Windows 11 Is Released

Windows 11 was released on October 5, 2021. It introduced a redesigned desktop shell, centered taskbar, Snap layouts, a new Microsoft Store, and stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10.

Security was part of the baseline design. Microsoft emphasized TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, virtualization-based security, and newer CPUs with stronger hardware protections. These features were not all invented for Windows 11, but the new requirements made them much more common on supported PCs.

The rollout was deliberately gradual because Microsoft used hardware telemetry and compatibility data to avoid offering the upgrade immediately to systems with known problems. That approach reflected lessons from earlier Windows updates where wide deployment exposed driver or application failures too quickly.