The first public of Windows 11 is available to members of the Windows Insider Program. Here’s how to download and Install Windows 11 on your compatible devices right now
Windows 11 is available now, if you’re brave enough to try downloading the first preview build. Microsoft just released it to everyone in the Windows Insiders program, giving you an opportunity to get an early look at the next generation of Windows — but on
In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to download and install Windows 11 right now. First, we’ll join the Windows Insider program. Once we join, we’ll opt into the dev channel, which allows us to download and install the latest insider build of Windows 11. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to install Windows 11 on your computer.
How to download and install Windows 11 Insider Preview on unsupported Windows PCs?
Step 1: Go to Microsoft website and Register for the Windows Insider Program.
Step 2: On your PC, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program on the left sidebar.
Step 3: Opt-in your PC to flight Insider Preview builds.
Step 4: You will need to enable Optional Diagnostics Data and Feedback option from Privacy section.
Step 5: Click on the button Get Started.
Step 6: Select “Release Preview ring” and continue.
Step 7: Click on “Restart” to complete the setup.
Step 8: Open Notepad or Notepad++ and and create a .reg file with the following content:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection]
"UIContentType"="Mainline"
"UIRing"="External"
"UIBranch"="Dev"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\Applicability]
BranchName"="Dev"
"ContentType"="Mainline"
"Ring"="External"
Step 9: Run the file, those settings will be applied and you will be back to Dev Channel.
Alternatively,
- After restart, search for “Regedit” and press ‘Enter’.
- This should open Registry Editor.
- Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection” (without quotes)
- Change the “UIBranch” key to “Dev”, “ContentType” key to “Mainline” and “Ring” key to “External”
- Again, navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\Applicability” (without quotes)
- Change “BranchName” key to “Dev”, “ContentType” key to “Mainline” and “Ring” key to “External”
Step 10: Once done, close Registry Editor and reboot your PC.
Step 11: Check for updates again from Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Update.
Step 12: You should now see Windows 11 Insider Preview 10.0.22000.51 build downloading.
Step 13: Install it (it may fail the first time; the windows setup will open and say that your PC is not supported)
Common questions:
Q: Will I lose my apps and files if I upgrade?
A: No, upgrading keeps your apps and files in place. Nevertheless, it’s always a best practice to make sure you have a back up in place.
Q: Can you revert back to Windows 10 if you upgrade to Windows 11?
A: Yes! You can revert back. In Settings, click on Recovery, and there’s an option to jump to a previous version of Windows.
Q: My computer is old. Will this work on my hardware?
A: Microsoft published some fairly restrictive hardware requirements, although it sounds like they might be re-considering given the PR blowback. The insider build doesn’t enforce hardware requirements currently and there’s always the option to roll back to a previous version of Windows.
Q: Should I upgrade on my primary device?
A: It depends on your risk tolerance. I installed it on my primary PC. By the time a build makes it to insiders, I personally think it’s stable enough. It’s already gone through testing with thousands of users within Microsoft. When I worked at MS, we were on test builds all the time using our primary machines to make sure product quality was high. If you’re on a mission critical device, I’d recommend waiting.
Q: What build is available on what insider channel?
A: You can check what build is currently available on what channel here: https://insider.windows.com/
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