Is Windows 11 free? – gHacks Tech News

Microsoft officially released its Windows 11 operating system on October 5, 2021. Is Windows 11 free? The question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Windows 11 is free under certain conditions; otherwise, it is available from Microsoft and other retail stores for a price.

Answer: Microsoft customers running an activated Windows 10 installation on a device can upgrade to Windows 11 for free. Windows 11 must be purchased from Microsoft and other retail stores, otherwise.

Is the upgrade to Windows 11 free?

This is the easiest way to find out if Windows 10 is activated:

1. Select Start> Settings.
2. Go to Update & Security> Activation

The page that opens reveals whether the operating system is enabled.

If it indicates that Windows 10 is activated, the upgrade to Windows 11 is free. You can then head to Settings> Update & Security> Windows Update to find out if it is already available on your device.

Microsoft displays an error on the page if the PC does not meet all the system requirements.

If you find that This PC does not currently meet all the system requirements for Windows 11, it cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 with Windows Update. However, there is another way.

Does the free offer to upgrade to Windows 11 have a time limit?

Microsoft hasn’t disclosed if the update has a time limit. When Microsoft released Windows 10, it offered a free one-year upgrade to Windows 10 from original Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices. However, the company did not disable the free upgrade program after the first year, as it is still possible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

Windows 7 and 8.1 devices cannot be upgraded directly to Windows 11. You need to upgrade to Windows 10, which was still possible last time we tested the upgrade path.

An alternative solution for incompatible devices

Please note that Windows 11 has different system requirements than previous versions of Windows, including Windows 10 or Windows 7 / 8.1. Even if the Windows 10 system is activated correctly, it may not be possible to upgrade to Windows 11 for free due to these requirements.

It may still be possible to install Windows 11 on a device that Microsoft refuses to update through Windows Update. Check out our guide on how to install Windows 11 on incompatible devices and how to download Windows 11 on your devices.

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