A few months ago, Microsoft officially announced Windows 11, the next major iteration to its Windows operating system. The company does plan on rolling it out at the end of the year, but in the meantime they have also decided to roll out the beta for the public and developers to test ahead of time.
If you’re excited about what Windows 11 will be bringing to the table, like the ability to run Android apps, then here’s what you need to do in order to download and install the Windows 11 beta on your computer.
Check If Your PC Meets The Hardware Requirements
Obviously in order to run Windows 11, your PC will need to meet certain hardware requirements. These requirements are according to Microsoft which states that your PC needs to have:
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
- System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
- TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- Graphics card: DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x
- Display: >9″ with HD Resolution (720p)
- Internet connection: Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home
For the most part unless your PC is super old, you should be able to meet the minimum requirements. The only issue would be whether or not your computer has the TPM 2.0 module, which you can find out how to do in our “How To Check If Your Computer Is Windows 11 Ready” article.
Joining The Windows Insider Program
In order to download the beta of Windows 11 or pretty much any pre-release software of Microsoft, you will need to be part of the company’s Insider Program. This is basically a beta program of sorts where you’ll be able to access certain features ahead of the general public to help Microsoft identify bugs and provide feedback.
To join the Insider Program if you aren’t already a member:
- On your Windows 10 PC, go to Settings
- Go to Update & Security and on the navigation bar on the left, select Windows Insider Program
- Click Get started
- Click Link an account
- Choose your Microsoft account or log in with a different one if you prefer
- On the next screen, you will be asked to select your “Channel”. Beta Channel is usually where the releases are more stable and is recommended unless you’re more technical, in which you might then be interested in the Dev Channel. Once you’ve selected your Channel, click Confirm.
- Click Confirm again to agree to the terms and conditions
- You’ll now be asked to restart your PC now or later
Downloading And Installing The Windows 11 Beta
Now that you’re part of the Windows Insider Program, the next step would be to actually download the Windows 11 beta onto your computer.
- Go to Settings
- Go to Update & Security
- Select the Windows Update tab and click “Check for updates”
- You should now see an update called “Windows 11 Insider Preview” which will start downloading
- Once it’s finished downloading, you’ll be prompted to restart your PC
- Once your PC is restarted, the Windows 11 beta will be installed and you’re good to go
Filed in . Read more about Microsoft, Windows and Windows 11.