Windows 11 has had a rather troubled beginning since Microsoft first introduced the latest iteration of its flagship operating system back in October 2021. After a promising start that saw high levels of update while offering staggered availability to select users, the Windows 11 download rate slowed, and also some Windows 11 updates have had to be pulled. The software giant has kept plugging away, however, and has taken a huge step towards pumping those Windows 11 numbers again because Windows 11 is now available to everyone.
Now seven months old, Windows 11 was originally released as an optional upgrade that was only available to certain users at a time. Whether you qualified for the update or not depended on hardware capabilities with owners of lower-end machines having to wait longer to gain access to it. This has now changed as Microsoft has now declared Windows 11 ready for broad deployment and has designated it as such.
Users looking to install or upgrade to the new operating system will still have to meet minimum system requirements, but Microsoft’s new designation means Windows 11 is available to every device that is capable of running it. To check whether your device meets the minimum requirements and therefore has access to Windows 11 you will have to run the Windows PC Health Check app.
If your PC passes all the tests and is powerful enough to run Windows 11 then you are free to download it and upgrade your system. Microsoft has even created a Windows 11 Upgrade Experience video to help walk you through the process.
As mentioned earlier, Windows 11 has had a pretty rocky run so far, so just because you can download and install it doesn’t necessarily mean you should. You need to think hard about upgrading now is right for you.
As well as the problems, however, Microsoft has been working hard developing Windows 11 and the experience that comes with it. As well as new Windows 11 gaming features, Microsoft also seems to be working on a new Microsoft Designer app, although it is not yet clear as to whether that will be a Windows 11 app or will be available more broadly.
Either way, the important thing is that Windows 11 is now available for everybody to download. If you are a big Windows fan and that is good news for you, you may want to check out our guide to performing a clean install of Windows 11.
Image via: Microsoft
