We have Windows 11 installed on our systems. So, the things mentioned hereon include both what we have experienced and what we have gathered through the official Windows 11 announcement.
Windows 11: Everything you need to know
When will Windows 11 release? And is the Windows 11 upgrade free?Windows 11 System RequirementsHow to download and install Windows 11Best Windows 11 Features and Changes
Windows 11 released for free
Microsoft has released the stable version of Windows 11 on October 05. Still, its beta builds should be available to Windows Insiders. You can sign up for the Windows Insider Program here. If you don’t want to risk flashing this pre-release software, you can wait until Windows 11 is readily available as an update or with your next laptop purchase. Windows 10 Users would get this upgrade for free. Also note that recently Microsoft updated the Windows 10 end of support date to be October 14, 2025. Therefore, current Windows 10 users have enough time to postpone the upgrade if they wish so for some reason.
Windows 11 System Requirements?
You can check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11 update with this PC Health Checkup tool or better WhyNotWin11. In its official blog, Microsoft notes, “devices running on Intel 8th generation processors and AMD Zen 2 as well as Qualcomm 7 and 8 Series” as the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. “After carefully analyzing the first generation of AMD Zen processors in partnership with AMD, together we concluded that there are no additions to the supported CPU list,” states the company in a blog post. Also, regarding TPM, a company document reads, “Upon approval from Microsoft, OEM systems for special purpose commercial systems, custom order, and customer systems with a custom image are not required to ship with a TPM support enabled”. This would cover machines shipped to markets like Russia and China, where TPM and equivalent encryption systems are restricted. As for customers in the rest of the world, including India, TPM 2.0 or a specific CPU is not required for testing the Insider builds.
How to download and install Windows 11 (Unsupported hardware as well)
Microsoft released the first Insider Preview of Windows 11 on June 28, 2021. It is available through the Windows Update section in the Settings. If you are part of the Windows Insider Dev Channel, you can tap on Check for Updates, download the release, install it, and restart the device. The version we installed on our testing laptop is Dev build v.22000.51. Before you proceed, do note that it would be buggy. You can check out the known issues of Windows 11 Insider Preview here. In Microsoft’s own words, “This is prerelease software. Windows Insider Preview builds may be substantially modified before they are commercially released”. And so we won’t recommend installing it on your daily driver. That said, here’s the official download link of the Windows 11 Insider Preview build. You just need to be signed in to your Windows Insider account and thereafter choose between Dev Channel or Beta Channel to download the Windows 11 ISO File. Having that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get to the procedure. You can use the Rufus tool to boot it from a pen drive by the following steps:
Run Rufus PortableEnsure your pen drive is shown under Device tab in RufusSelect the ISO file from your download locationPress Start
It will take some time for the bootable USB to be ready. And once it is, eject the pen drive and use it to flash Windows 11 on the laptop of your choice. Follow this guide to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware: And finally, here’s everything new on the Windows 11 —
Best Windows 11 Features and Changes
1. Windows 11: New OOBE
The out of the box experience has got a facelift. Although it is visually pleasing, I find some of the options mandatory, which were earlier skippable. This includes connecting to a network (WiFi), signing in to a Microsoft account, and setting up a PIN.
2. Windows 11 Centered Start Menu and Search Window
The Start Menu and Search Window are centered just like the taskbar icons. You can align these back to the left-hand side if that’s what you prefer. There’s also a search bar within the Start menu. ALSO READ: Windows 11 adds Dynamic Refresh Rate for better battery life in laptops
3. Windows 11 Taskbar and Action Center
There are new options in the taskbar settings such as showing/hiding buttons like Widgets, Desktop, Task View, and Search. The icons in the action center now have slightly rounded corners.
4. Windows 11 Task View
The Windows Task View also has been redesigned.
5. Windows 11 Snap Controls
It seems multitasking will be a tad bit easier with the new snap controls that are accessible by hovering over the maximize button on all app windows. It lets you quickly snap windows in varied forms. You can also save a bunch of snap windows as “Snap Group” which can be accessed later from the taskbar. ALSO READ: Best Android 12 features: What’s new in the latest version
6. Windows 11 Widgets
Microsoft News has been reworked into Widgets which offers a quick glance at the news, weather updates, sports scores, etc. Neat!
7. Windows 11 New Wallpapers, Icons, and Sounds
Whence you open File Explorer, you’d notice the new icons for common libraries. Well, several icons seems to have gotten this overhaul. It’s not just icons, but Windows 11 also brings new sounds (including startup tone), and wallpapers. There’s option to set different wallpapers for multiple desktops. You can download all the new Windows 11 wallpapers here.
8. Windows 11 Gaming
Windows 11 also sees a tighter integration of Xbox Game Pass (with 100+ games) through the Xbox app and xCloud for cloud gaming. There are various new perks like Auto HDR enhancement, Direct storage API which enables games to use Graphics cards directly, ALSO READ: Google Photos Alternatives in India: All Plans and Pricing Details
9. Windows 11 Docking
If you use an external monitor for the purposes of work or play, Windows 11 remembers the window locations based on monitor connection and minimizes windows when the external monitor is disconnected. Later when you re-dock it, all the windows will be displayed the way you had them before. The settings for Rearrange Multiple Displays are present within System > Display > Multiple Displays.
10. Windows 11 Tablet Mode
Tablet mode on Windows 11 looks more seamless and handy. There are new features like a floating and more featured keyboard, voice typing, haptic feedback with Stylus, bigger touch targets, and more convenient multitasking on both horizontal and vertical orientations. ALSO READ: Here’s the complete list of Windows 11 shortcuts to make your work/life easier!
11. Windows 11 Store
Microsoft CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella has promised the new store will “unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators”. Mr. Panay corroborated this by saying, “We want you to bring any technology”. This will definitely increase the number of app options for the user. We are sure to find more features and changes as we start using the official Windows 11 release. For instance, while using, we had found the combined clipboard and emoji panel as well as the new Windows Terminal. Also, with eventual updates, the experience is expected to get better. We will be updating how it goes here. So, keep this page bookmarked for every news, tips, tricks, and detail related to Windows 11.
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