What is Windows 11 Operating System?
Windows 11 Operating System is an outstanding OS. You might have heard about the term “Windows 11” and because of that you want to know more about it. I will be detailed enough to let you know about it in simple English.
Windows 11 Release Date
Windows 11 is an Operating System released in the year 2021, and it is made for Windows computers. Specifically, Windows 11 Operating system was released by Microsoft on October 5, 2021. It comes with Windows shell. That is the Graphical User Interface (GUI).
When Microsoft announced the release date of the OS on their website and via their YouTube channel, many users of the OS became expectant. Even programmers were patiently waiting. The first four months of its release witnessed massive download and installation.
Operating System
You may be confused on what Operating System is. An Operating System is a software of a computer which makes it to function. Without Operating System, no computer can function. It is the basic thing every computer must have before you start introducing applications and functionalities into it.
To understand the power of Operating Systems, they manage computers hardware and software in general. Their function does not end there because they provide common services to other software that are installed on your computer. Without Operating System, your smartphones cannot function. It is the fundamental part of every computer and smartphone devices. Every computer is like an empty drum without an Operating System.
Operating System Examples
There are many Operating Systems that have been developed and released by many tech companies. In fact, these tech companies are competing to have the higher share of the market.
Examples of Operating systems are:
- Windows Operating System owned by Microsoft
- MacOS Operating System owned by Apple
- Android Operating System owned by Google
- Linux Operating System developed by Linus Torvalds
- iOS owned by Apple for iPhones
Details and Observation on Windows 11 Operating System Computer
Back to Windows 11 which we are discussing, it was developed with higher security feature. So, upgrading your computer to Windows 11 will make it more secure than it was previously. You do not need to fear much because the data you have in your Windows 11 computer are protected.
Windows 11 Operating System was released after its predecessor has been in use for about 6 years. Windows 10 OS was released for public use on July 29, 2015. So, six years after the use of Windows 10 by many people, Windows 11 came into existence. The developers put in a lot of work before the latest release of the newest OS. You will experience that once you succeed in installing the Windows 11 OS on your computer.
When I upgraded my Windows 10 OS computer to Windows 11, one remarkable thing I noticed was the shift in the Start menu. The Start button is positioned at the center instead of the usual left position at the taskbar. That is the thing the developers of the Windows Operating Systems did that I first observed after installation.
More Information on Windows 11
Windows 11 is the latest Windows Operating System (as of November 2022) developed by Microsoft. The Windows 11 Operating System was released in October 2021. As at the time when this article was first published, many Windows computer users that run older versions are trying to upgrade their devices to the newest Windows OS in town.
If you do not understand English language, you may be able to use the Windows 11 software in your own language. I said that because Windows 11 Operating System is available in 110 languages as at the time this article was first published. Microsoft may add more languages as time progresses. So, when you want to upgrade your PC to Windows 11, you can choose your local language if it is available on the list of languages.
What Windows Version Can be Upgraded to Windows 11?
For you to upgrade your computer to Windows 11 OS, it must have been running Windows 10 OS already. You cannot jump from Windows 8.1 to Windows 11, or from Windows 7 to Windows 11.
If for instance your current computer is running Windows 8.1 Operating System, you need to upgrade it to Windows 10 first. It is after this important upgrade that you can then take another step of upgrading to Windows 11. Know that your Windows 10 computer must meet up with the criteria required by Microsoft before you can make the upgrade successfully.
Will All Windows 10 Computers Upgrade to Windows 11?
I have received the above question from Windows 10 users on many occasions. Some are curious to find out if their Personal Computers that are already running Windows 10 can be upgraded to 11 no matter the capacity of their devices. I will answer that here.
A straight answer to the question is that all Windows 10 computers cannot upgrade to Windows 11. The reason is because that PC must meet what Microsoft called Windows 11 criteria before it can get upgraded to the latest Windows 11 OS. If your device fails to meet some of these requirements, it will not be able to get upgraded to Windows 11.
There is what is called compatibility test. It is a test carried out on a device trying to install the latest Windows OS to ascertain if it meets the requirements expected. Microsoft named the app that does the check PC Health Check App.
When you want to install the Windows 11 OS on your PC, the app is prompted to run automatic check on that your device. If it does not meet up to the standard, you will see the information appear on your computer screen informing you that your PC is not qualified for the upgrade you want to make.
What are the Requirements for Upgrade to Windows 11?
One of the things that might have brought you to this blog is because you want to find out the requirements your computer needs to meet before you can successfully install the latest Windows Operating System on it. Let us talk about them:
- Your computer must be running Windows 10 OS
- Your computer should have the capacity to connect to the internet
- That your computer must have at least 4 GB RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Processor of 1GHz or faster is needed
- Your Windows PC must have minimum disc space of 64GB. If it is higher, it is better that way.
- Your computer needs to have a graphics card that is compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with WDDM 2.0 driver
- Your PC firmware should be UEFI and Secure Boot (we can do without this by removing some lines of code from the Windows 11 program before installation. But maintain this standard if you can.)
- Your PC needs to have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 (we can do without this by removing some lines of code from the Windows 11 program before installation. But maintain this standard if you can.)
- Your computer needs to have display of 720P
- Monitor height of 9” or higher is needed.
All these listed points are the major criterial your device needs to meet for the installation of Windows 11 Operating System to be carried out smoothly.
Do I Need to Pay to Upgrade My PC to Windows 11 Operating System?
No, you do not need to pay to upgrade that your computer from Windows 10 to Windows 11 Operating System. It is a free upgrade. That is one thing that Microsoft did that I like so much. Just make your upgrade freely and start enjoying the benefits that the latest Windows version has to offer to the users.
Does Windows 11 Operating System Undergo Additional Updates?
A straight answer to the above question is yes. You may upgrade your computer to the latest Windows OS and after few weeks a new update is made. In that situation, you may need to effect the update on your own computer manually. Once a latest release of the Window 11 Operating System is made available, you see two rotating arrows appear at the Quick Access section of your computer. You can see that in the photo below.
The step you need to take is to click on the icon. The settings section of your Windows 11 will be opened. Click on the Download & Install button for the newest update to be made on your computer.
Please know that your computer needs to be occasionally connected to the internet before you can see any notification once Microsoft makes any new release on that your OS version. Updating the Windows 11 OS when there is a new release improves the functionality of your computer.
It improves your PC security and minimizes bug. Bug in the field of computer is an unexpected error in software and sometimes in hardware. Bugs can slow down the functionality of your device.
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