The time has come to say goodbye to Windows 10. The venerable operating system, which debuted back in 2015, is officially going end of support this year. And unlike previous sunsets, the changeover from 10 to Windows 11, the current latest version of Windows, is a little more complicated.
Today, we're going to dive in and give you the details on everything you need to know about migrating on from the old and into the new.
The Basics
Like every previous version of Windows, Microsoft has set out a roadmap of support for Windows 10. While it was originally dubbed "the last Windows", Microsoft has reneged on that idea and continued with a more traditional support model.
When does Windows 10 go end-of-life?
Certain versions of Windows 10 have already gone end-of-life starting back in January. However, all mainstream versions will be ending support on October 14th 2025.
What does end-of-life actually mean? Will my computers just stop working on October 15th??
The term "end of life" means that Microsoft will no longer be providing any sort of security updates or bigfixes for Windows 10. It won't suddenly stop working the day after support ends however, not upgrading will leave your devices vulnerable to new security issues. Many other major software companies will also stop supporting Windows 10, which means the software you use every day will also likely start to fall behind. In short, can you continue to use Windows 10 after the EoL date? Sure but it's very much not recommended.
So what do I need to do?
Simply enough, you need to look into:
Upgrading to Windows 11
As mentioned, Windows 11 is the current latest version of Windows for PCs and, after October 14th, will be the only supported version of Windows available.
How do I upgrade to Windows 11?
If your PC supports Windows 11, and depending on how your network is configured, you may be able to install Windows 11 via Windows Update. In some cases, Windows Update may even do it for you automatically. While we're not huge fans of the automatic upgrades (we've seen issues), this is definitely the simplest option.
You can also manually install the upgrade which provides more flexibility. You can elect to start with a clean, fresh install or upgrade and keep everything.
In either case, it is highly recommended to back up your system before installing, in case the installation does not go according to plan.
Will my applications be compatible with Windows 11?
In most cases yes. If your application runs on Windows 10, it will likely run the same on Windows 11. The exceptions to this would be any software which execute certain low-level actions. Security software tends to be the most common software in this category but some older line-of-business apps may also have trouble.
We recommend testing with a single PC before rolling out the upgrade to your entire network. This way, if you do run into issues, your entire environment won't be negatively affected.
Is there a cost to upgrade?
The answer to this one is "it depends". If your computer supports Windows 11, then there's no cost to upgrade at this time. However, not every device is going to support upgrading. Windows 11 comes with stricter hardware requirements than previous versions of Windows. As a result, older PCs may not support those requirements and will be ineligible to upgrade.
How can I tell if my PCs support upgrading?
The official way to check for compatibility is to download, install and run the Windows PC Health Check app. However, a quicker way is to simply go by the age of the device(s) in question. Most business-class PCs built after 2021 are going to be compatible. Anything before that will be a bit more hit and miss, and anything before 2018 (which you shouldn't be running in a business network any longer anyway) will not be eligible.
Things also get a little fuzzy with consumer-grade PCs, specifically gaming PCs which shoot for performance over all else. Unfortunately, some of those performance tweaks come at the expense of the security requirements Windows 11 has, specifically a technology called TPM 2.0. We often see a lot of companies try to use gaming PCs as CAD desktops so design/architectural firms, manufactures, and any businesses which use "high horsepower" computing (but aren't running business-class workstations) may run into this problem.
What can I do if one or more of my devices aren't eligible?
The answer to this largely depends on why the device isn't eligible in the first place. In many cases, replacing the device is the top answer, but sometimes there are alternative solutions available. It may be best to contact us to check out your environment and see what options you have.
Am I going have to go through this again in a year or two if Windows 12 comes out??
The good news is no. Microsoft has made no mention of a Windows 12 and Windows 11 will likely be supported in a similar fashion to 10. Meaning, even if you replace half your PC fleet, you should have at least 5 years before having to worry about another upgrade, which will be right at the ideal hardware refresh interval anyway.
THAT SAID, Microsoft has been known to reverse course so we can't make any for-sure promises that things won't change. It's one of the many reasons it's ideal for even smaller businesses and organizations to have a technology partner that can help road-map upgrade rollouts and changes to avoid having to knee-jerk react at the last minute. If your business doesn't have that type of partner, or if your current partner just isn't cutting it, feel free to reach out to us for a chat about your current and future needs.