Updated September 8, 2026 · By Ryan Bold
If Windows Update offers Windows 11 to your compatible Windows 10 PC, you can upgrade through Settings. This guide follows that route from preparation to checking your restored desktop. It does not use a requirements bypass or walk you through erasing a disk for a clean installation.
Windows 11 is not supported on every device. An installer opening successfully does not prove that your hardware, drivers or applications are supported. Microsoft recommends waiting for the upgrade to be offered through Windows Update.
Check compatibility and recovery first
Run Microsoft’s PC Health Check and compare its result with the Windows 11 requirements. Processor eligibility, TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot capability matter as well as storage and memory. Use your manufacturer’s instructions for a reported firmware issue; do not reset TPM or change storage mode by guesswork.
Before starting, make an independent backup and open important files from it. Save your device-encryption recovery information where it remains accessible without this PC. Record the sign-in information, application licences and installers you will need, without putting passwords in a public or shared checklist.
Choose a time when you can leave the computer connected to power. An upgrade is intended to preserve the existing setup, but a failed disk or interrupted process can still require recovery. A backup that you have never opened is a weak basis for proceeding.
Upgrade through Windows Update
The sequence below follows Microsoft’s supported installation guidance:
- In Windows 10, open Start → Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update and select Check for updates.
- Install any pending updates for your current Windows version, restart if requested and check again.
- When the Windows 11 offer appears, select Download and install. Read the licence terms and choose Accept and install if you agree.
- Wait for the download and installation progress to reach the restart stage. Save and close your work, then select Restart now.
- Allow the computer to complete its restarts. At the Windows sign-in screen, sign in to finish the upgrade.
If Windows 11 is not offered, stop at that point. Eligibility, availability and a known compatibility hold are different conditions. Use the reason reported by PC Health Check or Windows Update to choose your next step. A “What needs your attention” message calls for resolving the named issue, not repeatedly forcing installation.
A readiness sheet that catches practical gaps
Consider a fictional household PC used for school documents, a USB printer and a password manager. A successful upgrade is not enough if the printer no longer works or the documents are still on an inaccessible old drive. Before upgrading, fill out this short record for your own setup:
| Item | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|
| Upgrade eligibility | PC Health Check result and the Windows Update offer for this machine. |
| Files | Backup location and the names of a few files successfully opened from it. |
| Recovery access | Where the encryption recovery information and account recovery methods can be accessed securely. |
| Essential applications | The programs needed on the next working day and how their data is restored. |
| Peripherals and networking | PC and printer model, plus the manufacturer’s driver download location. |
This record separates assumptions from observations. “I have cloud sync” does not say whether yesterday’s document is available offline. “The app is installed” does not say whether its licence and data can be recovered. Close those gaps while the current system still works.
Check the result before retiring the backup
Open Settings → System → About and confirm that the installed operating system is Windows 11. Then check Windows Update, activation status and Device Manager for a reported problem.
Repeat the real tasks on your readiness sheet: open a copied document, connect to your normal network, print a disposable page if printing is essential, and test the audio device you use for calls. Compare results with the old setup rather than relying only on a welcome screen. These are checks for you to perform, not claims that FarsiVid tested your hardware.
Keep the independent backup until your required workflow is working. If an application fails, record the exact error and consult its publisher’s compatibility instructions before removing data or reinstalling unrelated software.
If this route does not fit your PC
A clean installation is a different task and can erase files and applications. Microsoft’s linked installation guide explains the media-based alternatives. Do not enter a partition-deletion workflow when your intention is to preserve the current installation.
Microsoft’s unsupported-hardware guidance explains why bypassing a requirement does not supply support or guaranteed updates. Avoid modified installation images and activation workarounds.
If migration must wait, use our Windows 10 consumer ESU checklist to check the applicable enrollment and update conditions. If you later need a separate data volume, read the SSD partition and backup guide; partitioning is not a prerequisite for this upgrade.
Revision note, September 8, 2026: narrowed the guide to the Windows Update upgrade path and added the missing steps. The older URL is retained so existing links still reach the revised guidance.