Since Windows 10 was retired on October 14th, many are wondering how to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, unaware of the minimum requirements to be met and also of the related procedure to follow. The update in question is important to continue to have a secure, functional and fluid operating system, designed to better integrate with cloud services and new generations of hardware. To make the transition correctly and without running into problems of any kind, it is important to make sure that your PC fully meets the requirements necessary to install Windows 11 (we will list them all shortly) and make a backup of your data, so as to avoid any loss of the latter. After that it will be possible to proceed with the actual installation of the update.
What to do before starting: the minimum requirements
To go into detail, the installation of Windows 11 can be performed as long as the following minimum requirements are met.
- Processor: at least 1 GHz with two or more cores, based on 64-bit architecture or on a SoC (System-on-a-Chip), i.e. a single component that integrates CPU, GPU and memory in a single chip.
- RAM: Must be at least 4 GB.
- Storage space: the minimum required is 64 GB, although a higher margin is recommended to accommodate future updates and ensure better performance.
- System firmware: Must be UEFI, which is an evolution of the old BIOS and allows for faster boot times and advanced security features.
- TPM: this is a module that securely manages functions such as data encryption or biometric authentication. To install Windows 11, this component must be the one with the version number 2.0 (if TPM 1.2 is present on your PC, therefore, you will not be able to proceed with the update).
- Graphics card: Must be compatible with DirectX 12 or later and have WDDM 2.0 drivers.
- Screen: must have a minimum HD resolution (720p) and a diagonal of at least 9 inches, with support for 8 bits per color channel.
How to install Windows 11: the procedure to update Windows 10
Once you have ensured that your computer meets the minimum requirements, you can follow the procedure to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Before proceeding with the installation, however, it is always recommended to perform a complete backup of your personal files, even if the system, by default, tries to keep your documents and settings intact. The most convenient option is to use Microsoft OneDrive, the cloud service that allows you to automatically synchronize documents, images and desktop folders. This way, even if something goes wrong during the update, the data will remain accessible online.
Regarding the procedure for switching to Windows 11, it can happen in several ways. The simplest one is the following: open the Start menu and follow the path Settings > Update and security > Windows Update. From here you can select Check for updates to find out if the update has been approved for your PC model. It is important to note that if there are any security or system updates not yet installed on Windows 10, Windows 11 will not appear in the options until the previous ones are completed. After installing them and restarting your computer, you can check the availability of the update again.
When Windows Update reports that your device is ready to receive Windows 11, you can click on the Download and install button. Downloading and installing may take longer than the regular Windows 10 updates you’ve been used to, but you can continue to use your computer in the meantime.
Once everything has been downloaded, the installation can be scheduled at a specific time, for example when you don’t intend to use the PC, in order to avoid interruptions to your workflow. When the update is installed and completed and the PC is restarted, the first time you use Windows 11 you will find a graphically renewed environment, with a cleaner interface, improved window management and new features that aim to simplify daily productivity.
