The supported Windows 10 devices will be upgraded to Windows 11 for free in 2022

Microsoft has promised at the Windows 11 conference that Windows 10 devices can be upgraded to Windows 11 for free, provided that the devices meet the hardware requirements.

That is, processor support, security chip, and support for secure boot. The device can only be upgraded to Windows 11 when all the above conditions are met.

As for the release time of the official version of Windows 11, Microsoft did not mention it at the press conference, but now Microsoft has revealed that the official version will be released sometime next year.

At that time, supported devices will receive Microsoft’s push to seamlessly upgrade Windows 11, and unsupported devices can only continue to use the Windows 10 version.

Image: Microsoft

According to Microsoft’s official instructions, in the second half of 2021, new laptops equipped with Windows 11 will be launched by Microsoft’s OEM partners.

These devices are directly equipped with the Windows 11 system so they can be used directly after purchase. At this time, Microsoft will not release Windows 11 to older consumers.

By 2022, it is expected that in the first half of the year, Microsoft will begin to push the new version to supported Windows 10 devices, when users receive the upgrade and directly upgrade it seamlessly.

The upgrade process is the same as the Windows 10 version update. All personal files and installed applications on the system will be preserved during the upgrade process.

Part of the system settings may be cleared and need to be reset after the upgrade is complete, but the old and new versions may have large changes in setting items and maybe reset and acceptable.

Although Microsoft will not provide the official version of Windows 11 to old devices during the year, there is no way if you really want to use it in advance.

That is the Windows Insider test program. Microsoft will soon release a beta version of Windows 11 through the test program and allow all consumers to participate.

Even those devices that do not support TPM security chips or processors that do not support them can also be upgraded and used, and the first round of testing should last until the end of this year. It is especially emphasized that if your device does not pass the compatibility test, you can still install the beta version.

That is to say, users can only reinstall the Windows 10 system and continue to use it and cannot upgrade the official version of Windows 11.

Devices that pass the compatibility test can directly use the Windows 11 test version, and exit the test plan before the official version is released, and wait for the official version to be upgraded.