How Long Does It Take to Download Windows 11?
Did you receive a notification to upgrade to Windows 11 and wondering how long does it take to download Windows 11? You’ve come to the right place! Continue reading to plan the Windows 11 upgrade downloading and installing at your convenience.
Microsoft Windows 11 upgrade is now in full swing. Most of the compatible devices are nowadays receiving the upgrade. Since Windows 11 user interface (UI) brings a fresh look to the computer, those who didn’t get the upgrade yet, choose to download the Windows 11 OS ISO and perform a clean installation. But, how long will it take? Find out below.
How Long Does It Take to Download Windows 11 Upgrade?
The upgrade downloading and installation process of Windows 11 will depend on:
1. Internet Connection Speed
Your internet bandwidth or speed is the primary resource that’ll determine the time taken to download the Windows 11 upgrade file. The upgrade is around 3.5 GB to 4.0 GB, so it’ll take at least 20 minutes to download with a 30 Mbps connection. The download will be faster if the internet speed is better.
2. Internal Storage Type
If your computer runs on HDDs, the downloading will be slower compared to the devices that possess SSDs or NVMe SSDs.
3. Internal Storage Space
There should be enough free disk space in your computer for upgrade file downloading. Else, you’ll need to manually clean up disk space, and the downloading time will proportionally increase.
4. Computer Hardware
The gears inside your computer also govern the file download and processing speed. You can experience the least downloading and upgrade installing time if your computer possesses the best RAMs for gaming and a gaming CPU.
In a nutshell, a high-performance PC with a broadband internet connection shouldn’t take more than 25 minutes to download the Windows 11 upgrade file. Additionally, the Windows UI will display the percent progress of downloading.
The installation should take between 80 to 90 minutes for a high-end PC. On the contrary, expect significantly longer installation time for computers with the minimum system requirements to install Windows 11.
How Long Does It Take to Download Windows 11 ISO?
Some computer users favor a clean operating system installation over upgrades. If you also prefer that, there’s good news for you! You can download the Windows 11 ISO file for free from Microsoft.
You may visit the Download Windows 11 server of Microsoft to download the ISO file. At the time of writing, the download size of the Windows 11 (multi0edition ISO) disk image is 5.2 GB. Therefore, it’ll approximately take 30 minutes to download the file with a 30 Mbps internet connection.
After downloading, you’ll need to burn the disc image to a USB pen drive or DVD to install Windows 11. If you’re already asking how to do so, here’s an answer to how to install Windows 11.
Windows 11 clean installation comes with multiple steps: downloading the ISO; burning the ISO; installing Windows 11. Thus, you can expect about 60 minutes to perform all the steps on a gaming PC or up to 120 minutes on a device with average specs.
Concluding Remarks
Whether you get Windows 11 through upgrading or performing a clean installation, the file download part will take 20 to 40 minutes. On average, you’ll be unable to use the PC for 30 minutes if you upgrade during work hours. Hence, utilize the upgrade scheduling feature to avoid productivity losses.
