As a creator, should you upgrade to Windows 11?

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Windows 11 is now here, bringing us the newest version of Windows, a full six years after Windows 10 was released. Hardware, software, and the creator industry have all changed drastically, so is it worth upgrading just yet?

Audio producers for one, know the pain of major upgrades breaking their meticulously crafted setups. Then there are livestreamers, who were a nascent industry the last time Microsoft graced us with a major Windows upgrade.

Even with Windows 11 being built on top of Windows 10’s core, is it a good idea to upgrade straight away?

So, as a creative professional, should you upgrade your PC to Windows 11?

Short answer: Yes, but wait a little while.

Major operating system updates are often the bane of creative professionals. Your plugins might suddenly stop working, your hardware might stop working properly as device drivers often break functionality, and your main software suites might also similarly be affected.

That’s bad enough on its own, but if you’re in the middle of a project, you might not even be able to get back to the same setup parameters that you had, making you have to start afresh.

The advice whenever any major Windows or macOS upgrade hits is to wait a while. Creatives that work with design or audio are always wary of a new feature update and with good reason.

Check the manufacturer’s pages for any hardware or software you use, like this one for Focusrite, to see how far they are along with making sure things are compatible with the new operating system.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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• MS Paint is getting a much-deserved redesign in Windows 11

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.