{"id":1770535,"date":"2021-10-05T14:34:58","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T14:34:58","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2022-10-06T17:13:24","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T17:13:24","slug":"windows-11-download-and-install-guide","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/windows-11-download-and-install-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows 11 Download and Install Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:3px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ffcfd3\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<div style=\"height:3px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"IMPORTANT\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignCenter underline customh3 swheader\">IMPORTANT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#ffcfd3\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>You have a 10 day grace period<\/strong> <strong>to roll back to Windows 10<\/strong>. If by any chance you want to go back to Windows 10 you can perform the built-in roll back procedure. If you miss the 10-day timeframe, you will need to perform a clean installation of Windows 10.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, we will show you how to\nprepare, download, and install Windows 11 on your PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"#Verify-Windows-11-system-compatibility\"><strong>Verify Windows 11 system compatibility<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Windows-11-minimum-system-requirements\"><strong>Windows 11 minimum system requirements<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Prepare-your-PC\"><strong>Prepare your PC<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Format-boot-drive-as-GPT\"><strong>Format boot drive as GPT<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Turn-on-TPM-enable-UEFI-and-enable-Secure-Boot\"><strong>Turn on TPM, enable UEFI, and enable Secure Boot<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Update-system-drivers\"><strong>Update system drivers<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Back-up-Windows-10\"><strong>Back up Windows 10<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Restoring-files\"><strong>Restoring files<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How-to-download-and-install-Windows-11\"><strong>How to download and install Windows 11<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Windows-update\"><strong>Windows update<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#Use-the-Windows-Media-Creation-Tool\">Use the Windows Media Creation Tool<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Verify-Windows-11-system-compatibility\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Verify Windows 11 system compatibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Microsoft has been more stringent on the\nsystem requirements for Windows 11, so if you want to upgrade from Windows 10\nto Windows 11, you\u2019ll first need to verify that your PC is compatible. The new\nsystem requirements can be a little confusing, so it will take a little bit of\nresearch on your part to find out whether or not your system meets Windows 11\nstandards. For example, suppose your PC meets every requirement (TPM, Secure\nBoot, etc.) but uses a first-generation AMD Ryzen or a seventh-generation Intel\nprocessor. In that case, it won\u2019t be compatible with Windows 11.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Windows-11-minimum-system-requirements\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Windows 11 minimum system requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your Windows computer must meet the minimum requirements to install Windows 11. Unlike Windows 10 and below, Windows 11 is much more specific in its requirements. If any of these aren\u2019t met, you won\u2019t be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The type of processor you have is also important, so you&#8217;ll want to double-check beforehand!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>1GHz (gigahertz) processor with two or more cores on a compatible processor or system on a chip (SoC)&nbsp;<ul><li><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Compatible AMD processors (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-hardware\/design\/minimum\/supported\/windows-11-supported-amd-processors\" target=\"_blank\">Compatible AMD processors<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows-hardware\/design\/minimum\/supported\/windows-11-supported-intel-processors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Compatible Intel processors\u2028 (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Compatible Intel processors<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>4GB of RAM<\/li><li>64GB+ of hard drive space for installation. Microsoft recommends more space for future updates and to enable specific features<\/li><li>UEFI, Secure Boot compatible<\/li><li>TPM version 2.0<\/li><li>720p display with a monitor larger than 9 inches<\/li><li>An internet connection is necessary, as you must create a Microsoft account to complete the OS setup on your PC<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/windows-11-compatibility-guide\/#Windows-11-minimum-system-requirements\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-compatibility-guide-featured-image.jpg);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">Windows 11 Compatibility Guide<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\">Learn more about the hardware and software requirements in our Windows 11 Compatibility Guide.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/pc-processors-explained\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/08\/PC-Processors-Explained-featured-image.png);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">PC Processors Explained<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\">Learn more about PC processors and which are compatible with Windows 11!