Can I upgrade from Windows 8.1/8 to Windows 11? Detailed Guide

By

Linda 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Can I upgrade Windows 8 to 11? Can I upgrade my Windows 8.1/8 to Windows 11 for free, just like Windows 10 users? Yes! According to some professionals, it's possible to upgrade Windows for free, but the process might be a bit complicated.

If you're unsure whether your Windows 8 computer is eligible for Windows 11 or you're having trouble installing the update, don't worry. In this step-by-step guide, you'll learn how to install the new upgrade on your old machine without losing any data. Let's get started.

Before you begin: We still recommend backing up important files and data to an external hard drive first.

Guideline 1: Check the Windows 11 System Requirements

Due to some changes that Microsoft has made to Windows 11, there are system and hardware requirements to install the latest operating system. Before you start the process of upgrading from Windows 8/8.1 to Windows 11, we recommend getting familiar with the minimum system requirements first.

Here's the minimum system requirement list for Windows 11:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or System on a Chip (SoC) with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor
• 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: Graphics card compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with WDDM 2.x driver
• Display: High definition (720p) display greater than 9 inches diagonal, 8 bits per color channel
• Internet connection: Windows 11 Home editions require internet connectivity and a Microsoft account to complete device setup on first use.

You can view the system requirements for Windows 11 for more details.

Wondering how to check if your PC meets the Windows 11 system requirements? Follow Guide 2.

Guide 2: Run the Windows 11 Compatibility Checker on a Windows 8 PC to Test for Compatibility

There are plenty of Windows 11 compatibility checkers available online that you can download to help. Although Microsoft was supposed to launch its own Windows 11 checker tool called PC Health Check, it's currently unavailable.

Here, we will show you how to use the Windows 11 Upgrade Checker tool to check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11.

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

Step 2: Click on "Windows 11 Checker" to open the tool. Then, hit the Check Now button to start.

Step 3. The Windows 11 Compatibility results window will pop up shortly. It lists all the compatible and incompatible configurations.

Here, pay attention only to the “Incompatible requirements” section. If you see any issues in the results, that means your PC doesn't meet the Windows 11 requirements at the moment.

• Disk partition type
• Boot method
• Secure Boot
• TPM (Trusted Platform Module)

So, can I fix these and get Windows 8/8.1 ready for the upgrade to Windows 11? Of course! In the next section, you'll learn how to resolve these four main issues preventing your PC from upgrading to Windows 11.

Guideline 3: Addressing Compatibility Issues with Windows 11 on Windows 8.1/8 PCs

There are three solutions in this guide, and you can use them separately to fix the issues and make your Windows 8 PC compatible with Windows 11. Let's check them out.

#1. Convert the operating system disk from MBR to GPT

Windows 11 requires the operating system drive to be formatted with GPT to support UEFI and Secure Boot. Thus, you can open Disk Management, right-click on the OS disk, and check its partition style. If it's MBR, you'll need to convert it to GPT to upgrade to Windows 11.

Then, you can turn to a reliable disk partition manager – tools Partition Master. This tool can convert your disk to MBR or GPT without data loss.

Here is how it could work:

Alternatively, you could try using Disk Management or CMD to delete all partitions to convert the disk to GPT. However, this is not user-friendly since both methods require deleting data and partitions. To safely switch between MBR and GPT disks, you can fully trust the Partition Master tool in the above guide.

注意，为了从GPT启动并准备好安装Windows 11，您需要解决引导方式和安全启动问题。请不要犹豫，分享这篇文章，让更多用户了解这些细节。

#2. Enable UEFI boot mode and Secure Boot

Note that if your PC doesn't support UEFI mode, it won't be able to support Secure Boot or upgrade to Windows 11.

So, how do you check if your computer supports UEFI mode? Here's how:

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2/F10/F12/Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2. Access the boot menu and, under the "Boot Mode" section, check if your computer supports UEFI.

• If you see UEFI mode, your computer supports this boot method. • If it's disabled, continue to the next article to enable UEFI and Safe Mode.

Enable UEFI mode:

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2/F10/F12/Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Enter the Boot Menu, click on Boot Mode, and change the mode from Legacy to UEFI.

Step 3: Save the changes and exit, then restart your computer.

Enable Secure Boot:

Step 1. Restart your computer and enter the BIOS settings again.

Step Two: Go to the Boot menu and click Secure Boot, then change it from Disabled to Enabled.

Step 3: Save the changes and exit, then reboot your computer.

#3. Enable the TPM 2.0 chip to meet Windows 11 requirements

Another new hardware requirement for the Windows 11 update is that your computer must have a TPM 2.0 chip. TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module, which is primarily used to enable security features on your computer, such as encryption with BitLocker.

To get the Windows 11 update, you'll also need to make sure your computer supports TPM 2.0 and that it's enabled.

Guide to check if your Windows 8 PC supports TPM 2.0:

Step 1: Press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc in the Run dialog box, and then click OK.

Step 2: After you open the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) tool, check whether the TPM is in use.

If it does, you'll see it under “Status” with the message TPM is ready to use.

Step 3: Check the TPM version under TPM Manufacturer Information.

If so, or if you have an earlier version, stick with Windows 8 for the sake of stability.

If it's TPM 2.0, your PC can install and run Windows 11. Proceed to the next guide to enable it.

