Windows — all versions

Windows is Microsoft's operating system for PCs, and this page lists the versions you can download here: Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows 7. Choose a version in the list on this page to open its download options; below you will find when each one was released, whether Microsoft still supports it and which one makes sense for your computer.

Three generations of Windows

Each of these versions defined how a whole generation of PCs looked and worked. Windows 7 arrived in 2009, and Microsoft kept supporting it until January 2020, long after its successors were available. Windows 10 followed in 2015 and switched Microsoft to a model of regular feature updates instead of a new boxed release every few years; its final feature update is 22H2, build 19045. Windows 11 came out in 2021 and is the version Microsoft develops today, with the current release labelled 25H2. Microsoft names Windows 11 as the successor to both older versions. Programs written for Windows usually run on all three, but new software and drivers are increasingly built for Windows 11 first, and some no longer support Windows 7 at all.

Versions and support dates

Which version should you install?

• Windows 11 is the right choice for any computer that meets its requirements: it is the only version here that still receives security updates.
• Windows 10 suits hardware that cannot run Windows 11, or a machine you need for software that was never updated. Remember that since October 2025 it gets no fixes.
• Windows 7 is mainly for old hardware, legacy programs, virtual machines and research. Keep such a system away from everyday browsing.

System requirements

Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than Windows 10, and some older PCs do not meet them. Before upgrading, check the official requirements on microsoft.com, or use the compatibility check Microsoft offers there. Windows 10 and Windows 7 are less demanding, but drivers for new components are often simply not written for them.

Security of unsupported versions

After the end-of-support date Microsoft stops publishing security patches and bug fixes. The system keeps starting, yet every hole discovered later stays open, and browsers, antivirus products and other programs gradually stop supporting it as well. If you have to run Windows 10 or Windows 7, keep it offline or behind a firewall, do not use it for banking or mail, and move your data to a supported system when you can.

Licence and price

All three versions are paid. The download gives you the installation files, not a licence: to activate Windows you need a valid product key or a digital licence linked to your hardware or Microsoft account. Without activation some settings stay locked and a reminder appears on the desktop.

How to install Windows

1. Back up your files: a clean installation erases the system drive.
2. Download the version you need from the list on this page.
3. Create a bootable USB drive from the image, or mount it and run setup from the current system.
4. Boot from the drive, follow the installer and enter your product key when asked.
5. After the first start, install drivers and all available updates.

Pros and cons of an older Windows

• Pro: runs on hardware that the current version does not accept.
• Pro: keeps old programs and devices working.
• Con: no security updates after the end of support.
• Con: new software and drivers gradually drop it.
• Con: still requires a paid licence.

Alternatives

If a PC is too old for Windows 11 and you do not want to stay on an unsupported system, a Linux distribution is the usual alternative. Before switching, check that the programs you rely on have Linux versions.