April 15, 2024 – Good news for users of Intel Rocket Lake 11th Gen Core processors still on Windows 10 and eyeing an upgrade to Windows 11: Microsoft has finally addressed a bug discovered in 2021, lifting the upgrade restriction.
The bug, found within the Intel SST Smart Sound Technology driver, affected versions 10.29.0.5152 and 10.30.0.5152 (two separate branches), causing some 11th Gen Core systems to experience blue screen crashes during the upgrade to Windows 11.
Intel swiftly released an updated driver, with versions no lower than 10.29.0.5714 and 10.30.0.5714 (noting the last four digits) resolving the issue, theoretically enabling a smooth upgrade to Windows 11.
However, for reasons unknown, Microsoft kept the restrictions in place, leaving 11th Gen Core users unable to upgrade to Windows 11 for an extended period.
Recently, Microsoft finally integrated Intel’s new driver into Windows Update. 11th Gen Core users can either update through Windows Update or directly install the new driver from Intel’s official website. With a little patience, within approximately 48 hours at most, users will see the option to upgrade to Windows 11.
As for the delay of nearly three years, Microsoft has yet to provide an explanation.
