Windows 11, everything we know

Windows 11

Since July 2015, when Microsoft released the latest version of its operating system, Windows 10 to the public (please note: one of the most successful), we have seen a myriad of updates that have helped to constantly improve the user experience. , as well as the operating system itself. But it is well known that the public is never satisfied: after 6 years, Microsoft may have reached the turning point with Windows 10 (which was initially declared as the latest operating system developed by the company), blowing a wind of good. news that gets more intense: below we can find everything we know so far about Windows 11.

Price and release date

Microsoft says that Windows 11 will be released by the holidays at end of this year, but various beta builds will be available through the Insider Preview channel as early as next week. You can join the Insider Channel via PC Settings by going to Updates & Security> Windows Insider Program. As for the cost, it has been confirmed that the upgrade to Windows 11 will be free, even for users coming from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Microsoft's goal with the release of its new operating system is certainly to unify its platform, so a free update for its users seems to be the best way. The only difference compared to previous updates will concern the installation method: Windows 11 will not be downloadable from Windows Update, but you will need to use the Media Creation Tool to create an external installation media or run the update directly on your PC. If you have installed Windows 8, you will need to upgrade to Windows 8.1 before you can upgrade to the latest version for free. Once the process is complete, the license key will automatically be converted to a valid version for Windows 11.

Microsoft will remain on the same wavelength as ever, releasing various versions of the operating system. The confirmation had already come from some screenshots leaked online, in which you can see the words "Windows 11 Pro" next to "Edition", and which also return information on the new build, which should 21996.1. In this regard, it has been confirmed that owners of the "Home" version will no longer be able to use a local account on their PC, but it will be necessary to register a Microsoft account.

If your PC is not compatible with the installation of Windows 11 due to the lack of integration with TPM 2.0, which takes care of securely storing cryptographic keys, passwords and certificates, as well as ensuring the general integrity of the PC, you can solve the problem in a quite simple way that we have already readily dealt with.

New features

One of the main novelties of the new Windows will be the renewal of the design with the new Fluent Design, which will modify the graphic interface, icons and animations. In the past months there has been a lot of talk about this aspect and the news that we would see in Windows Sun Valley: in addition to a new UI, the new Windows should integrate a new clipboard accessible with the Win + V key combination, which in addition to having a chronology will also allow the insertion of Emoji and GIFs, it will also offer the possibility to pin the most used elements at the top and to paste the text without formatting.

Among the novelties there is also a new management system of the disk, characterized by a Modern interface and which will allow you to manage partitions and volumes directly from the settings screen, an improved system for battery monitoring and news for the task manager. In addition to this, the new Windows will also offer better GPU management: on computers with more than one GPU, Microsoft will allow you to select which one to use for running the various apps and programs. Users can then manage whether to use the energy-saving GPU or the high-performance GPU directly from the Settings app.

The new operating system will also introduce functions for Microsoft Surface: the "Wake On" function will be available Touch “, which will allow devices to exit standby mode by simply touching the display. This feature is probably still being tested, since in the latest build leaked online it is not immediately accessible from the settings, but you have to search for it specifically in the Windows search bar. It is also very plausible that it will go hand in hand with new hardware, given that a similar functionality, already present on smartphones (double tap to activate the screen), is based on capacitive displays. It is therefore unlikely that it will be made available on existing touch devices, while it could be one of the innovations introduced in the new Surface Pro 8.

We will also find a "floating" Start Menu and a Jump List based on specific user customization , therefore no longer anchored to any vertex of the screen. The customizations would also include the ability to display more rounded and rounded corners, instead of the classic squared corners. The Microsoft Store will be redesigned, through which the company aims to favor developers by increasing the flow of money into their hands.

Specifically, as regards the Start Menu, Microsoft would have introduced the possibility of being able to reset Windows 10 classic view with Live Tiles. We have explained the procedure to follow, very simple and intuitive, in this article. In case it still seems too cumbersome to you, it is very likely that Microsoft will insert an explicit option in the settings, considering the fact that many users will miss the old interface and not everyone is ready to switch to the new cleaner and more minimal design of Windows 11.

Speaking of graphical interface renewals, one of the most appreciated novelties will most likely be the Windows Snap function, which allows you to optimally simplify the organization of the windows open on the screen, allowing the user to choose from four predefined layouts. In reality this function was already present on Windows 10, but with the new update the procedure has been further simplified: to reorder the active windows it will be sufficient to place the cursor on the maximize button of one of the open windows and choose between the four models of available layouts.

The most nostalgic and the last romantics will find themselves saying goodbye to a faithful companion, who has always answered present even when he was not called, and who has always represented one of the key elements of the system Windows operating system: we are talking about Internet Explorer, which has been officially removed by Microsoft to make room for IE mode within Microsoft Edge.

Another great news, which will surely make fans of video games, is the exclusivity of Direct Storage technology in Microsoft's favor: if you install a high-performance NVMe SSD and appropriate drivers riai, games will be able to quickly load assets directly into the video memory of the graphics card without occupying the CPU, resulting in an incredible improvement in graphic detail, without having to pay the price of the lengthening of the loading times.

Just to meet the most skeptical and fearful, Microsoft has re-released the KB4023057 update, used to prepare machines for the arrival of the largest and most important updates, such as, for example, the next generation of Windows, before the release. As stated by the same company, this update "includes improvements to the reliability of the components of the Windows Update service in Windows 10, version 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703, 1709, 1803, 1909, 2004, 20H2 and 21H1" to "ensure that updates are installed without problems "and" help improve the reliability and security "of Windows 10 devices, as well as checking if the available storage space is sufficient to install the new operating system, and starting the" cleaning "operations in if not.

The increase in available space aims to be as less invasive as possible: Microsoft will in fact simply make Windows 10 display a warning when the system is running out of space and help users to free memory on the storage device using the "Disk Cleanup" utility or through the "Free up space now" option in Settings / Storage.

Re minimum requirements

In order for your PC to be able to guarantee you a good user experience, Microsoft has published the list of the minimum requirements required for the correct functioning of Windows 11:

CPU: with two or more cores 64-bit 1GHz or higher and that are part of the list of compatible processors; RAM: 4GB or more; Storage: a space of at least 64GB is required; GPU: compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with WDDM 2.0 driver; Firmware: UEFI; TPM 2.0 Display: at least 720p and at least 9 ”.

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