Microsoft says the change will improve reliability and security. Many of those excluded likely don't yet know this is going to happen, or why. Windows 11's system requirements leave hundreds of millions of users stranded on Windows 10 ( global PC sales exceeded 250 million each year from 2015 to 2017). PCs sold with Windows 11 Home will be more restrictive than an iPhone. Microsoft then tried to placate critics with a promise to expand the list of supported processors, but only a handful of additional Intel processors, and no AMD processors, made the cut. Microsoft then removed the software for improvements until just prior to Windows 11's release. The first Windows 11 preview came alongside a PC Health Check meant to gauge eligibility, but users discovered it was inaccurate.

Will require a Microsoft account and a connection to the Internet to complete setup. Windows 11 Home, the version installed on most consumer PCs, Those who buy a new PC will find another obstacle. They beat the system requirements of cutting-edge PC games like Control and professional applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, but they're not good enough for Windows 11.

This includes flagship processors like Intel's Core i7-7700K and AMD's Ryzen 1800X. Intel processors sold before October of 2017 and all AMD processors sold before late 2017. Windows 11's system requirements are strict: It excludes a large majority of Microsoft officially told users to downgrade. These machines will prompt users to 'please install Windows 10.' Yes, that's right. To add insult to this injury, Microsoft isĮjecting users who installed the preview build of Windows 11 on unsupported machines as part of the Windows Insider Program, which is used to test new Windows builds.

Windows 11 is a free upgrade, but in a break from past releases, Microsoft will exclude hundreds of millions of PCs that run Windows 10. Still, there's a chance your PC will have the update by the time you read this. Some eligible devices may not receive it until mid-2022. The latest version of Microsoft's 36-year-old operating system began its rollout on 5 October 2021.

Windows 11 free upgrade