Windows 11 is Microsoft’s latest operating system. While it’s been available since October 2021, Microsoft is still offering it for free for now.
If you want to take advantage of the free upgrade, keep reading to find out how to get Windows 11 for free.
How to Get Windows 11 Through the Windows 10 Update
Easily, the most simple and efficient way to get Windows 11 for free is to upgrade your Windows 10 PC through Windows Update. To do this, you’ll first need to check that your computer’s specs meets the minimum requirements through the PC Health Check Tool.
Simply search PC Health Check on the Start menu and open the app. Click the Check now button on the PC Health Check app to see if your computer is ready for the update.
Once you’re sure your computer is ready for the Windows 11 update, open up the Settings app and navigate to the Windows Update tab. Now click on Check for Updates.
If Windows 11 is available through the update, then it will show up and be ready for you to install.
How to Get Windows 11 Through the Windows Installation Assistant
If you’ve checked for updates and Microsoft doesn’t offer Windows 11 through an update, it may not be available to your device quite yet. But if you’d rather not wait for it to become available, you can easily install Windows 11 through the Windows Installation Assistant.
First, go to Microsoft’s website to grab the Windows Installation Assistant by clicking the Download Now button.
Once the file downloads, open it up and follow the instructions to upgrade to Windows 11.
How to Get Windows 11 Manually Through the Windows 11 Installation Media
Another way to get Windows 11 is by making a bootable drive with the Windows 11 Installation Media tool. Start by going to Microsoft’s website and downloading the tool under the Create Windows 11 Installation Media heading.
Once you open the Media Creation Tool, click Accept.
On the next page, you’ll probably want to use the recommended options for your PC, so make sure the box is checked and select Next.
Now pick the USB flash drive option, and click Next again. Pick your flash drive from the list and let the Media Creation Tool download and install the Windows image.
Once it’s done, you should have a bootable flash drive that can install Windows 11.
How to Get Windows 11 Manually With a Windows 11 ISO
If you’re an advanced user, and you’d rather install Windows 11 manually with an ISO, you can do it with a tool called Rufus. Rufus allows you to create bootable USB flash drives. It’s a powerful alternative to using the Media Creation Tool, as it allows you the option to install different flavors of Windows 11, such as the Extended Windows 11 Installation and Windows 11 To Go.
The Extended Windows 11 Installation allows you to bypass Windows 11’s TPM and Secure Boot requirements, while the Windows To Go creates a portable version of Windows that you can put on an external hard drive or flash drive. It also allows you more control over installation options, such as creating an installation disk for MBR and GPT partition schemes.
To start, grab a copy of the Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft’s download page. Under Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO), select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO) from the drop-down list and click Download.
Now you’ll need to grab Rufus from the Rufus website.
Open Rufus. First, pick your flash drive from the drop-down list, and then click Select to choose the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded from Microsoft.
Next, choose an Image option (Standard, Extended, or To Go) and select the Partition Scheme.
Finally, click Start and Rufus will turn your flash drive into a bootable drive.
Now you can install Windows 11 and activate it on any computer that comes with an activation key for Windows 7, 8.1, 10, or 11.
