Microsoft Will End Windows 10 Support in October 2025: How to Check Windows 11 Compatibility and Upgrade to it
It has already been officially announced that the support for Windows 10 will end this year on the 14th of October 2025 and following which, Microsoft will not be providing any more free updates for it. While the ESU program (extended security updates program) may enable users to receive critical security updates by paying a subscription fee, no other type of updates or support will be offered to Windows 10 users after the support end date.
Users of the Windows 10 devices are best advised to upgrade to Windows 11 to get the best user experience and enjoy free software updates in the future. This article will be taking you through how to check whether your device is Windows 11 compatible and how to install this latest operating system.
How to Check Windows 11 Compatibility
The first and foremost thing to note is that users must make sure that their devices meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11 upgrade and if it does, they will receive it via the Windows update page itself. However, there are instances where even after upgrading with the required hardware, users may not get the update.
The Windows 11 hardware requirements include a compatible 64-bit processor with at least 1 GHz clock speed and 2 cores, 4GB minimum RAM, 64GB minimum storage, UEFI with secure boot capability, TPM version 2.0, graphics card compatible with DirectX 12 or later (+ WDDM 2.0 driver), and 720p display greater than 9″. After meeting these hardware requirements, the recommended and easiest way to check Windows 11 compatibility is using the PC Health Check app. Also, it may take up to 24 hours for the eligibility details to be updated following the PC health check after hardware upgrade.
To add, users can also manually refresh their Windows 11 eligibility assessment too by using Task Scheduler or from an administrative command prompt.
How to Upgrade to Windows 11
To install and upgrade your Windows 10 device to Windows 11, the recommended method is to wait for the official update from Microsoft’s side and download it from the Windows Update page in Settings. Users can check for the update and if it is available, download and install it. Once done, they will be receiving a prompt to restart the device and following the necessary actions, it will be upgraded with the Windows 11 operating system.
However, users can also upgrade to Windows 11 by making use of the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or a Windows 11 Installation Media. With the help of the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, if users meet hardware requirements, the Windows 11 upgrade will be offered before Microsoft actually rolls it out to them. Also, with the Windows 11 installation media (after creating it), users can run it on the current version of Windows or boot the device from the installation media and install a fresh copy of Windows 11.
