Windows 11 Insiders \u2014 what Microsoft calls its beta testers \u2014 have been able to try out the company\u2019s latest and greatest OS practically since it was announced (actually, it leaked a little before). But the builds so far have been part of t<\/b>
\nThe latest tech news Your sardonic source for consumer tech stories Human-centric AI news and analysis Driving the future of sustainable mobility No-nonsense stories about startup growth Inside money, markets, and Big Tech Help build the bank of the future Coding for Public Service Small country, big ideas Windows 11 Insiders \u2014 what Microsoft calls its beta testers \u2014 have been able to try out the company\u2019s latest and greatest OS practically since it was announced (actually, it leaked a little before). But the builds so far have been part of the Dev channel, where Microsoft releases its earliest and buggiest builds for its most die-hard users and developers. I couldn\u2019t reasonably recommend anyone install these builds unless they already knew what they were doing. Today the company finally released its first build into the proper \u2018beta\u2019 channel, where builds are typically much more stable and generally stable enough to use on your primary PC. Per Microsoft\u2018s own words, the Beta Channel is \u2018right for early adopters,\u2019 where your feedback \u2018has the greatest impact,\u2019 and where builds \u2018will be reliable with updates validated by Microsoft.\u2019 By comparison, the Dev channel is right for \u2018highly technical users\u2019 and will have \u2018rough edges\u2019 and \u2018some instability.\u2019 Still, even on the beta channel, there will be bugs, and you should back up your important stuff. Okay, let\u2019s be honest here. As much as Microsoft (and we) warned you to not install the Windows 11 Dev builds onto your primary PC, a lot of you probably went ahead and did so anyway didn\u2019t you? I can\u2019t blame you, I did the same. If this applies to you and you\u2019re not someone who\u2019s \u2018highly technical,\u2019 \u2014 say you\u2019ve only installed Windows 11 to try out cool new stuff \u2014 then now\u2019s a good chance to move down to the Beta Channel. Microsoft is unlikely to introduce major new features for a while, so the Beta channel will be better for day-to-day use. Luckily, I haven\u2019t had any system-obliterating bugs (plus everything important is backed up), only some occasional annoyances. The most recent Dev build,22000.1000, is the most stable one so far, and indeed, this is the one Microsoft is now pushing into the Beta Channel. Easy peasy \u2014 if you have a compatible device. Not every device that can run Windows 10, including some of Microsoft\u2018s own Surface devices, will be able to run Windows 11. Please note that although Microsoft has allowed people to try the Windows 11 previews on technically incompatible devices during this testing period, you will not be able to update to the final release version of the OS. Read the system requirements, specifically the need for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. This is a security device in modern processors, and it is necessary for Windows 11. You can find out if you\u2019ve got this doodad by opening Device Manager and finding TPM 2.0 under \u2018Security Devices.\u2019 If you don\u2019t know what the Device Manager is\u2026 well, you probably shouldn\u2019t be installing the Windows 11 beta. That out of the way, installing the OS is as simple as joining the Windows Insider Program and selecting the appropriate channel. Did you know we have a newsletter all about consumer tech? It\u2019s called Plugged In \u2013 and you can subscribe to it right here.<\/p>\n