For more than two years, a subset of PC owners have been stuck on Windows 10, unable to take advantage of the latest features and improvements in Windows 11. But that’s finally changing, as Microsoft has lifted a compatibility hold that prevented these systems from upgrading due to a bug.

The issue stemmed from compatibility problems between Windows 11 and Intel’s Smart Sound Technology (Intel SST) drivers on 11th Gen Core processors. When Windows 11 launched in late 2021, Microsoft and Intel discovered that these particular chips running the new operating system could experience issues. To prevent problems, Microsoft applied a safeguard hold, blocking those affected PCs from upgrading.

Now, after an extended period, Microsoft has resolved the underlying conflict. The company recently announced that once users install updated Intel SST drivers, their systems should finally be offered the option to move to Windows 11 – though the update may take up to 48 hours to appear.

“Once you have updated to a compatible version of the Intel Smart Sound Technology drivers, you should be able to upgrade to Windows 11,” Microsoft stated in its upgrade guidance. “Please note, if there are no other safeguards that affect your device, it can take up to 48 hours before the upgrade to Windows 11 is offered.”

For the owners of the relatively modern 11th Gen Intel systems affected by this issue, the news arrives as a relief. They can finally take advantage of Windows 11’s design refreshes, security enhancements, and under-the-hood performance optimizations that have remained out of reach.

The timing is also noteworthy, as Microsoft is firmly pushing users to migrate from Windows 10 to the newer operating system. Windows 10 will reach its end of support in October 2025, after which security updates and technical assistance for the aged OS will begin to seriously ramp up in cost.

Earlier this year, Microsoft disclosed the steep pricing commercial customers will face if they wish to extend Windows 10 security updates beyond that 2025 cutoff date. For the first year, the cost is $61 per device – not a small sum for businesses with hundreds or thousands of workstations. That annual fee then doubles to $122 for a second year, and $244 for a third, exponentially increasing the expense.

Mainstream consumers have not yet received official pricing for keeping Windows 10 updated, but the costs are expected to be high as well. With the operating system’s lifecycle nearing its end and upgrade paths being cleared, users are firmly being steered toward adopting Windows 11.

In fact, Microsoft recently began displaying full-screen upgrade advertisements on Windows 10 PCs incompatible with the new OS. The ad thanks users for their loyalty, cautions about the impending end of Windows 10 support, and encourages them to get ready to upgrade to Windows 11 – perhaps by purchasing new hardware.

That solution may frustrate some users who assumed their relatively modern PCs would be eligible for Microsoft’s latest operating system, only to find themselves unable to make the jump due to stringent hardware requirements. While that hurdle still exists for many systems, the removal of this specific driver compatibility hold is a step toward opening upgrade paths where possible.

For the owners of 11th Gen Intel Core laptops and desktops affected by the bug, they can now move forward into the Windows 11 era after patiently waiting for over two years. An update that enables new OS features may be delayed, but it is finally on its way.