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Although Microsoft isn’t recommending against this route, it’s possible that some hardware will cause issues, so you might run into a few bugs or Blue Screens of Death. There’s another path, though: The Installation Assistant allows you to install Windows 11 on a compatible PC the moment it releases.
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After that, Microsoft says it’s taking a phased approach, and it expects to have updates out to all compatible PCs by the middle of 2022. New devices that still have Windows 10 installed will be able to upgrade to the new version through Windows Update. If you have a Surface device or a new device from one of Microsoft’s partners, you’ll get Windows 11 when it releases on October 5. That upgrade only applies as long as your PC fits with Microsoft’s minimum requirements - which is already causing a fair share of controversy, especially in regard to the TPM 2.0 requirement. Just like Windows 10 was a free upgrade to Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, Windows 11 will be a free upgrade to Windows 10. You probably have questions about whether you should upgrade, and we have you covered with this look at all the differences between the two. But there are also key under-the-hood changes that set the next generation of Windows apart from the current generation. With the new OS now available on select devices - and through upgrades rolling out from Microsoft - comparing Windows 11 versus Windows 10 has never been more important. Windows 11 marks a big departure from Windows 10 in terms of design, but the two operating systems are very similar under the hood.
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