Windows 10 on DIY?

Framework Laptop 13
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Thinking about a DIY with 11th-gen and the 2TB 2TB - WD_BLACK™ SN750 NVMe.
I want Windows 10, not 11.
First, does anyone know a reason why that drive wouldn’t work with Win-10?
Next, I’m confused by the ordering process. The pre-builts say they come with Win-10 but the DIY order page says Win-11 but the Windows 11 section in the Marketplace sounds like you get Windows 10 first and then can upgrade to 11. If that’s so, then perfect – I just don’t do the upgrade. But if they stick you with 11 I guess I would order Windows 10 from somewhere else. Does anybody know for sure?

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I promise you that Windows 10 will work just fine on 11th gen. Feel free to message support after the fact and tell them that you want Windows 10, I am certain they can ensure that is what you receive when you place your order.

Edit: Turns out you can’t get Win 10 licenses anymore, thanks NIrav for stepping in! Now I know.

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I have the DIY with 11th gen, and Windows 10 works great on the hardware (I don’t use the same NVMe drive, but have heard others running 10 in that one just fine)

I didn’t get a copy of Windows from Framework, but I believe that if you’re ordering the DIY you have to install Windows yourself anyway. This would mean that you could either purchase a copy of Windows from any other store and load it on without issues, or download the Windows 10 installer from Microsoft directly, then purchase a Windows key from your preferred retailer and activate the software yourself after installation.

Reading the description of the product on the marketplace seems to indicate that Framework simply sends you the Windows key, along with a link to download the installer from Microsoft. Others can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that Windows 10 and 11 keys are the same and would work for both operating systems, so all you would have to do is use the Windows 10 installer and the key sent to you by Framework.

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Microsoft no longer sells Windows 10 licenses, so the Windows licenses that you can optionally pick up with a DIY Edition (11th Gen or 12th Gen) are Windows 11. Though there is no official documentation from Microsoft on this, the licenses are cross-compatible. That is, you can use a Windows 11 license to activate Windows 10 and a Windows 10 license to activate Windows 11. For both Windows 10 and Windows 11, the OS installers are downloaded directly from Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/

So if you would like to install Windows 10 on a Framework Laptop DIY Edition, the steps would be:

  1. Select a Windows 11 Home or Pro license when configuring your DIY Edition (or optionally buy that license elsewhere, including directly from Microsoft).
  2. Create a Windows 10 flash drive by downloading the installer from Microsoft.
  3. Install Windows 10 on your DIY Edition: Windows 10 Installation on the Framework Laptop DIY Edition - Framework Guides
  4. Enter your Windows 11 product key when prompted to.
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If Windows 11 licenses work fine for Windows 10 installs, it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense why Framework wouldn’t offer this vastly superior OS as an option for every new PC.

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Perhaps not everyone thinks Windows 10 is vastly superior…
Especially on newer Intel gens.

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15% of the population also thinks that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. They’re just as wrong.

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Hey now, I feel offended that you’re not vegan. Have you tried Wood Milk?

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But Windows 10 doesn’t work fine on 12th and 13th gen Intel processors.

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So offer it for anything but those - or offer it with a disclaimer.

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Here’s the information for the uninformed:

Nothing stopping you from downloading it and installing it yourself. You’re barking up the wrong tree. Talk to your hands. Send your demands there.

At the very least, just consider it as out of stock, and move on.