Announced at a Microsoft press conference yesterday, the software company is making the upcoming revision to the Windows operating system, Windows 11, completely free to download and use if you are already using Windows 10. But there’s a couple requirements you have to meet.

1. CPU Requirements

You will need a 8th Gen or newer Intel Core processor. Or you will need an AMD Ryzen 2000 and newer processor. Here’s the full list of supported Intel processors and here’s the full list of supported AMD processors.

That being said, Microsoft is calling the CPU requirements a “soft floor”. This likely means that any CPU not supported by Windows 11 could possibly still work. But it could make running specific programs problematic and your Windows 11 experience may suffer as a result.

2. You have to enable TPM

You need to have TPM (Trusted Platform Module) turned on in your motherboard’s bios. Before you check your bios, you can use Microsoft’s PC Health App (LINK) to see if your computer is ready for Windows 11. If you are like me, you will see a “not compatible” warning. This means it’s time to dive into your computer’s bios.

Windows 11 requires a TPM capable of at least 1.2 support (most of the newer chips are 2.0), and UEFI Secure Boot. Both are used to help security on Windows PCs.

If you don’t know how to get into your computer’s bios, simply restart your computer and wait for the first splash screen to pop up. It will tell you the key you need to press to get into the bios. For me, it was either F2 or Delete. When you are in, it’s likely that you will need to go into the Advanced settings.

You aren’t looking for something labeled TPM quite yet. Both AMD and Intel have different terms for it, wonderfully confusing. If you have an Intel system, look for the “PTT” settings. On an AMD system, look for “PSP fTPM’. When you find that, flip on TPM. On my AMD system, I had to select “Discrete” to turn it on. Then you simply save and reboot.

Other system requirements for Windows 11 include at least 4GB of RAM, at least a 64GB hard drive, a Direct 12 compatible graphics card and an Internet connection w/ Microsoft account.

Freebie Alert: Windows 11 is going to be free, but there’s a catch

Jumping up from $0 to $120 on July 30, 2016, Microsoft’s free upgrade offer to all Windows 7 and 8.1 users will expire at the end of July. After July 29th, anyone that wanted to upgrade to Windows 10 from an older operating system will be force to pay $119.99 to get the new operating system. Of course, any new Windows-powered device you purchase will have Windows 10 already installed as the main operating system.

The $120 price isn’t new, of course. Microsoft have already been selling the full version of the Home version for that price via download or USB stick. The ability to upgrade for free has always had an expiration date, however it was always possible that Microsoft would extend the promotion. However, the latest blog post from Microsoft seems to indicate the promotion will expire as promised at the one-year anniversary of the operating system’s release.

Interestingly, Microsoft is also releasing the Windows 10 anniversary update at the end of July. That’s a free upgrade for anyone that’s using Windows 10. Upgrades include biometric security in apps and other programs, Windows Ink (integrating handwriting with a pen into the interface), an upgraded version of Cortana in more than 1,000 apps and a unified app store with the Xbox One platform. It’s also possible that Microsoft will package deeper integration with the HoloLens platform in the anniversary update.

To upgrade to Window 10, you can visit Microsoft’s upgrade page and follow the instructions. If you do plan an upgrade, consider moving to a SSD drive for faster boot times as well as instant-on access when your computer is sleeping. You can check out the latest deals on SSD drives in our Internal Hard Drive section.

But most of all, remember that all Windows 10 installations come with a ninja cat riding in your house on a unicorn.

Want Windows 10 for free? Upgrade now. It’s $120 in July

If you recently purchased a new laptop or ultrabook with the dreaded Windows 8 operating system and are longing for the simplicity of the Windows 7 desktop, don’t fret; there’s hope! While you are waiting for the joys of Windows 8.1 to fix many of the issues plaguing Windows 8 users, there are steps you can take during the interim to bring back the Windows 7 look and functionality.

If you don’t mind skipping your next $5 frappuccino at Starbucks, the simplest, most user friendly way to get that Windows 7 look and feel back is to install Stardock’s Start8 and pay $4.99 to register the software. Why? Five reasons:

• You will get the Start button in the Windows desktop back along with the Windows 7 theme for the start menu. You also have some fun customization options for the design, but the point is that vital functionality has been restored.
• When starting up the computer, you can boot directly to the desktop. You don’t have to look at that Windows 8 tiled interface each time you turn on your computer, especially nice for anyone who didn’t pay an extra $50 to $100 for a touchscreen display.
• The Start button menu brings back the unified search function in the menu. You will be able to look through all your files, folders, applications and settings by using the search function, identical to Windows 7.
• You can disable all the Windows 8 hot corners. This means you don’t have to deal with the annoying menus pop up when your mouse hovers over a specific side or corner of the screen.
• It’s extremely user friendly, ideal for users who don’t understand technical methods for modifying Windows 8.

However, there are other alternatives, as well. For a registration cost of $3, StartIsBack will install a theme that’s identical to the Windows 7 Start menu and overall design. Similar to Start8, you can boot directly to the desktop and disable hot corners. The difference between the software is that Start8 is more user friendly and plays nice with other Stardock products that you may be using on your system.

There are also some freeware options available. Start Menu 8 can provide similar functionality, but the interface is worse than StartIsBack and there’s bundled software included in the download. Pokki is a fun, free option that provides a completely different look and feel to the Windows Start menu, but there’s a much heavier focus on Windows 8 within the interface.

Pokki’s take on the Start Menu

Classic Shell is another free option, but it’s really designed for more technical users. However, it could be a good option for someone who’s used to much older operating systems like Windows XP, assuming someone with technical expertise sets up the software for them.

For further help, be sure to check out this guide at Laptopmag detailing how to install the Windows 7 Areo theme, bypassing the lock page in Windows 8 and how to run Windows 8 applications in the desktop mode.

How to Turn Windows 8 Back Into Windows 7, Visually Anyway