A free upgrade to Windows 11 will be directly accessible through Windows Update as a typical installation. Microsoft may adopt a similar approach for Windows 11, providing a seamless upgrade for all existing Windows 10 devices. That's seen Windows 10 steadily evolve, now vastly improved, compared to those first versions. After that, it issued seasonal updates to Windows 10 regularly, adopting an approach dubbed 'Windows as a Service.' Unlike previous Windows iterations, later superseded by full-fledged successors, Microsoft rapidly built upon foundations established in 2015.

If you buy a new Windows 11 computer after the OS is generally released, you should be prompted to connect to the internet when you're setting it up.įor more, check out how Windows 11 compares with Windows 10, everything to know about making the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and all the Windows 11 features we wanted but didn't get.Windows 10 was famously coined as the ' last version of Windows,' with free upgrades initially offered to Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. If you're downloading Windows 11 on your current computer, just make sure you're connected to the internet before you start the process. However, after you connect for the initial setup, you don't have to connect again if you don't want to (though you should to get important security updates that prevent vulnerabilities). This requirement may pose a problem for those who lack easy internet access. You'll also need the internet to perform future updates and to take advantage of some of the new Windows 11 features, according to Microsoft. The reason for this is that Windows 11 will primarily be delivered as a Windows Update, much like newer versions of Windows 10 have been. To download Windows 11 Home (and to create a Microsoft account), you'll also need to be connected to the internet.

You need to have an internet connection to set up Windows 11.

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