Skip to main content

Study finds that 32% of Windows users plan to upgrade to Windows 11

Microsoft just released the first official Windows 11 build and despite some controversy around the minimum hardware requirements, there’s a group of people who just can’t wait to upgrade.

That is all according to a new study from the firm YouGov, which found that 35% of users plan to upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as they can.

Windows 11 on screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The survey of 1,200 people was conducted right after Microsoft’s June 24 event, and the results show that 20% of current Windows users plan to upgrade from an older version of Windows within six months. Another 7% plan to update within 12 months, and 5% within a year or longer. Of the total surveyed, 14% do not plan to upgrade at all.

Recommended Videos

There are a lot of factors that could be pushing the “want to upgrade” numbers so high. Windows 11 comes with some much-needed visual improvements, as well as new multitasking tools.

Microsoft even worked to improve the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, so that it comes with support for Android apps like TikTok. These are some hotly anticipated features.

YouGov’s survey also found that 35% of U.S. adults know about Windows 11, while 63% do not. That could be because Microsoft invested a lot of time marketing Windows 11, especially on social media. It spent a couple of days teasing the event with YouTube videos and tweets, only to have it spoiled by a leak that revealed an early version of Windows 11.

As for people who aren’t on Windows, YouGov finds that 8% of MacOS users are likely to switch operating systems within the next year. It’s unclear what drives those numbers, but the centered Taskbar and Start Menu in Windows 11 are reminiscent of what Apple has done in MacOS. And bringing Android mobile phone apps to Windows is similar to what Apple has accomplished with bringing iPhone apps to its M1 Macs.

Windows 11 isn’t set for an official release until the second half of this year, and will continue its rollout out into 2022. New PCs with Windows 11 should start shipping this holiday season.

If you’re eager to update, you can do so via the Windows Insider program in just a few clicks. Just be aware that there will be a lot of bugs and other issues, as Microsoft is still looking for feedback on Windows 11 before pushing it to a final state.

Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Windows 11’s controversial AI Recall feature is coming to your Copilot+ PC very soon
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

As AI strides on, it inevitably finds its way onto our personal devices, with tech giants announcing new features that rely on accessing our private information and media to serve us better. While some might find this useful, others are bound to find it creepy, and one such feature is Microsoft's controversial AI Recall, which takes screenshots of everything you do on a Copilot+ PC so it's easier to trace back your steps and find something specific later. After being announced last year, and then witnessing a few delays, Recall is finally rolling out to a broader group of Windows 11.

Microsoft recently announced Recall is coming to Windows 11 with the latest Release channel update with build 26100.3902 (KB5055627). The feature's availability in the Windows 11 Release Preview channel, which succeeds the Beta channel in the Windows Insider program, means it is in the initial phases of being available to a wider audience of folks who own Copilot+ PC. This category of PCs currently includes a whole wide range of laptops with specialized hardware in the form of a neural processing unit (NPU) dedicatedly for running AI tasks, though we might see desktops joining the club soon.

Read more
Windows 11 and 10 users find new inetpub folder after April update
Shutdown menu in Windows 11.

Windows 11 and 10 users have reported a mysterious 'inetpub' folder after installing Microsoft's April 2025 updates, as Bleeping Computer reports. Although the folder is typically associated with the Internet Information Services (IIS) web server, it's now appearing on systems without it installed. Microsoft has confirmed that the behavior is intentional but has not fully explained why.

The unexpected folder is empty, and you can find it in the root of the C: drive even if you don't have IIS installed. If you had IIS installed (web server platform by Microsoft), it would use the inetpub folder to save logs, website content, and server-related files. So, it's weird you have one without the other after installing Windows 11 KB5055523 update or Windows 10 KB5055518. The SYSTEM account owns the new inetpub folder, meaning an elevated process made it.

Read more
I hope these 3 long-lost Microsoft Windows 8 features stay gone forever
Windows 8 Start screen

If you used a Windows computer in the early 2010s, chances are you experienced Windows 8. Whether it was a good experience is another matter entirely, though. If you ask me, it was a bit of a disaster.

For me, updating to Windows 8 was an unexpected jumpscare. Maybe you had a similar experience; perhaps you just updated your computer one day to discover that the beloved Start Menu vanished without warning. In its place, you saw a full-screen tile interface that probably made you feel like you were using a phone rather than a desktop.

Read more