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(Photo: Microsoft)
Now that Windows 11 SE has broken embrace, questions grow for tinkers who are wondering what the possibilities are for installing it on older laptops, upgrading it, etc. Microsoft has provided some answers in a lengthy Q&A PDF document, and the TLDR version is, "no, you tin can't."

Co-ordinate to Microsoft, yous can only learn Windows 11 SE by purchasing a new device, and that's it. If you've got an older laptop that's struggling nether the burden of Windows ten, you lot are out of luck if you think the streamlined Windows 11 SE volition be your savior, because it ain't happening. The reasoning is actually quite simple, per the document, "Windows xi SE is not intended for personal use. Nosotros wait that most customers would find Windows SE too restrictive on a personal device."

On a similar note, if y'all were considering buying the $250 Surface Laptop SE and and so installing Windows xi on information technology (it comes with Windows 11 SE pre-installed), you can actually practise that, or go with whatever licensed version of Windows, but you might never exist able to reinstall 11 SE. Again, the certificate states, "…if you'd like to use a Windows 11 SE device for personal use, yous may buy a license for the version of Windows you'd like, completely erase all the information, files, settings, favorites, and the Windows 11 SE operating system on your device, and install your licensed version of Windows. Afterwards that, there would be no style to go back to Windows eleven SE." This doesn't necessarily rule out reinstalling 11 SE via recovery partition, nonetheless.

The Kickoff menu in Windows eleven SE is quite streamlined (photograph: Microsoft)

All that said, it would probably be wise to avoid installing Windows 11 SE on your personal device. It is an OS designed to exist administered by an IT department, not a local user. That ways you tin't install 3rd-party native apps, as you can only run "web apps" in Edge or Chrome. To put a effectively point on it, "App installation, advanced features, and setting changes are controlled by IT administrators rather than stop users for this specialized version of Windows xi."

None of this is really surprising. About end users wouldn't want a super stripped-down OS on their auto with a agglomeration of permission headaches included, and it'due south non like you tin can just go purchase a copy of Chrome OS for your device either, so Microsoft isn't alone here. Not to mention the fact that yous might non even be able to buy a device with Windows 11 SE installed, as information technology sounds similar they'll only exist sold to schools and like organizations. Microsoft notes in its Q&A that yous "might" be able to buy one every bit an private, which doesn't sound too promising.

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