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Quick Answer

Open Settings > Windows Update and look for the card reading Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready, then click Download and install. On a company-managed work computer that card never appears, because IT releases the upgrade.

How to Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 ​

Applies to: Windows 10 (version 2004 and later), Windows 11
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-07-29

Summary ​

Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on October 14, 2025, and the paid Extended Security Updates program only buys limited extra time. This article shows you how to confirm your PC qualifies for Windows 11, run the upgrade without losing files, undo it within 10 days, and get a company-managed work computer moved across when the upgrade is controlled by IT.

Prerequisites ​

  • A PC running Windows 10 version 2004 or later. Check yours under Settings > System > About, in the Windows specifications section.
  • At least 64 GB of free storage on the drive Windows is installed on.
  • A power adapter connected if you are on a laptop. The upgrade will not start on battery power below 20%.
  • A stable internet connection for the download, which is roughly 4 GB.
  • No admin rights are needed on a personal PC. On a company-managed work computer, see Step 7 — the upgrade is released by IT, and none of the self-service routes will work.

Instructions ​

1. Check Whether Your PC Can Run Windows 11 ​

Microsoft's PC Health Check app gives you a plain yes or no, plus the specific reason for a no. Start here rather than guessing from the age of the machine.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update (Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update).
  2. Look for a panel headed Windows 11. If it is there, click the Check for compatibility link inside it, which downloads PC Health Check. If the panel is missing, download the app from https://aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp instead.
  3. Run the downloaded file, accept the license terms, and click Install, then Finish. The PC Health Check window opens.
  4. At the top of the window, under the heading Introducing Windows 11, click Check now.
  5. Read the result panel:
    • This PC meets Windows 11 requirements — a green tick appears. Go to Step 3.
    • This PC doesn't currently meet Windows 11 system requirements — a red cross appears, with one line per failed check.
  6. Click See all results to see every requirement listed individually, with a tick or cross beside each one.

Note: Write down the exact wording of any failed check. Step 2 explains what each one means, and Step 7 uses that wording in the request you send IT.

2. What the Requirements Actually Mean ​

Two of the Windows 11 requirements fail far more often than the rest, and both of them are firmware settings rather than missing hardware — the capability is usually present and switched off.

RequirementWhat it actually means
TPM 2.0A small security chip on the motherboard that stores encryption keys, your Windows Hello PIN, and BitLocker keys. Nearly every business PC sold since 2016 has one. It is often disabled in firmware from the factory, so a failed check here rarely means new hardware.
Secure BootA firmware setting that refuses to load startup code that has not been digitally signed. Like TPM, the hardware supports it and the setting is switched off. It also requires the drive to use the newer UEFI startup mode rather than legacy BIOS.
ProcessorYour CPU has to appear on Microsoft's supported list — broadly Intel 8th generation and newer, AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and newer. This is the one failure that genuinely means the machine needs replacing.
RAM and storage4 GB of memory and 64 GB of drive capacity. Both are cheap to add on a desktop and often on a laptop too.
Display and graphicsA screen of 9 inches or larger at 720p, and graphics that support DirectX 12. Any machine that passes the processor check passes these.

Important: Turning TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot on means changing settings in the PC's firmware, which sits outside Windows. On a personal PC you reach it by holding Shift while clicking Restart, then choosing Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings. On a work computer that screen is locked with a password held by IT — Step 7 has the wording to request it.

To check what processor you have before running any of this, see How to Check Your Computer's Specs (RAM, CPU, and Storage) on Windows.

3. Back Up Your Files First ​

The upgrade keeps your files, your installed applications, and most of your settings. A backup is insurance against the one thing that does cause loss: an interrupted upgrade.

  1. Open File Explorer and confirm that the folders you care about — Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Downloads — are where you think they are.
  2. If your organization uses OneDrive, click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar notification area, then the gear icon, then Settings. On the Sync and backup tab, click Manage backup and confirm Desktop, Documents, and Pictures are switched on.
  3. Wait for the OneDrive icon to show a green tick rather than the blue circling arrows. The tick means every file has finished uploading.
  4. For anything outside OneDrive — a local project folder, a PST file, a personal archive — copy it to an external drive or a network location now.

Verification: Open OneDrive in a web browser at https://www.office.com and confirm your files are listed there. A backup you have not looked at is not a backup.

Full instructions are in How to Back Up Files and Folders on Windows.

4. Upgrade Through Windows Update ​

This is the supported route and the one Microsoft tests most heavily. Use it whenever it is offered.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update. On Windows 10 the path is Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
  2. Click Check for updates and install every pending Windows 10 update first. Restart if prompted. A fully patched Windows 10 upgrades far more reliably than an out-of-date one.
  3. Return to Windows Update and look for a card headed Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready — and it's free!
  4. Click Download and install.
  5. Read the license terms and click Accept and install. The download begins and the card shows a percentage.
  6. Leave the PC on and plugged in. When the download reaches 100%, the card changes to Restart now. Click it, or let Windows restart the machine outside your active hours.
  7. The PC restarts several times and displays a screen reading Working on updates with a percentage. Do not force a shutdown at any point, however long it sits on one number.
  8. When the PC returns to the sign-in screen, sign in as usual. Windows shows a short setup sequence, then the desktop appears with the new centered taskbar.

Note: Budget 20 to 90 minutes of unattended time, depending on the speed of your drive. A PC with a solid-state drive is usually done in under half an hour. Your files, apps, and desktop shortcuts are all in place when it finishes.

