Right-click the ISO file and select the Mount option.Ĭlick on the mounted drive from the left navigation pane in File Explorer.ĭouble-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 upgrade process. To upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1 with an ISO file, use these steps: Upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1 from ISO In addition to the system backup, you should also create a backup of your files to a cloud service (such as OneDrive) or external drive if you need to restore them manually. As a result, creating a full backup is a good idea, which you can use to roll back if anything unexpected happens. The upgrade is non-destructive, but you can always run into problems.

This guide will teach you how to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1. To reduce the chances of running into issues, you should disconnect any computer hardware, including printers, phones, cameras, external hard drives, and other USB peripherals. Also, you will need to create a full backup in case something happens and you need to roll back or recover files for any reason.įurthermore, before installing the operating system, it’s recommended to uninstall any applications that may conflict with the upgrade to Windows 11, such as antivirus, security tools, and old third-party programs. Windows 11 is available as a free upgrade for Windows 10 users, but you may still be able to activate it with a Windows 8.1 product key.

For example, the device must have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled, it must also have UEFI firmware, and the processor must be an Intel’s 8th Gen or newer or an AMD Zen 2 or newer.

However, before upgrading to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1, you must ensure that your laptop or desktop meets the minimum system requirements. Windows 8.1 computers can upgrade to Windows 11 without losing data or applications using the ISO file since it’s a supported installation path.

You don’t need to upgrade to Windows 10 first since a direct path to Windows 11 is supported.

You could alternatively proceed with a clean installation, but apps and files won’t be preserved.

Windows 8.1 does not support upgrading to 11 from Windows Update.

The installation will preserve your apps and files, and you don’t need to complete the OOBE.

To upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 8.1, mount the ISO file, double-click “Setup.exe” to launch the upgrade, then skip the update and driver downloads, accept the terms, and click on “Install.”.

Install windows 11 free