Windows 11 is now officially available for download in India and around the world. The new Windows operating system has been released as a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs. It will also come preloaded on new Windows PCs from manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, among others. Windows 11 supports a variety of form factors such as convertibles and 2-in-1 devices alongside traditional desktops and laptops. It also works with a range of silicon from companies including AMD and Intel.
Microsoft is aiming to offer Windows 11 to all eligible Windows 10 devices by the middle of 2022, as announced through a blog post. Meanwhile, the Windows 11 upgrade will initially be available for newer Windows 10 PCs. New PC models from manufacturers including Asus, HP, and Lenovo have started coming with pre-installed Windows 11. More coming soon from partners such as Acer and Dell. Microsoft is also bringing Windows 11 pre-installed to its new range of Surface devices that is coming to the US starting today.
How to get Windows 11 update on an existing PC
Alongside new PCs, Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 for eligible PCs in a phased manner. You can check for the Windows 11 update on your PC by going to the Windows Update section. You can also download Microsoft’s PC Health app on your PC to check whether the machine is eligible to receive the update following its arrival.
If your PC is eligible for getting Windows 11 but the update is yet to arrive, you can get the latest Windows operating system by using Microsoft’s Installation Assistant. You simply need to hit the Download Now button on the Installation Assistant and then follow on-screen instructions.
Microsoft has also provided an option to create a bootable USB drive or DVD from its Windows 11 software page. Additionally, you can create a Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) that will be available on a bootable installation media such as a USB flash drive or DVD to help you install the new Windows version on your machine.
Windows 11 features
Unveiled in June, Windows 11 is designed as Microsoft’s most advanced operating system for PCs. The new version brings a fresh user interface that includes a centrally aligned Start menu and upgraded fonts as well as notification sounds. It also integrates Microsoft Teams to let users connect with others over chat, voice, or video calls. Windows 11 also improves multitasking with Snap Layouts and Groups. It also supports multiple desktops and carries a range of accessibility features such as Narrator, Magnifier, Closed Captions, and Windows Speech Recognition.
For newer form factors, Windows 11 comes with bigger touch targets and includes haptic feedback support for stylus pens including the Surface Slim Pen 2.
There are also dedicated features for PC gamers. These include DirectX 12, an option to turn Auto HDR on and off, and DirectStorage that is claimed to reduce load times and help render detailed and better graphics using an NVMe SSD storage and DirectX 12 GPU.
Microsoft has additionally pre-installed the Xbox app to let users browse, download, and play over 100 PC games. The dedicated app allows access to Xbox Game Pass (membership sold separately) to let gamers get a series of games to play on their PCs.
Alongside regular users, Windows 11 can be experienced by enterprises and students. Microsoft has enabled organisations with the ability to move their teams to the new Windows version through the cloud using Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop.
Windows 11 will also get features including the ability to run Android apps in the future. Microsoft at the launch demonstrated dedicated access to Amazon Appstore within Microsoft Store that will be allow downloading of new Android apps on Windows 11 PCs.