How to Update Windows (Install Updates and Upgrade to Windows 11)

Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of your screen to open the Start menu. On the left edge of the Start panel you'll see a small gear icon labeled Settings. Click it.

This is where Windows hides every option for the operating system itself - your account, your privacy settings, your installed apps, and the one you want now, Windows Update. Settings opens in its own window with a row of big tiles like System, Devices, and Personalization.

Inside Settings, scroll to the bottom row and click the tile labeled Update & Security. The next screen shows a sidebar with options like Windows Update, Delivery Optimization, Windows Security, and Backup.

Make sure Windows Update at the top of the sidebar is selected. The main panel now shows whether your PC is up to date, when it last checked, and any pending updates Microsoft has queued up for you.

Click the Check for updates button. Windows reaches out to Microsoft and lists anything new - security patches, driver updates, the monthly cumulative update. Most updates download and install on their own once you click.

For larger updates, a Software License Terms dialog pops up. Read it (or skim it) and click Accept and install. Windows downloads in the background, and you'll be prompted to restart when it's ready. Your files and open apps stay where they are - the restart just lets Windows swap in the new files.

Before you try the bigger upgrade, find out whether your PC officially qualifies. Download Microsoft's free PC Health Check app from microsoft.com/windows/windows-11. Run it, then click the blue Check now button under 'Introducing Windows 11'.

If your PC qualifies, you'll see a green check next to This PC meets Windows 11 requirements. If it doesn't, the app tells you exactly which requirement failed - usually TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, or processor age. Don't panic if you fail. There's a workaround in step 8.

The Windows 11 upgrade keeps your apps and files - in theory. In practice, you want a backup before any operating-system swap. The easiest path is Microsoft OneDrive, which is built into Windows and gives you 5 GB free.

Open OneDrive (it's likely already signed in if you have a Microsoft account), drag your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders into it, and let them sync to the cloud. For larger libraries, an external SSD or USB drive works too - copy everything important across, then unplug it.

Back in Settings, Update & Security, Windows Update, look at the top of the panel. If your PC qualifies for Windows 11, you'll see a banner reading 'Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready - and it's free!' with a blue Download and install button next to a quieter Stay on Windows 10 for now link.

Click Download and install. Windows starts pulling the upgrade in the background, which takes anywhere from twenty minutes to a couple of hours depending on your connection. When the download finishes, click Restart now and let your PC reboot through the installer. Don't unplug it.

If the Download and install button is missing or you don't want to wait for the rollout, head to microsoft.com/software-download/windows11. The page lists three options - Windows 11 Installation Assistant, Create Installation Media, and the Disk Image (ISO).

The Installation Assistant is the friendliest of the three. Click Download Now under it, run the small installer that downloads, and follow the prompts. It does the same in-place upgrade as step 6 - apps and files stay - just kicked off by you instead of waiting for Microsoft's queue.

The third option on the same Microsoft download page is Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO). Pick Windows 11 from the dropdown, click Download, choose your language, and save the ISO file - it's about 5 GB.

Two reasons to use this one. First, an ISO bypasses the system-requirement check, so you can upgrade an officially unsupported PC (Microsoft warns you may not get future updates, but most users do). Second, you can write the ISO to a USB stick with Rufus or Microsoft's Media Creation Tool to do a clean install on the same PC or a different one - useful if your current Windows is sluggish and you want a fresh start.