5 reasons why I’m finally going to upgrade to Windows 11 in January
Everyone hates Windows 11, right? Okay, that’s unnecessarily harsh, but if you look around some popular online forums, it’s an opinion you’re bound to see here and there. It’s absolutely true that Windows 11 remains somewhat unloved, and adoption of the operating system has lagged far behind the rate at which PC owners jumped on the Windows 10 bandwagon.
However, Windows 11 is far from a bad operating system – this isn’t Windows 8 or Windows ME – and in fact has some strengths. And as far as I’m concerned, the time is right to upgrade as next year rolls around, because of two key factors.
First, time is running out for support in 2025. And second, Windows 11 24H2 just delivered some nifty introductions. There are other reasons why I decided to take the plunge and migrate to Windows 11 at the start of the new year, so let’s dive in and explore them.
1. It’s time to take action, while there’s still time
As next year begins, Windows 10 only has nine months left to live, or just over. On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will end support, meaning there will be no more security (or feature) updates. You may then be vulnerable to newly discovered exploits because they are not patched.
So if, like me, you’ve ever thought about upgrading to Windows 11 but just put it off, don’t do it any longer. You could wait another six months or so, but then you try to wrap it up gracefully if any unforeseen problems arise. So my idea is to get it done right away when the new year starts, and do the necessary tinkering.
In my case, that simply means enabling TPM 2.0 in the BIOS (which, in a criminally lazy manner, I haven’t gotten around to yet). I should note here that your PC may not offer you an upgrade to Windows 11 because the device is not compatible.
However, if you have a relatively modern PC (bought within the last five years or so), chances are it’ll be fine, and like me, all you need to do is enable the TPM feature in your BIOS. Use the PC health check app to find out if your Windows 10 machine is eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 11. You may need to enable TPM 2.0 (here are the instructions from Microsoft to do that).
If you can’t upgrade to Windows 11 because you have a CPU that’s too old, or there’s no built-in firmware TPM you can enable, head over to our Windows 10 End of Life guide to explore your various other options.
2. Windows 11’s interface is now much better
When Windows 11 first released in October 2021, the interface failed me in a number of key aspects.
The lack of ‘never combine’ for apps in the taskbar was a dealbreaker to start with – that’s my workflow, I don’t want my instances of, say, Chrome windows all stacked on top of each other, thanks. There were plenty of other shortcomings on this front (no drag-and-drop functionality on the taskbar is another obvious example) all of which created some major roadblocks on ‘Route 11’ for me.
The good thing is that in recent years most of the issues surrounding Windows 11’s user interface have been resolved, and in terms of interface, Route 11 is now free of obstacles for me.
3. Windows 11 24H2 is also a big step forward
Windows 11 24H2 arrived in early October 2024 and took some significant steps forward to improve the operating system. Version 24H2 is actually built on an entirely new underlying platform – Germanium – meaning that while there aren’t many visible changes from 23H2, there is a lot of innovation under the hood.
The results? Windows 11 24H2 benefits from stricter security levels, which can never be a bad thing (Windows 11 was already leading the way in this regard compared to Windows 10).
And even more striking: it also performs better thanks to Germanium. Or at least there are plenty of anecdotal reports that Windows 11 is smoother and generally more responsive with 24H2 installed.
So with that new version rolling out more widely in the new year, it seems like a good bet to join in and (hopefully) enjoy those benefits.
4. It could save me some money
Another potential benefit I’d like to explore is the new Energy Saver feature introduced in the 24H2 update.
This is an improved version of the previous Battery Saver functionality, and a key addition is the ability to enable it using a desktop PC. Now I’m upgrading to Windows 11 on a desktop, and the idea will be to run Energy Saver to keep power consumption low even on a PC connected to the mains (Battery Saver went, as the name suggests, more about the lifespan of laptops).
I don’t know exactly how Energy Saver will work out, but if it can save me some money on my energy bill – and I don’t see why it wouldn’t – that would be a big plus, especially in this age of rising energy costs.
5. Windows 24H2 also has other useful features
As further (albeit smaller) upgrade roots, it’s worth keeping in mind that Windows 11 24H2 introduced a number of other useful features.
They include built-in support for multiple compression formats (not just standard ZIPs), cumulative updates that install faster, and Wi-Fi 7 support (if you’ve made the jump with your router and PC).
There are also some additional AI tricks like Voice Clarity, which mutes background noise so you sound clearer during video calls – previously this was only for Copilot+ PCs.
Closing Thought: Beware of the bugs?
While I’ve outlined the benefits of Windows 11 24H2 as reasons to grab the OS now (and for me, there’s enough to push me toward that upgrade button come January), there are some potential downsides.
You may have seen reports of version 24H2 having more than its fair share of bugs, and that’s true. There have indeed been far too many, and there have been some really strange accidents too, perhaps because of that big shift under the hood to Germanium.
But with the January 2024 monthly patch rolling out, I hope Microsoft will have reined in the worst offenders (a number of remedies have already been deployed).
And if you have a PC with a hardware or software configuration that might be susceptible to a known glitch, you won’t get 24H2 rolled out anyway. It won’t arrive until the relevant bugs that would cause problems are fixed, so in that case it’s just a matter of being patient, and hopefully not for long.
In any case, Windows 11 24H2 is still in the early stages of its phased rollout, with the floodgates not yet fully open, so you may still have to be patient – but for most PCs this should happen soon enough in 2025.