Windows 11 beta: How to download the latest version of Windows 11 on your computer right away

Windows 11 is already in beta testing, and users can download and test the upcoming version of Windows right away. Here are the steps to follow to install Windows 11 on your desktop or laptop computer.

Windows 11 beta download: Major glitches and changes have already been made and the latest version is available to users now. (Microsoft Blog)

Microsoft Windows 11 is set to be the company's biggest upgrade to its popular Windows operating system since it released Windows 10 in 2015. Announced in June, the company quickly began pushing out early developer previews to users as part of the Windows Insider Program. Over the weekend, Microsoft announced that it was rolling out Windows 11 on the Beta channel to Insiders, which means users can now download and try out the latest version of Windows on their computers.

If you have been holding out on installing the early builds of Windows 11 on your computer because of stability concerns, the Windows 11 Beta builds should be more stable and fun to use for everyone. However, do note that Microsoft has excluded certain features such as the new Teams integration on the latest Windows Beta build – they will likely be added back to the OS after the company sorts out any lingering issues on the Dev channel.

Windows 11 has received a fresh coat of paint from Microsoft and gained several new features and performance improvements. However, the company had previously revealed that older computers that did not match certain hardware requirements would not be able to upgrade. This also applies to the Beta testing version of Windows 11. While users probably won't see a stable “release ready” version of Windows 11 for the next couple of months, they can download the latest version of Windows 11 in beta form today, as long as they have a valid Windows licence.

How to check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11

Step 1) Download the latest version of WhyNotWin11, which is an automated script to detect if your Windows PC has the correct CPU, enough RAM and disk storage and other security components for Windows 11.

The WhyNotWin11 tool that can check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11.  (WhyNotWin11 via GitHub)

The WhyNotWin11 tool that can check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11.  (WhyNotWin11 via GitHub)

Step 2) Run the script and wait for the results to load. The green squares should indicate a component that is compatible with Windows 11, an orange square with a question mark is an unknown value, while a red square (or more) means the PC will likely not run the new version.

How to download Windows 11 Beta version on your PC

Step 1) Press Win + I keys, to visit Settings. Now tap on Update & Security > Windows Insider Program.

Step 2) Click the Get Started button and choose an account to get started, where you will select your Microsoft account.

Step 3) You will have a choice of 3 options -- Dev, Beta and Release Preview. Select the Beta channel.

Step 4) Accept the privacy terms and reboot your PC to set up your device. Now go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and tap the Check for updates button to begin downloading Windows 11 beta on your computer.

Also, do remember that this too will not be the final version of Windows 11, which will be released sometime in October. It may well go through more changes as it is still being tested.