I’ve heard Windows 10 is coming to an end, is this true?

Yes! In October 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of it’s product lifecycle and so Microsoft will be ending all support for it.

Machines running Windows 10 will still continue to work but there will be no security updates for it or any technical support from Microsoft. Extended support on a subscription basis will be available for certain scenarios but this will be at a cost and one that increases year on year.

What are my options?

The main 3 options are either:

1. Continue running Windows 10 without support or security updates, however compatibility for some software will be phased out over time.
2. Change to Windows 11
3. Change to a different operating system such as Mac Os or Linux

Can I change to Windows 11 with my current system?

Although many of the features of Windows 11 are’nt too different to Windows 10, there are some technical requirements your machine must meet.

These are:

• Processor:                 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
• RAM:                         4 gigabytes (GB)
• Storage:                    64 GB or larger storage device
• System firmware:   UEFI, Secure Boot capable. TPM Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
• GPU:                         Graphics card Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
• Display:                    High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel.
• Internet:                   An internet connection and Microsoft account

Many machines from within the last few years already running Windows 10 may already meet these specifications. However, some older machines may not meet some of the requirements such as the processor, the and the system firmware including the TPM module.

What are my options to get Windows 11?

If your machine meets all the required specifications for Windows 11, then it is currently free to upgrade from your Windows 10 operating system.

If your machine does not meet the required specification, then there are three options:

1. Purchase a new machine that already has Windows 11 installed or meets the required specifications.
2. Upgrade your current machine to meet the required specifications – Depending on what hardware needs upgrading this is sometimes possible, sometimes it is not.
3. Install Windows 11 on your current machine even though it does not meet the required specifications.

The third option to install Windows 11 on a machine that does’nt meet the requirements does very often work and Microsoft themselves even point out how to do this. However, because the machine does not meet the official requirements there is a chance that in the future it may not be able to receive future updates or support for Windows 11. That said though, from experience we have already installed Windows 11 on some machines up to 10 years old and yet to come across any issues.

I am unsure what to do?

If you are unsure if your machine meets the minimum requirements or not, or if you want Windows 11 installing on a newer or older machine or if you need advice on what would be best for you to do. Please contact us for details.