TL;DR: Until Oct. 4, you can get Windows 11 Pro for only $10.
Windows 10 is more than a decade old, and it’s really starting to show. Whether it’s the outdated interface or the lackluster security, there’s more than one reason to leave Windows 10 behind, but here’s another. Instead of upgrading to Windows 11 Home, you can skip straight to Windows 11 Pro while it’s on sale for just $9.97 (reg. $199).
Pro adds a whole suite of upgrades Microsoft left out of Windows 11 Home. BitLocker encrypts your entire drive, so files on a lost or stolen laptop stay locked away from whoever picks it up. For anyone who likes to experiment, Hyper-V runs virtual machines, letting you try another operating system on the same PC. Windows Sandbox operates on a smaller scale, opening an isolated environment where you can test an unfamiliar app without it affecting your main system. Work PCs also receive Azure AD support to connect to business networks and Microsoft’s identity management platform.
Upgrading brings the rest of the Windows 11 core experience. Snap layouts arrange open windows side by side for multitasking, and DirectX 12 Ultimate lets new games use your graphics hardware at full capacity. Signing in with your face or fingerprint relies on TPM 2.0 for hardware-level security. Copilot appears in the taskbar, where it can answer questions, summarize web pages, generate images, and write code.
Before buying, run Microsoft’s PC Health Check app to confirm your hardware qualifies. Windows 11 requires a 1 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, UEFI firmware, and TPM 2.0.
Mashable Deals
Give your computer a well-earned upgrade. Through Oct. 4, you can get Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
