Five Questions to Answer Before Your Office Moves to Windows 11
Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on October 14, 2025. If your office still has Windows 10 computers, the question is no longer whether to move to Windows 11, but how to do it without losing a week of work. These five questions are the ones worth answering first. For the risks of waiting, see our post on what end of support means for your business.
1. Will our computers run Windows 11?
Windows 11 has stricter hardware rules than Windows 10. Microsoft’s published minimums include:
- a compatible 64-bit processor, 1 GHz or faster with at least 2 cores
- 4 GB of memory and 64 GB or more of storage
- UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability
- a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
- a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 and a WDDM 2.0 driver
The TPM and processor rules are the ones that catch most older machines. Microsoft’s PC Health Check app can test a single computer, but for an office of 10 or 50 PCs it is faster to pull the details from your management tools and list every machine, its age, and whether it qualifies. Some computers that fail the TPM check only need a setting turned on in the firmware, so check before you buy anything.
2. Will our business software and equipment still work?
Most current office software runs fine on Windows 11, including Microsoft 365 apps. The risk is in the older pieces: an accounting package that has not been updated in years, a practice management system, a label printer, a scanner, or a piece of lab or imaging equipment with its own drivers.
List every program and device your team depends on, then check with each vendor that it supports Windows 11. Test the critical ones on one machine before you touch the rest. This one step prevents most of the surprises.
3. What will change for our staff?
Less than people fear, but enough to cause questions on day one. The Start menu and taskbar are centered by default, the Settings app replaces much of the old Control Panel, and window layout tools make it easier to put two apps side by side. Right-click menus are shorter, with some options under “Show more options.”
A one-page cheat sheet and ten minutes at the start of the first morning saves a lot of help desk calls. People who do the same five tasks every day mostly need to know where those five things moved.
4. How do we roll it out without stopping work?
A calm rollout follows the same pattern for most small offices:
- Back up first. Confirm that every computer’s files are backed up and that you can actually restore one. See our backup and disaster recovery service if you are not sure.
- Pilot on two or three PCs. Pick people who can tolerate a hiccup and run their normal work for a week.
- Update drivers and firmware before each upgrade, because old drivers cause most failed installs.
- Upgrade after hours, a few machines at a time, so no one loses their desk on a busy morning.
- Keep the way back open. Windows normally lets you return to the previous version for about ten days after an upgrade. Do not clean up the old files until the machine has proved itself.
5. What do we do with computers that cannot upgrade?
You have three options, and the right one depends on the age and role of the machine:
- Replace it. For a PC that is already four or five years old, replacement is usually the better use of money.
- Pay for Extended Security Updates as a bridge. Microsoft sells these to businesses per device, starting at $61 for the first year with the price doubling each year, for up to three years. Check Microsoft’s current terms before you budget.
- Take it off the network. A computer that cannot be updated should not hold sensitive data or reach your file shares.
The wrong answer is to leave an unsupported computer in service and hope. It will keep running, which is exactly why it gets forgotten.
Getting help with the move
Our managed IT services cover hardware and software support, from purchasing to warranty services, which includes planning and carrying out an upgrade like this. If you are not a managed client, contact us about the move, or start with a free network review to see how your network and Wi-Fi are set up before you change anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is Windows 11 free for computers that qualify?
Eligible Windows 10 computers have been able to upgrade to Windows 11 at no extra charge, as long as they meet the hardware requirements and have a valid Windows license. Check with your IT provider before you assume every machine qualifies.
Will upgrading delete our files or programs?
A normal in-place upgrade keeps your files, programs and settings. Even so, back up before every upgrade. Backups are for the one machine in fifty where something goes wrong.
How long does an upgrade take per computer?
Plan on an hour or two per machine including updates and a restart or two, longer on older hardware. Most of that is waiting, so one technician can run several machines at the same time.
Can we just stay on Windows 10?
You can, but those computers no longer get free security fixes, and insurers and compliance reviewers increasingly ask about unsupported systems. It is safer to treat Windows 10 as something you are actively replacing.
What if one program will not run on Windows 11?
Ask the vendor for an update first. If there is none, keep that program on one isolated machine while you look for a replacement, and do not let that machine reach the rest of your network.
