How to install Windows 11 today – DIY in 5 Ep 157

Опубликовано 22 октября 2021, 18:00

Windows 11! What’s new? Who can get it? How do you get it? It's free! It’s been 6 years, since 2015, since Microsoft shipped a major OS update, and we are ready for something new. Windows 11 officially launched October 5th, but not all current PC users have gotten the upgrade yet, and some may not wish to, and we’ll explain why.

A New Look
From the look to behind the scenes optimizations, smaller updates and even improvements with gaming in mind, Windows 11 seems like the next logical evolution for Microsoft. The new look is meant to be simplified, more fluid and more accessible, better to work on a wide variety of devices for a wider variety of users, which makes sense given the hybrid nature of so many PC users’ lifestyles. The Start Menu has moved to the center of the screen and much of the look is “cloud powered” so it dynamically changes depending on the time of day. There are new multitasking features thanks to new Snap layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops - with improvements for those of us who swap from a single display to a multiple display setup regularly. Widgets are back now, so you can customize your feed to your liking, if that’s your thing and there’s an improved health check app as well, where Windows can recommend brightness, power settings and more based on your usage. Microsoft Teams is now integrated into the taskbar in an effort to make us more connected, perhaps another hint that Skype will soon be a thing of the past?

Redesigned Microsoft Store
The Microsoft store is getting an upgrade as well, with a full redesign. All content, including apps, games and entertainment will all be in one place, and you’ll now be able to download Android apps in Windows as well - great news for all the TikTok lovers out there. There’s also now the option for third-party developers to make conventional Win32 desktop apps available - so all in all, ideally that’s loads more apps. Again, here you can see the focus on on-the-go devices meant to suit a hybrid lifestyle.
There’ve been many improvements meant to keep PC gamers firmly invested in the Windows ecosystem, from ease of software access to hardware optimizations. The new Game Pass app will replace the Windows 10 Xbox app, which we can all agree needed a refresh. With AutoHDR, a game with SDR - standard dynamic range - that was built using DirectX11 or higher, can experience HDR - high dynamic range - enhancements. This allows games to render more levels of brightness and more colors to make the graphics really pop in a way they couldn’t otherwise. Fun Fact: This was introduced in Xbox Series X/S consoles and is now here in Windows 11.

DirectStorage
Also introduced in the latest consoles, DirectStorage uses the power and performance of NVMe SSDs to send assets directly to the GPU. This can help to take the load off the CPU and should help dramatically with load times. Note the requirements for DirectStorage: 1TB or greater PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD or newer and a GPU with the DirectX 12 Ultimate spec. DirectStorage is available to Windows 10 users as well, provided you have the hardware and Windows 10 version 1909 and up.

TPM Requirement
Not all Windows 10 machines will be eligible for Windows 11. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a dedicated microcontroller with an integrated cryptographic keys that can either connect to your motherboard or is already on your motherboard and it is required to run Windows 11. Microsoft says most PCs that shipped over the past 5 years can run the TPM 2.0 module required for Windows 11, however not all of them may so check with your motherboard manufacturer.

Phased Rollout
Second, the upgrade to Windows 11 is free and rolling out slowly, first to new eligible devices, then to others based on hardware eligibility, reliability metrics, age of device and other factors. Windows is hoping to have all eligible devices offered the free upgrade by mid-2022. You can find these updates by checking for new updates within your Windows Update settings. If you do not want to wait, and are willing to chance any early hiccups, there is a way to get it. We recommend that you don’t try this on your primary device. Make sure your PC is enrolled in Microsoft’s Insider program and meets the requirements, then you can simply download the Windows 11 Insider Preview build today and test out some of its new features. This build will change as the update starts rolling out to general users according to found bugs, etc., that are customary with any new OS rollout.

So if you’ve already upgraded and want to share your feedback about Microsoft’s latest OS, please do so in the comments. If you’ are trying to upgrade and having difficulty, let us know and hopefully someone from the Kingston team will be able to fly in with the assist.