Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11

If your PC hardware is compatible and you're lucky, Windows Update will simply offer you the Windows 11 upgrade on your Windows 10-based PC. But just being compatible with Windows 11 isn't enough for Windows Update to offer you this free upgrade. Your PC also has to be ready to upgrade to Windows 11.

This involves two key requirements you can address:

Your PC must have the latest software updates. Check Windows Update and install any updates that are offered, and reboot as necessary.

Your PC's drivers must be up-to-date and compatible with Windows 11. This one is a bit trickier. Some PCs obtain all of their drivers from Windows Update, but some do not. If your PC maker provides its own app for updating drivers and obtaining service, use that app to make sure the PC has all the latest drivers. Again, install whatever updates are offered, and reboot as necessary.
Key examples of these apps include Dell Update, HP Support Assistant, and Lenovo Vantage/Commercial Vantage.
Deal with safeguard holds
Still not getting the Windows 11 upgrade? Then your PC is likely being held back by what Microsoft calls a safeguard hold. This is a documented known issue---a driver, an incompatible app, or perhaps even an incompatible peripheral---that prevents the Windows 11 upgrade from being offered to you, all in the name of ensuring that you have the best possible experience.

The problem is that safeguard holds aren't particularly transparent: Microsoft doesn't always provide you with a clear list of the issues so you can try and resolve them. And if the safeguard hold is related to non-Microsoft software, drivers, or devices, Microsoft may never tell you what the problem is.
One thing you can try is to unplug unnecessary hardware peripherals that might be blocking the upgrade. The problem here, of course, is that if you're offered the upgrade now, it's possible---unlikely, but possible---that peripheral won't work properly with Windows 11.
But you can at least try to find out whether a safeguard hold is blocking the Windows 11 upgrade. To do so, open Settings (WINKEY + I) and navigate to Update & security > Windows Update. If you see a section titled "Coming soon: Upgrade to Windows 11," you can click the "Learn more" link to view a web page listing a customized summary of any safeguard holds affecting your PC.

If, however, you see a section titled "Get ready for Windows 11," then Microsoft has no safeguard hold to report. That doesn't mean there isn't one. Just that Microsoft has nothing to report.

Indeed, if you click the "Check hardware requirements" link displayed there, you'll be shown this rather unhelpful web page.

Manually upgrade to Windows 11
If Windows Update does not offer you the Windows 11 upgrade, you have a choice to make: you can wait, or you can manually perform the upgrade. And you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't ready to upgrade.

To do so, create USB-based Windows 11 installation media (or a ...

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