How to Install Windows 11 on Windows 7 [Get the Detailed Guide]

Updated by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Yes, you can. If you're still on the fence about upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10, it's high time you made the jump to Windows 11. And it's a free upgrade. However, some users complain that the minimum system requirements for Windows 11 come at a cost (most devices lack a TPM 2.0 chip). Are you also wondering whether the upgrade is free? Take a quick look at the screenshot, or head to our Everything You Need to Know About Windows 11 page for more tips:

Preparing to Install Windows 11 on Windows 7

Before upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 11, make sure your computer meets the upgrade requirements, as these two Windows versions might have different specifications.

Check compatibility

It can be hard for beginners to check if their device is up to snuff. If you're unsure about your setup – the processor, the graphics card, the TPM 2.0 chip, or other system requirements – you can use our free Windows 11 Upgrade Checker.

Step 1. Launch Partition Master and click on “Toolbox”.

Step 2. Click on "Windows 11 Compatibility Checker" to launch the tool. Then, hit the Check now button to start.

The Windows 11 Compatibility results window will show up shortly. It will list all the compatible and incompatible configurations.

Switch your computer to UEFI mode

With UEFI offering faster and more secure booting, along with support for HDDs or SSDs over 2.2 TB, the computer market is shifting to UEFI system firmware, which may eventually replace BIOS-based booting. To boot a computer in UEFI mode, the disk partitioning should be in GPT format.

In short, the Legacy mode is compatible with MBR, while the UEFI mode works with GPT. To boot in UEFI mode, you now need to convert the partition style.

• Legacy mode - MBR
• UEFI mode - GPT

While you can't simply swap out the processor, GPU, or TPM chip with a few clicks, you can alter the system firmware to enable UEFI by converting your MBR to GPT. A reliable partition conversion tool like Partition Master can change your MBR to GPT without data loss. You can download this software on Windows 7 and follow the instructions provided:

To optimize your computer for Windows 11, you can use the Partition Master tool to perform more exciting optimization operations, such as adjusting disk space - extending C drive, formatting, creating, and formatting partitions. Additionally, you might be interested in how to install Windows 11 without internet access:

How to Install Windows 11 on Windows 7 - A Complete Guide

This section provides a comprehensive guide on how to install Windows 11 on your Windows 10 device.

Step 1: Download the Windows 11 ISO image file

Instead of downloading the Windows 11 ISO manually, you can use free software like the Windows 11 Builder to easily and quickly get the downloadable Windows 11 ISO image. This way, you can also connect a USB flash drive to your computer.

Download the Windows 11 ISO file to your computer following the steps, and then proceed to the next one.

Step 1. After installing OS2Go, launch it and click on the Create Windows Install Drive button. The main screen will display system information that it has detected, which will be constantly updated. Apart from Windows 11, the Win11 Builder also lets you download Windows 10/8.1.

Step 2: Connect your USB flash drive to your PC. The Windows 11 Installation Assistant should detect it automatically, and you can click the Create button to proceed.

（The image depicts a step in creating a Windows 11 installation media, but the specific text content cannot be read from the image. Please provide the exact text that needs translation for an accurate translation.)

Step 3: If you're using a used USB drive, the program will erase its contents. Once the download starts, you can wait for it to finish or step away and do something else.

Step 4. After successfully downloading the Windows 11 ISO image to your USB drive, follow the on-screen instructions to start installing Windows 11 from the bootable USB drive on your computer.

Phase 2: Free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 11

With the Windows 11 Builder tool, you've now got the Windows 11 installation files on your USB drive. You can now upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 11 using the USB device.

Important: Make sure your computer has enough power to avoid unexpected shutdowns during the update process.

How to install Windows 11:

Step 1. Connect the Windows 11 USB device to your computer and open File Explorer. Click on "This PC" and locate the USB drive under "Devices and drives." Click on it to open.

Step 2. Locate the setup.exe file and launch the Windows 11 installer.

Step 3. Click “Yes” to confirm the User Account Control window.

Step 4. Windows 11 will now prepare for installation.

Step 5: In the Windows 11 installer, click on “Change how updates are downloaded” > select “Not right now” > and hit the “Next” button.

Step 6: Wait a moment, then select the content you wish to keep.

Keep personal files and apps. Keep only personal files. Don't keep anything.

After making your selection, click the “Next” button.

Step 7: You should see the “Ready to install” message. Click Install.

Step 8. Your computer will now begin installing Windows 11.

Step 9. Once the upgrade is complete, sign in to your account and proceed to set up your personal settings on Windows 11.

Rolling Back Upgraded Windows 11 to a Previous Windows Operating System 在Windows 11中，如果您想回滚到以前的Windows操作系统，您通常有10天的时间可以轻松地退回。以下是详细步骤： 1. 打开“设置”：点击左下角开始菜单，然后选择齿轮图标。 2. 在设置窗口中，选择“更新与安全”。 3. 在左侧菜单中，点击“恢复”。 4. 在右侧，您会看到一个名为“返回早期版本”的部分。如果这个选项可用（通常在升级后10天内），点击“开始”按钮。 5. 您会被问及为何要回滚。选择一个原因，然后点击“下一步”。 6. 注意：在回滚之前，系统会提示您创建一个恢复点以防止数据丢失。确保您的所有重要文件都已备份，并且设备连接到电源，因为这个过程可能需要一些时间。 7. 点击“确认”，然后系统将开始回滚过程。这个过程可能需要一段时间，所以请耐心等待，不要在过程中强制关机或重启电脑。 一旦回滚完成，您的设备将重新启动并运行您之前的操作系统。请注意，如果您错过了10天的期限，或者删除了回滚所需的临时文件，那么这个选项可能会被禁用，您将无法回滚到之前的Windows版本。

Step 1: Click the “Settings” icon on the taskbar.

Step 2: Go to Update & Security > Recovery, hover over Go back to Windows 7, and click the Get started button.

Step 3: Choose the reason why you're going back, and then click Next > click Check for updates or No, thanks > click Next to continue > click Go back to Windows 7.

Wait some time to restore a previous version of Windows.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we'll show you a quick way to install Windows 11 on Windows 7. You can grab the free tool to prepare for it. If you don't like Windows 11, you can take steps to roll back.