To be clear, the best time to evaluate compatibility is before you upgrade. But 'most' is not 'all,' and you'll be unable to get any work done while you're undoing the upgrade and restoring your system to its previous operating system. Your critical hardware and software might not be compatibleīecause Windows 11 is, at its heart, a feature upgrade to Windows 10, most devices and apps that are compatible with Windows 10 should work after the upgrade. Do you use a docking station with a laptop? Do you use multiple monitors? If so, the changes in Windows 11 are a substantial improvement over their Windows 10 equivalent, and the upgrade will probably be a positive one for you. Of course, this factor works in reverse, too. If anything on that list is a must-have item for you, consider postponing the upgrade. There's a lengthy list of features removed or deprecated in Windows 11. What's new in Windows 11? What are its minimum hardware requirements? When will your PC be eligible for the upgrade? We've got the answers to your questions.

I mean, they really, really, really love it, and they're concerned about some aspects of the user experience that have changed in Windows 11. Some people love the way Windows 10 works. (For details, see my Windows 11 FAQ: Our upgrade guide and everything else you need to know, under the heading 'What happens if my system doesn't meet the minimum system requirements?') You might lose features you rely on On those older PCs, you still have the opportunity to move to Windows 11, but you'll have to do so the hard way, by downloading installation files, performing a clean install, and then restoring your programs and data. If your PC has a 7th Generation (or earlier) Intel CPU, its CPU is unsupported, which means you won't be offered an upgrade at all.

The biggest hurdle is the CPU compatibility requirement, which rules out most PCs that were designed before 2019.

Most people will do just fine off sticking with the OS, hardware drivers, and utility software that their PC was designed to use.įor older PCs, the story is complicated by the hardware requirements for Windows 11. If that's the case, you have the option to downgrade to Windows 10, but I don't recommend it. If your PC is brand new, it might have come with Windows 11 preinstalled. Your hardware might not support Windows 11

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