If your PC runs Windows 10, you can ignore those pesky compatibility checks and upgrade to Windows 11. Here's how nearly two dozen ZDNET readers got the job done and saved their laptops from the scrap pile.

Microsoft has given itself a seemingly impossible race against time. With almost exactly a year to run before Windows 10’s unpopular end-of-life hits users in October 2025, Windows 11 is still failing to hook the hundreds of millions more users it needs to prevent a generational support nightmare coming true.

The Start menu has a big change for those using Microsoft’s Phone Link software. The Windows 11 2024 update adds a side panel to the Start menu that provides information on your phone’s battery status and notifications as well as quick access to messages, calls, and photos. The floating panel is a neat addition for Phone Link users.