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Prepare-your-PC\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Prepare your PC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#fff5c7\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>IMPORTANT: <\/strong>If you\u2019re unsure of how to navigate your BIOS, please refer to\nyour motherboard\u2019s user manual or get in touch with your motherboard\nmanufacturer\u2019s support team for assistance. Incorrectly adjusting the settings\ncan lead to system instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After you\u2019ve verified that your system is\nfully compatible, you\u2019ll need to prep your PC so you can install Windows 11.\nThis means formatting your boot drive, updating drivers, and going into your\nBIOS to update some settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Format-boot-drive-as-GPT\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Format boot drive as GPT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your boot drive (typically the C:\/ drive) must have less than three partitions to format as GPT, as it creates a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-create-a-partition-on-mac-and-pc\/#Create-a-partition-on-Windows\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">partition<\/a> explicitly dedicated to Windows 11. Most modern hard drives are already formatted as GPT, but double-check by following the steps below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click the <strong>Windows <\/strong>icon, type \u201cDisk\u201d, then click <strong>Create and format<\/strong> <strong>hard disk partitions<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Right-click the drive that Windows is installed on (boot drive), which is typically labeled <strong>Disk 0<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Click Properties, then click <strong>Volumes<\/strong>. If the Partition style says <strong>GUID Partition Table (GPT)<\/strong>, then you don\u2019t need to partition anything.<ul><li>If you don\u2019t see the Volume tab, go to Device Manager, locate and       right-click the hard drive Windows is installed on (in the disk drives dropdown). Next, select <strong>Properties<\/strong>, click <strong>Volumes<\/strong>, then click <strong>Populate<\/strong>.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-format-an-external-hard-drive-on-windows-10\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2019\/04\/Windows-HD-Hero.png);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How to Format an External Hard Drive on Windows 10<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"> Learn more about how to format a hard drive on Windows 10! <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/GPT-in-Disk-Management.png\" alt=\"GPT in Disk Management\" class=\"wp-image-1770544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/GPT-in-Disk-Management.png 400w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/GPT-in-Disk-Management-264x300.png 264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>GPT in Disk Management<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"How-to-format-boot-drive-as-GPT\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh4 swheader\">How to format boot drive as GPT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#f3f2f1\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>HOW MANY PARTITIONS CAN I HAVE? <\/strong>You can normally create up to <em>four <\/em>partitions on a disk which is formatted as MBR. However, if you need to convert to GPT, you can only have up to three as one new partition is created during the conversion process dedicated to a new EFI system partition. Check out <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/deployment\/mbr-to-gpt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Microsoft\u2019s detailed guide (opens in a new tab)\">Microsoft\u2019s detailed guide<\/a><\/strong> for more information on the MBR2GPT process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your hard drive is still MBR, then you\u2019ll\nneed to format the boot drive as GPT. Running the mbr2gpt commands will convert\nyour boot drive without data loss, which is very handy. The process of running\nthese commands is simple, so follow these steps to convert the hard drive.\nAlso, be sure to watch Microsoft\u2019s in-depth tutorial video below for more\ndetail. Please note that the Creator\u2019s Update must be installed first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click the <strong>Windows <\/strong>icon, type <strong><em>cmd<\/em><\/strong>, then click <strong>Run as Administrator<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Type <strong><em>mbr2gpt \/validate<\/em><\/strong>. This will show you whether or not you can convert your disk.&nbsp;<ul><li>If you can\u2019t convert, double-check Disk Management to see       how many partitions your boot drive currently has.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Type <strong><em>mbr2gpt \/convert<\/em><\/strong> to begin the conversion process.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Once complete, exit out of the command prompt.<\/li><li>Reboot your computer to enter your BIOS.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Navigate to your Boot options and choose <strong>UEFI<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Save the changes and exit the BIOS.