Whether you just bought a new laptop or you want to update an older device, the Windows 11 Installation Assistant can help you skip the line for Microsoft’s new operating system.
You might be able to get Windows 11 even faster than Microsoft originally projected. Last month, Microsoft reported that users are upgrading to Windows 11 at twice the rate that they did for Windows 10. The company’s new operating system has been rolling out to eligible devices earlier ever since Microsoft launched its new operating system on Oct. 5. Everyone using Windows 10 can upgrade for free if they have a compatible computer, but a lot of people are still waiting for the opportunity.
Microsoft is rolling out the OS in phases, so your system might not prompt you to upgrade just yet — in fact, you might not find it even if you tell your computer to check for updates. Last August, Microsoft estimated that “all eligible devices [will] be offered the free upgrade to Windows 11 by mid-2022,” but now Microsoft has said Windows 11 is “beginning to enter its final phase of availability,” which puts the company ahead of its initial mid-2022 plan.
Even with the changed timeline, it’s OK if you still don’t want to wait! Read on to find out how the Windows 11 Installation Assistant is your shortcut to Windows 11.
If you’re not in a rush, the Windows 11 update will be pushed to your device at some point in the coming months when Microsoft’s data indicates the upgrade is ready for that device. When the new OS is available to you, the upgrade process will feel similar to a normal Windows 10 update, as long as your device is compatible and meets the minimum requirements. (And even if it doesn’t, Microsoft will offer a workaround, but in that case your Windows 11 installation won’t be supported by the company.)
Read more: Windows 11 review: Familiar but fresh
In the meanwhile, you still have the option to manually download Windows 11 and check out its new features, such as widgets, snap layouts, virtual desktops and the new Microsoft Store. We’ll tell you how below. Before your download, here’s everything you need to know about Microsoft’s new software.
What’s in Windows 11
Windows 11 features a streamlined new design, with pastel colors, rounded corners, a new startup sound and overall a more Mac-like look. The Windows Start menu has 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 of new desktop tools, like widgets that can give you at-a-glance information, and easier virtual desktop creation. And Android apps will be integrated into Windows and installable from the Microsoft Store — though that feature won’t be available right away. (Check out all of the best Windows 11 features and how to use them.)
The update marks the first major change to Microsoft’s operating system since Windows 10 launched in 2015. Rumors about a major Windows redesign have been circulating for the past year. At the Microsoft Build developers conference on May 25 last year, CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft 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 would end support for Windows 10 in 2025 as leaked images of Windows 11 spread.
For more, check out everything we wanted to see in Windows 11 but didn’t, and all of the big differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11.
