[SOLVED] Win11 Installer confirmation

[Mugsy]

I'm preparing to install Win11 over Win10. I've prepared everything. UEFI mode & TPM set in BIOS, MS Checker app says I'm ready to go.

I used MS's updated Media Creator to download Win11 to a flash drive. I reboot my computer and use the Bios Boot Menu to boot from the USB flash drive.

The installer screen that comes up looks exactly like the Win 10 installer: a purple box that simply says "Windows" (no version) and the logo, with an "Install" button & "Repair" link at the bottom. Not even a (bleeping) copyright date. Did MS just reuse the same installer?

If I click "Install", it simply starts installing with no indication of what version of Windows I'm actually installing. Is it 11 or is it just attempting to reinstall 10?

Is this what the Win11 installer looks like? Why be so deliberately obscure/cryptic about what version of Windows you're actually installing?

 

[Barty1884]

No way to know for sure, without trying.

From the early releases, the 'installer' was almost identical, only minor changes under the hood for 11 opposed to 10. Given that, it makes sense the same base installer would be used for simplicities sake - although agreed, would be nice if it specifically said "Windows 11"..... but I don't recall the last time (or ever?!) an installer stated such.

 

[Mugsy]

No way to know for sure, without trying.

Reusing the old installer that was first written for Windows 8.0 seems awfully lazy (especially when Win11 is supposed to be such a major update.)

I tried installing the OS I saved to the flash drive to a VM and it is indeed Win11 (though "VMPlayer" balked at the install as unsupported). It seems the only way to tell it's the Installer for Win11 is the fact the Launch Screen has no copyright date on it (the installers for Win 8 & 10 both do AFAICT via Google Image Search.)

 

[Barty1884]

Reusing the old installer that was first written for Windows 8.0 seems awfully lazy (especially when Win11 is supposed to be such a major update.)

I tried installing the OS I saved to the flash drive to a VM and it is indeed Win11 (though "VMPlayer" balked at the install as unsupported). It seems the only way to tell it's the Installer for Win11 is the fact the Launch Screen has no copyright date on it (the installers for Win 8 & 10 both do AFAICT via Google Image Search.)

Lazy, sure.... but I mean, why reinvent the wheel? I'd rather MS were focused on not rolling out something full of bugs than whether or not the installer looked fundamentally different? Just my $.02

I don't recall W10 installer showing a copyright date, but I can't say I was ever looking.

 

[Mugsy]

If accurate, the Win10 installer:

At least the Win8 Installer shows the version after "Windows":

The reason Win11 needs it's own Installer is the new "UEFI Only" & "TPM Hardware Enabled" requirements. The Installer should check for both and at least warn you (if not offer to make the changes itself) before you even start. There's a reason they don't still use the installer from Windows XP.

 

[Barty1884]

The reason Win11 needs it's own Installer is the new "UEFI Only" & "TPM Hardware Enabled" requirements. The Installer should check for both and at least warn you (if not offer to make the changes itself) before you even start. There's a reason they don't still use the installer from Windows XP.

Not necessarily. W10 had both UEFI and legacy options upon booting from a USB, was typically something like [UEFI] Name of USB drive and merely "Name of USB drive".

TPM component, sure.... but gather (haven't tested) that the installer is verifying it anyway?
So, provided the functionality exists, I don't see much of an issue.

These are really only 'day #1' issues. To the best of my knowledge, you can't have a W10 and W11 installer on the same USB at the same time (although guess you could partition them out).

Given someone who wants to install Windows 11 will either make their own media, via the W11 creation tool OR purchases a retail W11 USB (assuming those are coming), there's really no debate around "hey, what version of Windows is this?!"..... It's the one you created/bought. It's only really people who might have W10 installers + W11 installers now laying around that could get confused, so not something MS would see any need in designing a whole new installer to get around?

 

[Isaac Zackary]

I see what you mean. As someone who has had several USB thumb drives with different version of Windows on them (different languages, 32 and 64 bit, Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, etc.) and I don't always lable them it would be nice to see what version it is.

However, if you don't put in the activation code during the installation it should get you to a screen telling you what version(s) you can install with the USB/DVD. I'm not sure if there's a Home and Pro versions for Windows 11 like with Windows 10, but if you install the Home version and then plug in the activation key for a Pro version it should automatically update to the pro version.

 

[USAFRet]

(especially when Win11 is supposed to be such a major update.)

It is not.
At best, Win 10 SP1.

 

[Mugsy]

I'm not sure if there's a Home and Pro versions for Windows 11 like with Windows 10

Yep. During installation, I was given the option of installing Home, Pro or Server (two varieties of each) over my copy of Win 10 Pro.

 

[Mugsy]

Not necessarily. W10 had both UEFI and legacy options upon booting from a USB, was typically something like [UEFI] Name of USB drive and merely "Name of USB drive".
installer to get around?

I don't recall that. Sounds more like BIOS boot options, not installer options.

The Boot Installer should perform a requirements check at start and at the very least offer to convert your boot drive from MBR to GPT. That alone deserves a facelift.

 

[USAFRet]

Yep. During installation, I was given the option of installing Home, Pro or Server (two varieties of each) over my copy of Win 10 Pro.

Right.
Various flavors of the same OS, WIn 10.
Not a choice of 8/8.1/10.

 

[johnson113]

I see what you mean. As someone who has had several USB thumb drives with different version of Windows on them (different languages, 32 and 64 bit, Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, etc.) and I don't always label them it would be nice to see what version it is.

However, if you don't put in the activation code during the installation it should get you to a screen telling you what version(s) you can install with the USB/DVD. I'm not sure if there's a Home and Pro versions for Windows 11 like with Windows 10, but if you install the Home version and then plug in the activation key for a Pro version it should automatically update to the pro version.

Yep. During installation, I was given the option of installing Home, Pro or Server (two varieties of each) over my copy of Win 10 Pro.