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Convert BIOS \/ MBR to UEFI \/ GPT without reformatting - MBR2GPT tool | Prepare for Windows 11\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hfJep4hmg9o?wmode=transparent&amp;rel=0&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Shifting From BIOS to UEFI With Windows 10 &#8212; MBR2GPT Disk Conversion Tool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Turn-on-TPM-enable-UEFI-and-enable-Secure-Boot\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Turn on TPM, enable UEFI, and enable Secure Boot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#f2f1f0\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>CONVERT THE PARTITION FIRST! <\/strong>Before you can enable UEFI or Secure Boot, you\nmust convert one of your OS hard drive\u2019s partitions to GPT as outlined in the\nsteps above. If the partition isn\u2019t converted, you won\u2019t be able to enable UEFI\nor Secure Boot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three settings you need to update are TPM,\nUEFI, and Secure Boot. All of these are essential for you to run Windows 11; if\nthere\u2019s just one that\u2019s disabled, you won\u2019t be able to run the new Windows\noperating system. You can enable all of these within the BIOS. Since each BIOS differs\nslightly, you\u2019ll need to consult your motherboard\u2019s manual for instructions on\nenabling each setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Turn-on-TPM\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Turn on TPM<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s one Windows 11 hardware requirement that many PC users aren\u2019t familiar with, it\u2019s TPM. TPM is short for Trusted Platform Module. Think of it as the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/ilok-license-manager-tutorial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"> iLok system<\/a>. It\u2019s an added layer of protection so that potential malware cannot access any credentials, encryption keys, and other very sensitive user data stored in your system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two types of TPMs available: a\nphysical module installed directly on the motherboard or one that\u2019s built into\nthe processor\u2019s firmware. Depending on your motherboard, you may not need a\nmodule, as it may have a firmware version that you can enable in your BIOS. For\nIntel systems, you will enable PTT. For AMD systems, it\u2019s called fTPM. To\ndetermine whether your PC is TPM capable, click the <strong>Windows <\/strong>icon, then\ntype \u201ctpm.msc\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\" height=\"706\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/TPM-MSC.png\" alt=\"TPM MSC window\" class=\"wp-image-1770546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/TPM-MSC.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/TPM-MSC-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/TPM-MSC-768x542.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>TPM.MSC window<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Convert-to-UEFI\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Convert to UEFI<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)\nis similar to the BIOS, except it\u2019s not as limited. For example, BIOS can only\nboot from hard drives that are 2TB or less, whereas UEFI can boot from hard\ndrives up to nine zettabytes (that\u2019s nine billion terabytes!). It also allows\nyour computer to boot faster, and you can use a keyboard and mouse to navigate.\nBut most importantly, it offers a security feature called Secure Boot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Enable-Secure-Boot\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Enable Secure Boot<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Secure Boot is essentially a security gate. It\nchecks to see if firmware and software have valid and secured digital\nsignatures. If they do, they\u2019re allowed to load. If the credentials or\nsignatures are invalid or not secured, however, they\u2019ll be rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/tpm-and-secure-boot-what-are-they-and-how-do-i-enable-them\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/08\/TPM-SECURE-BOOT-FEATURED-IMAGE.jpg);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">TPM and Secure Boot: What Are They and How Do I Enable Them?<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"> Learn more about what TPM and Secure Boot are and how to enable them on your Windows PC! <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Update-system-drivers\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Update system drivers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have everything enabled and\npartitioned, the next thing you\u2019ll want to do is update all of your system\ndrivers as well as your BIOS. While we haven\u2019t run into any issues, it\u2019s always\ngood practice to regularly check to see if driver updates are needed or not.\nYou can easily update your system drivers by going to the manufacturer\u2019s\nwebsite and finding the latest one available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Updating the BIOS, on the other hand, is\ncritical in upgrading to Windows 11. Oftentimes we don\u2019t think about updating\nit since it\u2019s \u201cout of sight and out of mind.\u201d However, these BIOS updates can have\nan impact on the update process. Sometimes a new feature may be added where you\ncan enable fTPM, or maybe a bug was fixed that caused a specific operation to\nbe blocked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like enabling options and the verbiage\nused, the BIOS update process differs from PC to PC. Some PCs require you to\nupdate it via a thumb drive, while others have dedicated update software that\nwill automatically do it for you. Please take care in updating your BIOS, and\nfollow the update instructions to the letter, as a corrupt installation can\nresult in a device that is permanently unusable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Back-up-Windows-10\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Back up Windows 10<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After you\u2019ve prepared your PC for\ninstallation, you\u2019ll want to back up Windows 10. While there isn\u2019t a hard-and-fast\nrule, it\u2019s highly recommended to have an external hard drive with at least\n500GB worth of space or have a cloud-based solution available. Each has its\npros and cons, so consider that when backing up your files. While backing up\nyour data is good practice in general, this is especially important when\ninstalling a large update\/new OS if something goes wrong during the