Tip: always backup your PC before upgrading to a new operating system or at least ensure your important files and documents are saved elsewhere, such as a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox.

With that caveat out the way, if your PC qualifies, this is how you get Windows 11 for free. Windows 11 can be tricked to run on older PCs, but that seems a pointless endeavour because Microsoft is refusing to guarantee access to feature and security updates. But if you have a modern PC and choose to run an older operating system, then you can first get a free Windows 10 upgrade and use that to then jump to Windows 11. If you run Windows 7 / 8 it is highly unlikely your computer meets all these requirements.

Graphics card: DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver.

Security: Enable TPM 2.0, UEFI firmware and Secure Boot capable on your PC.

CPU: 1 GHz or faster with two or more cores.

(Think blurring your background, for example, or tweaking your video to make it look like you’re making eye contact. Not all PCs will support this, but some of you will be able to use new “studio” effects to customize your look on video calls and streams without having to rely on the tools built into third-party apps. If your computer has a touch screen and/or transforms into a tablet, these new gestures - like a swipe up to open the Start menu - may help you get around Windows a little faster.

This feature technically isn’t finished yet - Microsoft refers to it as a “preview” - but Voice Access was built to help people control their computers with spoken words, not keystrokes or mouse clicks.

But in this update, you’ll be able to tell Windows which you’d like to see more of. Right now, Windows 11’s Start menu shows you a mix of files and software it thinks you should see, plus apps you might have “pinned” there for quick access. (A similar feature will arrive in Apple’s macOS Ventura software update in October.) Features like these - which can be hugely helpful to the hard of hearing and people who leave subtitles on all the time - are more common on smartphones than on computers, but that’s thankfully starting to change.

Videos, podcasts, live radio streams - if you’re meant to hear it, Windows 11 will try to transcribe it on-screen for you.

Cost to upgrade to windows 11