Enable a TPM 2.0 chip to upgrade to Windows 11:

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2, F10, or Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2. Go to the Security section > Advanced > and click on TPM Support.

Step 3: Check the TPM status. If it's Disabled, change it to Enabled.

Step 4: Save the changes and exit the BIOS.

With these issues addressed, your PC should now be able to install the new Windows 11 update smoothly.

Guideline 4: How to Install Windows 11, Free Upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 11

So how do you get Windows 11? As far as we know, there are currently two main ways that Windows users can try out the Windows 11 beta:

• 1. Get Windows 11 through the Insider Program
• 2. Clean Install Windows 11 from a USB Drive

Here, we will introduce you to the third method – using the Win11 Builder tool, which will automatically check and download the latest version of Windows 11 for you to install on your PC.

Now, let's look at three ways to install Windows 11 on your Windows 8 PC:

Method 1: Download Windows 11 on Windows 8 Using Win11 Builder

Upon launching OS2Go after installation, click on the Create Windows Installer Drive option. The main screen will display system information that it has detected, which will update in real-time. In addition to Windows 11, the Win11 Builder also supports downloading Windows 10 and Windows 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 Create.

Step 3: If the USB drive contains data, the program will wipe it. The download will then begin, and you can leave it to do its thing.

Step 4. Once the Windows 11 ISO image has been successfully downloaded to your USB drive, proceed to install Windows 11 on your computer by following the setup wizard from the bootable USB drive.

The subsequent steps and methods are the same as in Method 3.

Method 2: Upgrade to Windows 11 for Free Through the Insider Program

Step 1: Download the Windows 11 Update

Method 1: Get the Windows 11 Update as an Insider:

• Go to the Windows Insider Program website and sign in.

Download Windows 11 via the Insider Program

1. Go to **Settings** > **Update & Security** > **Windows Insider Program** > **Get started**. 2. Select **+** to connect your account, then choose **Dev Channel**. 3. Read and acknowledge the privacy statement and terms, then select **Restart now** or **Restart later**. 4. After your device restarts, go to **Settings** > **Update & Security** > **Windows Update** > **Check for updates**.

Step 2: Check for and get the Windows 11 update

Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Check for Windows updates

Step 2: If an update is available, click Download and Install.

Step 3: Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for Windows 11 to install on your computer.

Step 4. Once you've installed Windows 11, you can now move or transfer the operating system to your newly installed SSD.

Method 3: Install Windows 11 on Windows 8 from USB Manually

Step 1. Get a blank USB external drive that is 8 GB or larger.

Step 2: Go to the Windows 11 download page and download the ISO file to your computer.

Step 3: Burn the ISO to your USB drive.

Alternatively, you can download the Windows 11 media creation tool and install it directly onto your USB drive.

Step 4. Restart your computer and enter its BIOS. Set the USB drive as the bootable device.

5. Highlight Boot from USB disk, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows 11.

Step 6: Choose your language, time and currency formats, and keyboard or input method, then click Next to continue.

"Set language, time, and keyboard to install Windows 11">

Step 7: Click on Install Now to proceed.

Step 8: Click I don't have a product key to continue.

Step 9. Choose the edition of Windows 11 you want to install, and then click Next to proceed.

Select the Windows 11 edition to install

Step 10: Check the box to accept the Microsoft license terms, and click Next.

Step 11: Click on Custom: Install Windows only on the new drive.

Step 12: Select the disk where your Windows 8 installation is, and click Next to proceed.

Step 13: Wait for the installation to finish, and your computer will restart automatically.

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device. When you're done, sign in and boot up your computer from Windows 11.

Extra Tip: About Windows 11 Product Keys

According to most Microsoft and geek sources, the upgrade from Windows 8 or 8.1 to Windows 11 is still free. So you don't have to worry about a product key.

Though the upgrade process from Windows 8 to Windows 11 can be a little involved, it's something you can do on your own.

On this page, we show you the complete process of upgrading from Windows 8.1/8 to Windows 11.

If you're wondering whether you can upgrade an older computer, such as one with Windows 8, to Windows 11, the answer is yes, provided your device meets the requirements for Windows 11. If your operating system disk is in MBR format instead of GPT, don't worry. You can use a tool like Partition Master and its disk conversion feature to switch disk types without losing any data.

Though the process is a bit convoluted, you can install Windows 11 on your Windows 8 computer if you follow this guide carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions About Upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 11

If you still have questions about upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 11, continue reading for answers to these popular topics:

1. How can I upgrade my Windows 8.1 to Windows 11 for free?

Here's how to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 11 using an ISO file:

1. Download the Windows 11 ISO file. 2. Right-click the ISO and mount it to a drive. 3. Click on the mounted drive, then double-click the installation file. 4. Follow the Windows 11 setup process to install it on your computer running Windows 8.1.

2. Will Windows 11 be free for Windows 8.1 users?

Yes, Windows 11 is free for users of Windows 8.1. You can manually install Windows 11 on your Windows 8.1 device, or upgrade to Windows 10 first and then receive the Windows 11 update as推送by Microsoft.

3. Can we upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 11?

Yes, first, you'll need to create a backup of your important data on Windows 8.1. After that, you can follow the guidelines on this page to successfully upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 11.