Here's when you can start testing Windows 11

By Sean Endicott
published

Windows 11 won't arrive until this fall, but you can start testing it next week.

Windows 11 Install
Windows 11 Install (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft just announced Windows 11.
  • The first Insider builds of the new operating system will be avaialble starting next week.
  • Windows 11 has several new features that people will be anxious to try out.
  • Microsoft's Chief Product Officer Panos Panay also shared a special message on YouTube for Windows Insiders.

Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 today. The new operating system has tons of new features, including a new Start menu, new Taskbar, improvements for gaming, widgets, and more. Many are itching to get their hands on the new OS to try it out. Fortunately, people won't have to wait that long to test it.

The Windows Insider Twitter account confirms that the first Windows 11 Insider preview builds will ship next week. The account doesn't specify an exact date, but our senior editor Zac Bowden says that it could potentially be on June 28, 2021.

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A Windows blog post explains what people need to do to get their PCs ready for Insider builds. Notably, Windows 11 has new minimum hardware requirements. You can use the PC Health Check app to see if your system meets the requirements.

While there are new minimum requirements, some people will be able to try out Windows 11 on older hardware. If you were already running Insider builds from the Dev Channel up to June 24, you'll be able to install Windows 11 Insider preivew builds even if your PC doesn't meet system requirements. Microsoft says this is a thank you for sharing feedback through the Insider program.

As you'd expect, using hardware that doesn't meet minimum requirements may result in some bugs and issues.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com (opens in new tab).

22 Comments
  • The PC health check says my device is compatible, but the Insider Program page in Settings tells me it isn't.
  • Same here, I have a SP6
  • Same here! Nice coincidence.
  • of course not. we love you so so much (not), that much that you may get it by next week. that says it all!
  • I have Surface Pro (5th Gen) i5 the PC health says not compatible but I have all the requirement?
  • My Surface Go 2 is showing as incompatible in health check - is that accurate ?
  • Read to the end. It says if you were on the Insider Program you will be able to upgrade with older equipment. I have the same Surface Pro 5. I expect I will be able to upgrade...if I really want to😜
  • I know they're probably different versions of Windows 11 this is this the pro version.
  • the tools need to say why its incompatible....
  • Requires TPM 2.0 enabled
    UEFI with Secure Boot Only supports Intel CPUs that are 8th gen and above :)
  • Well, it's time to leave insider program to block Windows 11 updates. And maybe this site, haha not yet.... We had a good run
  • If you go ahead and select Dev Channel will you get anything from W10? Deciding whether to jump from beta to dev yet?
  • Note that if you're running an Intel Core processor, it must be at least 8th generation. See here for a list of supported CPUs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/support... Amazingly (or not) my Surface Studio 2 is not supported.
  • Thanks for this. My DD is a 7th Gen i7 and I was in the Dev Insider channel. If this article is accurate I would have gotten the "thank you" build but I think it's just time to look at new hardware.
  • Thanks, looks like my Surface Laptop 2 is supported then.
  • Surface Pro X - Health check tells me it is compatible. So i am expecting Windows 11 insider builds next week :)
  • I have the Surface Pro X with the SQ2 chip but PC Health Checker app won't run and says its not compatible....how did you get it to run?
  • Hopefully longtime Insiders using computers without a TPM chip will still be able to test drive Windows 11 in the Insider Program.
  • I have seen a lot of comments about people’s pc’s are of spec for windows 11 but the health scan is saying otherwise. Please be aware of the TPM setting as this is a setting in the bios that is usually automatically set to disabled and will need to be enabled first. You can google more into this but for most users, this is what will be reporting the system requirements are not met. Any further issues I will be happy to see if I can assist.
  • People were able to bypass TPM and UEFI requirements
    When installing the Leaked Build on their OLD Hardwares XDD I think people will just INSTALL it anyways
  • Can't wait to test it
  • It's probably in everyone's best interests that Insiders with currently incompatible hardware do install Windows 11. For instance, my Surface Go has been in the Fast Ring/Dev Channel for years so I'll be getting the upgrade and if a significant number of people do so with the Pentium Gold 4415Y CPU it contains and have no issues then that might make it more likely that that ship will be added to the compatible list.