 requirements to install Windows 11 in the Registry Editor. To do that, press Win+R on your keyboard to open the Run box. Type Regedit and press Enter. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
In that folder, you need to create two new DWORD files with the below values.
- BypassTPMCheck – 00000001
- BypassSecureBootCheck – 00000001
Then, exit and restart your PC. This would bypass TPM 2.0 on your PC to install Windows 11.
Read: Fix The PC must support the TPM 2.0 error while installing Windows 11
Related:
- How to bypass Windows 11 TPM requirement?
- How to bypass Windows 11 Secure Boot requirement?
- How to bypass Windows 11 Online Account requirements?
How to install Windows 11 on an unsupported CPU?
There are three ways using which you can install Windows 11 on an unsupported CPU. They are:
- Install using Windows 11 Setup.exe
- Clean installation of Windows 11 with a Registry edit
- Create a Windows 11 image to install
You can use one of the three methods to install Windows 11 on an unsupported CPU.
Read: How to reclaim space after upgrading Windows 11 to a newer version
Is it a good idea to get Windows 11?
Windows 11 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. It is a free upgrade to Windows 10. If your PC is compatible with running Windows 11, you should definitely upgrade it to Windows 11 as it has a smooth UI, updated programs, and above all, great performance & security features.
Read: How to get the Windows 11 Feature Updates
What to know before installing Windows 11?
Microsoft lays out a few system requirements for installing and running Windows 11. Your PC must meet them. Also, your PC should be compatible with Windows 11, which can be detected using the PC Health Check-Up tool. If you are good with both, you can upgrade your PC to Windows 11.
Read: Windows 11 hidden features you didn’t know existed
Does Windows 11 slow down your computer?
No. Windows 11 does not slow down your computer. It works smoothly and well compared to previous versions of Windows. However, there are a few exceptions. If you are running the Insider version of Windows 11, you might see a few issues as it is still under testing. And if you have installed Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, you might see your PC slow down, as the minimum system requirements are different for Windows 11 compared to Windows 10.
Read: How much space do you need to install Windows 11?
Why can’t I upgrade to Windows 11?
Your PC might not be compatible with Windows 11 or meet the minimum system requirements for it. Only if it meets these requirements can you upgrade to Windows 11. Also, your PC needs to have Windows 10 version 2004 or later before upgrading to Windows 11.
Read Windows 11 Tutorial for Beginners – Video included!
How to play Android games on Windows 11?
With Windows 11, you can install Android apps and games on Windows 11 and use them without any issues. You can install Amazon Appstore from Microsoft Store and download games on it. Then, you can use play them on Windows 11. Also, you can use Android emulators like BlueStacks to install and play Android games on Windows.
Read: How to run Google Play Store Android apps on Windows 11
Which is better Windows 10 or Windows 11?
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 are good. Windows 11 comes with new security features & capabilities like installing and running Android apps, improved features on applications, Clean and smooth UI, speedy running of PC, etc. Also, Windows 11 is the new operating system and an upgrade from the previous Windows 10.
How to downgrade Windows 11?
If you haven’t liked the experience of using Windows 11 and want to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10, you can do it easily using the Recovery options in the Settings app.
Rollback is now called Go back in Windows 11. Here’s how you can Go back or downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10:
- Open the Settings app using Win+I
- Click on Windows Update in the left sidebar
- Click on Advanced options
- Scroll down to find Recovery under Additional options.
- Now under Recovery options, you will see Go back. Click on it and follow the on-screen instructions to downgrade your Windows 11 to Windows 10.
Read: How to downgrade Windows 11 to earlier build or version
What is Windows 11 in S mode?
Windows 11 in S mode is a lighter version of Windows 11, which runs apps in a sandboxed environment. It is more secure and handles the performance requirements in a much better way as compared to the normal Windows 11 mode. It is designed for superior performance with Microsoft–verified security, Microsoft Store, and Microsoft Edge-only support.
How to get out of S mode Windows 11?
It is an easy process to get out of S mode in Windows 11. You can do it in the Settings app. Open the Settings app on your PC and find the Activation tab in the System menu and click on it. Then, under the Switch to Windows 11 Pro section, click on Go to the store. Now, you will see Switch out of S mode or a similar page on Microsoft Store. Select Get. It will get your Windows 11 out of S mode.
How to factory reset Windows 11?
You can factory reset Windows 11 from the Settings app as well as using the Command Prompt.
To factory reset Windows 11 from the Settings app,
- Open the Settings app from the Start menu.
- Then, click on Windows Update on the left sidebar
- Click on Advanced options and select Recovery
- Then, under Recovery, click on Restart now beside Advanced startup.
- Your PC will restart and you will see options to Troubleshoot. Select Factory Image Restore and follow the on-screen wizard to complete the process.
Related reads:
- Windows 11 Tips and Tricks to help you get the best out of its features
- Windows 11 Keyboard shortcuts you should know.
