Well the #windowsinsider team
pulled a fast one on us June 28th and released the full Windows 11 build 22000.51 to the Dev ring for Windows Insiders
I must say that the new build is as clean as the lock screen - its very complete, and the new interface is pleasant.
One of the newest features for Windows 11 is the new security posture it takes in implementing hardware requirements for security, including enforcing secure boot and utilizing the TPM 2.0 chip. These security requirements are a positive move forward, but limiting for older hardware. CPU is not currenly a limiting factor, TPM and Secure boot are.
Your Insider Dev ring machine will start the download and issue the following response. If you dont have these 2, you just cant go forward. There is a hack out there to bypass the TPM and secure boot, but for me its time to move forward with an overall secure posture!
The upgrade was smooth and easy on the multiple machines that fit the hardware profile, including both VM's and physical hardware, from a Surface Pro 2, Pro 3, Go, and a new Intel 11700k build. The VM's have to be Gen 2 with Secure boot and TPM enabled. Like the Windows 10 builds, there is a way to go back to your
previous operating system, I haven't tested it yet but its here for your testing pleasure. During my road to Windows 11, I had a chance to preview the early leaked build that surfaced in some shader places on the net, threw it into a VM and got it running, wouldn't you know it, I was even allowed to upgrade this one to the official Build as well, upgrade went forward without any hitches!
The new Windows 11 Interface is very smooth, rounded and carries forward with the ongoing maturing of the settings app as a replacement for the control panel, its made a huge jump from W10, and still has a ways to go, but some of the new features are sweet
You can see its got the same menu items but has really changed, the start menu is centered, and docked only at the bottom. As part of the Windows 11 upgrade, we get to see some new features, one of the big ones I have been waiting for is the ability for windows to remeber where applications are homed on which monitor,
check it out if you get the chance. The team is also doing an extensive upgrade to the Microsoft store, I have the store for my organization setup, and when I logged
in the first time I had to use a MSA account, I got this response and it goes into an upgrade routine. My org store has disappeared and I see the new look store, with only the MSA account being able to login, we get a new icon and the same fresh new look associated with Windows 11.
A new menu and options are all there, I would suggest you go through the upgrade and give it a spin!
I highly recommend, if you are reading this blog, to get one of your machines, or a VM up to the latest Windows 11 build for some testing, I sure have and look forward to where its going to take us!
Murray