Verification: Open Settings > System > About. Under Windows specifications, the Edition line now reads Windows 11 followed by your edition name.

5. Use the Installation Assistant When Windows Update Does Not Offer It ​

Microsoft releases the upgrade in waves, so a qualifying PC can wait months for the Windows Update card to appear. The Windows 11 Installation Assistant starts the same upgrade on demand.

  1. Confirm first that PC Health Check reported a pass in Step 1. The Installation Assistant refuses to run on a PC that fails the requirements, and finding out at this stage wastes the download.
  2. Open a browser and go to https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11.
  3. Under the heading Windows 11 Installation Assistant, click Download Now. A file named Windows11InstallationAssistant.exe lands in your Downloads folder.
  4. Run the file. A User Account Control prompt appears asking for permission to make changes — click Yes.
  5. The assistant re-checks your hardware and displays the license terms. Click Accept and install.
  6. Watch the three-stage progress display: Downloading Windows 11, Verifying download, then Installing Windows 11. You can keep working through all three stages.
  7. When the assistant shows Your PC needs to restart to install Windows 11, save your work and click Restart now. If you do nothing, it restarts automatically after 30 minutes.
  8. Sign in after the restarts complete. The upgrade is finished.

Tip: If the assistant closes with error 0x8007007f, right-click Windows11InstallationAssistant.exe and select Run as administrator. That error means the assistant could not write to a protected folder.

6. Roll Back to Windows 10 Within 10 Days ​

Windows keeps your previous installation in a folder named C:\Windows.old for 10 days after the upgrade. Within that window, going back is a supported, built-in operation that keeps your files.

  1. Open Settings > System > Recovery.
  2. Find the Recovery options section and look for the entry reading Previous version of Windows, with a Go back button on the right.
  3. Click Go back.
  4. Choose a reason from the list Windows shows, then click Next.
  5. Decline the offer to check for updates by clicking No, thanks.
  6. Read the two information screens, clicking Next on each, then click Go back to Windows 10.
  7. The PC restarts and reverses the upgrade. This takes 10 to 30 minutes and ends at the Windows 10 sign-in screen.

Warning: The Go back button disappears once the 10 days elapse, and it also disappears the moment you run Disk Cleanup and tick Previous Windows installation(s). After that point, returning to Windows 10 means a full reinstall from scratch. Do not clear that item until you are certain you are staying.

7. Request the Upgrade on a Company-Managed Computer ​

On a work computer joined to a company domain or enrolled in Microsoft Intune, the Windows 11 upgrade is released centrally. The Windows Update card in Step 4 never appears, the Installation Assistant is blocked, and this is deliberate — IT stages feature upgrades so that line-of-business applications are tested first.

To find out whether your PC is managed:

  1. Open Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
  2. If a Connected to entry lists your organization's name, the PC is managed and the upgrade is IT's to release.
  3. Note your device name from Settings > System > About, on the Device name line. IT needs it to find your machine.

Then raise a ticket. Tell IT:

"Please schedule my computer for the Windows 11 feature upgrade. Device name: your device name. It is currently on Windows 10, and Windows Update does not offer Windows 11 because the upgrade is managed by policy. PC Health Check reports that the device meets the Windows 11 requirements. Windows 10 is out of mainstream support, so I would like to be added to the next upgrade wave."

If PC Health Check failed on TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot in Step 1, send this instead:

"PC Health Check reports that my computer fails the Windows 11 check on the exact requirement named in the app. Device name: your device name. Both TPM and Secure Boot are firmware settings and the firmware setup screen is password-protected on this device. Please confirm whether these can be enabled remotely or during a bench visit, so the machine can be upgraded rather than replaced."

For help writing the rest of the ticket, see How to Submit an Effective IT Support Ticket.

Troubleshooting ​

WARNING

Do not force a shutdown while the screen reads Working on updates, even if the percentage has not moved for 20 minutes. The upgrade rewrites system files, and interrupting it mid-write is the one reliable way to turn a routine upgrade into an unbootable PC and a lost afternoon.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
No Windows 11 card in Windows Update on a personal PCStaged rollout has not reached youConfirm the PC passes PC Health Check (Step 1), then use the Installation Assistant (Step 5).
No Windows 11 card in Windows Update on a work PCFeature upgrade held by IT policyExpected behavior on a managed device. Send IT the wording in Step 7.
This PC must support TPM 2.0 in PC Health CheckTPM present but disabled in firmwareThe chip is almost certainly there. On a personal PC, enable it in UEFI firmware settings (Step 2); on a work PC, use the second ticket template in Step 7.
The processor isn't currently supported for Windows 11CPU predates Microsoft's supported listThis one is not a settings change. Raise it with IT as a hardware refresh request, quoting the processor name from Settings > System > About.
Upgrade stops at a percentage and rolls itself backIncompatible driver or third-party security softwareInstall every pending Windows 10 update, disconnect docks, printers, and external drives, then retry. See How to Fix Windows 11 Update Failures.
0x80070070 during downloadNot enough free disk spaceFree up at least 64 GB on the Windows drive, then run Check for updates again.
Go back button is missing before 10 days have passedC:\Windows.old was deleted by Disk Cleanup or Storage SenseThe rollback data is gone. Returning to Windows 10 now requires a clean install — raise a ticket before attempting it.