How to Download Windows 11 Pro and Home

You do not need to visit an electronics shop to get Windows 11. Both Windows 11 Pro and Home are available as digital downloads, ready to install straight away.

Microsoft released Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Home on 5 October 2021. Rather than selling physical discs in shops, the operating system is distributed mainly through online channels, with new devices, or as a direct update from Windows 10. There are several ways to download and install Windows 11.

Many PCs now come with Windows 11 pre-installed. Microsoft worked with a number of OEMs at launch and set up a dedicated Windows product page. The company's own Surface series devices were among the first to ship with Windows 11, including the Surface Pro 8, Surface Go 2, Surface Pro X and Surface Studio 2.

If you are not buying a new PC, you can still upgrade. Microsoft lists many compatible devices on its product page, including the Acer Swift 5, MSI Modern 14, Razer Blade 15, Dell XPS 13 9310 and HP Spectre x360 15, among others. In general, any device that meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11 can run the operating system.

When Windows 11 first launched, Microsoft rolled it out in waves via Windows Update, prioritising newer devices. PCs with compatible hardware received the update gradually over the following months.

This phased approach allowed Microsoft to identify and resolve issues before expanding availability. The rollout completed in mid-2022, and Windows 11 is now available to all compatible devices.

Downloading the unlocked Windows 11 ISO

Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website. There are three ways to do this.

1. The first option is to download Windows 11 using the Windows 11 installation wizard.
2. The second option is to download Windows 11 to a DVD or USB stick ("Create Windows 11 installation media").
3. The third and final option is to download Windows 11 to a disk image (ISO).

In addition to Windows Update, Microsoft offers Windows 11 as an ISO installation image on a dedicated download page. You can download the image directly or write it to a USB drive using the Media Creation Tool.

Installing via ISO is ideal if you want to set up a completely fresh system. It is also possible to bypass some of the minimum requirements of Windows 11 by editing registry entries during installation, although Microsoft does not guarantee that updates will continue to work in that scenario. The ISO is also useful for testing purposes.

Windows 11 Home & Pro

Windows 11 licences follow the same structure as licences for Windows 10. Windows 11 Home and Pro are designed for everyday users. A valid Windows 10 licence entitles you to a free upgrade to the matching Windows 11 edition.
In some cases, Windows 7 product keys can also be used to activate Windows 11, though the increased hardware requirements may be a barrier for older machines.

Some new devices ship with Windows 11 Home in S Mode, which restricts app installation to the Microsoft Store. S Mode can be switched off free of charge via the Store, but the change is permanent and cannot be reversed.

In addition to Windows 11 Home and Pro, Microsoft offers Windows 11 Enterprise, Education and other editions. These are aimed at large organisations and institutions and are typically sold as volume licences. They build on Windows 11 Pro, which already includes Group Policy, Active Directory, Hyper-V and other advanced features.

Ready to upgrade? You can buy Windows 11 Pro at the best price on the market right here at Licendi. Windows 11 Home is also available in our shop.

If you have any questions about downloading or installing Windows 11, feel free to leave a comment or give us a call.

Best regards,

The Licendi Team