Windows 11is on the way , and if you ’re queer , you may actuallytry it out right now . If you ’d rather wait for polished public version of Microsoft ’s next operating scheme to be bring out , there are some thing you involve to check on your personal computer onward of time to ensure there ’s a smooth and stress - free transition .
Check the System Requirements
Checking the organization requirements for Windows 11 is perhapsmore unmanageable than it should be , because Microsoft write a minimum spec , then pluck it , then waived certain parts of it for the testing period , leaving us all thoroughly bemused about which data processor would be able to execute the new operating organization and which would n’t .
Right now , the list of scheme requirementsincludes a 1GHz or faster CPU , 4 GB of RAM , and 64 GB of store . You ’re also move to need a adaptation 2.0 Trusted Platform Module ( TPM ) , which takes precaution of various security - related duty — TPMs are include on most New motherboards , so you may already have one .
If your desktop or laptop does n’t meet the base reservation , then Microsoft says “ you may not be able to instal Windows 11″—although at the moment it ’s not clean-cut whether the company will get you try anyway . The specs lean is in reality relatively basic , and if your machine does n’t meet the standards , then we might suggest promote your microcomputer .
Windows 11 is on the way.Image: Microsoft
There are some additionalfeature - specific requirementsbeyond the introductory specs , cover parts of the operating system like two - factor authentication ( you ’ll need a PIN , biometric entry method , or a smartphone for this ) . If you want to take advantage ofthe new DirectStorage systemfor games , you ’ll postulate an NVMe SSD as one of your storage drives .
Check Your Files and Backups
When you go through the Windows 11 upgrade process , all of your diligence , file , and folders should still be intact when you land up . That ’s what should happen … and that ’s what will happen , for the majority of user . But you should always have a computer backup of your most important file cabinet and folders somewhere , whether or not you ’re upgrade to a new operating system .
If you ’ve been doing your daily computing without the safety net of backups in shoes , now ’s the clock time to change that . Use the File History tool that comes as part of Windows : From preferences go to Update & Security , then Backup , then click the Add a drive option to choose where you want to save written matter of your files .
Many hoi polloi now deform to cloud storage Robert William Service to keep important single file backed up on the web and synced to multiple devices at once . Google Drive , Dropbox , or OneDrive ( the obvious choice for Windows , as it ’s built in good order in ) are all good option . You ’ll ask to ante up a monthly subscription fee to store a serious number of files , but it ’s commonly good value . The Google Drive desktop software hasjust been updatedto make it well-to-do to use as a backup solution for Windows .
Use the About screen to check your system specs.Screenshot: Windows 10
Even if all your primal files are stored on the web , we ’d urge keep a local copy on an external hard driving as well and updating it once a calendar week or so . Not only does it give you another choice if something fateful should encounter to your swarm storage locker ( or your internet connection ) , it ’s typically much quicker to restore files from a local driving force than download terabytes of information over your broadband connecter .
Check Your Installed Software
It ’s worth noting that not all of the features and native tools of Windows 10 are going to make it to Windows 11 — if there ’s somethingin this listthat you ’ve occur to love and rely on , then you might want to go for off on upgrading to the next operating system until you ’ve find a suitable successor or workaround .
When it comes to checking everything presently installed on your system , just click the Apps entry on the primary Windows preferences pane to see a tilt . you may separate it ground on file sizing and appointment of instalment , so if there are any programs you ’re not really using any more , you might want to get rid of them , especially if they ’re charter up a pile of elbow room — the more space you ’ve got to install Windows 11 , the well .
As with your data file , put in Windows 11 should n’t interfere with your app , but it ’s best to prepare for the worst anyway . verify that you know how to re - download and reinstall all of your most significant software packages ( double - check on license code , download locating , and so on ) , just in case you need to start again from scrape — and verify all your labor , saved games , and the comparable are backed up somewhere .
It’s upgrade time: Do you know where your Dropbox files are?Screenshot: Dropbox
We have n’t heard of any Windows 10 program that ’s travel to refuse to run on Windows 11 , but there ’s always a chance with particularly honest-to-god software . If you regularly trust on a program that has n’t been updated in a few years , you might require to get in touch with the developer to make trusted it ’ll crop with the new operating system — and perhaps hold off on set up Windows 11 until you ’ve confirm .
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Check the apps you’ve got installed on Windows 10.Screenshot: Windows 10