installation\nprocess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#f2f1f0\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Download the latest driver installers for devices like your graphics card, audio interface, and network adapter (e.g., router). Also, create a list of all the software and applications currently installed. To make things easier, download and install <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.belarc.com\/products_belarc_advisor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Belarc Advisor (opens in a new tab)\">Belarc Advisor<\/a><\/strong>, which will scan your hard drive and create a detailed list of drivers and software installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click the <strong>Windows <\/strong>icon, type then click \u201c<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li><li>Choose <strong>Update &amp; Security<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Select <strong>Backup<\/strong>, click <strong>Add a drive +<\/strong>, then choose the storage device where you will be backing up your files.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Restoring-files\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Restoring files<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If, by any chance, you can\u2019t find a specific\nfolder or file that you backed up, you can get it back via the Control\nPanel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click the <strong>Windows icon<\/strong>, then type \u201c<strong>restore files<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li><li>Select <strong>Restore your files with File History<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Locate the file or folder in question, select it, and click <strong>Restore<\/strong> to save it to its original location.<\/li><li>You can restore it to a different location, like your external hard drive, by right-clicking <strong>Restore<\/strong>, selecting <strong>Restore to<\/strong>, and choosing the new location.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1014\" height=\"802\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/Restore-files.png\" alt=\"Restore files\" class=\"wp-image-1770548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/Restore-files.png 1014w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/Restore-files-300x237.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/09\/Restore-files-768x607.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Restore File History window<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-to-back-up-windows-10\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2018\/10\/Windows-Backup-Hero.png);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How to Back Up Windows 10<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"> Learn more about how to back up and restore files on Windows 10! <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"How-to-download-and-install-Windows-11\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">How to download and install Windows 11<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"background-color:#fff5c7\" class=\"has-background\"><strong>INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED:<\/strong> Your PC must be connected to the Internet\nwhen installing Windows 11, as you will need it during the setup process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Windows-update\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Windows update<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re already using Windows 10, the great\nthing is that Windows 11 will be installed just like any other update. To do\nso, all you need to do is click the <strong>Windows <\/strong>icon on the taskbar, type\nand then click \u201c<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u201d. After that, select <strong>Update &amp; Security<\/strong>\nand click <strong>Check for Updates<\/strong>. From there, it\u2019s just a matter of\ndownloading and installing it just like you would any other Windows 10 update.\nBe sure not to turn off your computer at any point during the process, as this\ncan result in a corrupt installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"Use-the-Windows-Media-Creation-Tool\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Use the Windows Media Creation Tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way you can install Windows 11 is by\nusing the Windows media creation tool. This method is often used when you need\nto perform a clean install or if you need to roll back to an earlier build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Go to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/software-download\" target=\"_blank\">Microsoft website<\/a> and download the Windows 11 installation media tool.<\/li><li>Navigate to your <em>Downloads <\/em>folder, then locate and double-click the <strong>.iso<\/strong> file. Once the .iso is mounted, double-click <strong>setup.exe <\/strong>to begin the installation process.<\/li><li>Once you see the \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d window,  choose <strong>Upgrade my PC<\/strong>, and then click <strong>Next<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Follow the on-screen prompts, then, once the \u201cChange what you want to keep\u201d window appears, select <strong>Keep personal files and apps<\/strong>, <strong>Keep personal files only<\/strong>, or <strong>Nothing<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Once you\u2019re ready, select <strong>Install<\/strong>. The process will take a little while and your PC will restart a few times.<ul><li>Do <strong>NOT <\/strong>turn off your PC at any time during the installation process.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1770843,"template":"","categories":[2,350443],"tags":[271174,342440,88806,345566],"storecat":[],"itemids":[],"manufacturers":[33542],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article, we will show you how to prepare, download, and install Windows 11 for your PC. 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