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Windows 11 download: The upgrade will be free, and here's how to get it

You'll be able to upgrade to Windows 11 for free if you're already a Windows 10 user, and you can test out an early version now. Use the PC Health Check app to see if your PC will be able to run Microsoft's new operating system.

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Windows 11 will be free to download for Windows 10 users.

Microsoft

Windows 11is on the way, and if you're alreadya Windows 10 user, it will befree to upgradeto Microsoft's newly redesigned operating system. (Find everything you need to know about Windows 11 here)。只要你的电脑满足最低requirements, you'll be able to update to Windows 11 the same way you usually update Windows 10 -- once it starts rolling out during the2021 holiday seasonand into 2022. (While we don't have an exact date yet, Microsoft has dropped some hints that it could arrive as early as October.)

If you're a member of the Windows Insider Program and just can't wait until the final version arrives, you can download the first Windows 11 Insider Preview build today and test out some of thenew features,就像widgets,snap layouts, virtual desktopsand thenew Microsoft Store. We'll tell you how below.

First, to see if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11,check out Microsoft's site for specifications. And if youbuy a new PC between now and the general release, that computer will also be eligible for the free upgrade.

If you haven't updated to Windows 10 yet, don't worry -- there's a trick fordownloading Windows 10 freethat still works. Now would be a good time to make the switch to prepare your machine for the Windows 11 upgrade.

Read more:Android apps coming to Windows 11: Everything we know right now

How to download the Windows 11 Insider Preview build

If you're a member of theWindows Insider Program(you can sign up now for free), you can download the first Insider Preview build of Windows 11 now. However, it's important to note that beta versions, particularly early ones like this, tend to be buggy. You should never download a beta on your primary device, only on a tester device if you have one. For most people, it's best to wait for the public beta to arrive in July, or better yet, the general release later in the year. This first build also does not include every new feature that will eventually arrive with the general release.

Still want to try it out? Here's how.

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Try out new features like widgets in the Windows 11 beta.

Microsoft

1.确保你运行一个授权版本of Windows 10 on your device, and that you're an administrator on the device. Register tojoin the Windows Insider Programif you haven't already. Or sign into your Windows Insider account. ClickStart flighting.

2.Go toSettings >Update & Security >Windows Insider Program.ClickGet Started.

3.UnderPick an account to get started, select+to connect the Microsoft account you registered with and continue.

4.Follow the instructions to choose the experience and channel you want to get Insider Preview builds through: the Dev channel (for developers), the beta channel (for early adopters) or the release preview channel (for those who want to get the latest version just before it's generally released). Note that this build is coming to the Dev channel.

5.Review the Privacy Statement and terms, and clickconfirm. ClickRestart Now.

6.After restarting, make sure your data settings are correct so you can download preview builds. To do this, go toSettings >Privacy>Diagnostics & feedback, and make sure the Optional Diagnostic Data switch is flipped toOn.

7.Go toSettings >Update & Security >Windows Update. Click theCheck for updatesbutton. You should see the latest Insider Preview build based on the settings you selected.

From there, your device should update the same way it would with any other Windows update, and you'll be good to go.

How to download Windows 11 once it's generally available

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Here's how you'll download Windows 11.

Stephen Beacham/CNET

Once Windows 11 becomes available to all Windows users with compatible computers this fall, you'll download it the same way you would with any new version of Windows. Most users will go toSettings > Update & Security > Windows Updateand clickCheck for Updates. If available, you'll seeFeature update to Windows 11. ClickDownload and install.

Windows 11 features a streamlined new design, with pastel colors, rounded corners, a new startup sound and overall a more Mac-like look. TheWindows Start menuhas moved from the bottom left of the screen to the middle, with app icons arranged in the center next to it. You'll find lots ofnew desktop tools,就像widgets that can give you at-a-glance information, and easier virtual desktop creation. AndAndroid apps will be integrated into Windowsand installable from the Microsoft Store. (Check out all ofthe best Windows 11 features and how to use them)。

Now playing:Watch this:Windows 11: Hands-on with an early build
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The update marks the first major change to Microsoft's operating system since Windows 10 launched back in 2015.Rumors about a major Windows redesignhave been circulating for the past year. At the Microsoft Build developers conference on May 25,CEO Satya Nadella saidMicrosoft was planning "one of the most significant updates of Windows of the past decade," confirming that a major change was on the horizon for the 1.3 billion users of the OS in 2021. And in mid-June, Microsoft quietly announced that it wouldend support for Windows 10in 2025 asleaked images of Windows 11spread.

For more, check outeverything we wanted to see in Windows 11 but didn't, andall of the big differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11.