Windows 10 is approaching its end of life on October 14, 2025. Microsoft will stop releasing security patches after that date. Many clients have already upgraded to Windows 11 through the self-update mechanism provided by Microsoft or have purchased new assets and had no choice but to move to Windows 11.
When Windows 7 neared its end of life, we witnessed that people who delayed the upgrade created security issues for themselves, and a rush to order and replace hardware at higher costs due to shortages.
We are working with our clients to get ahead of this. In most cases, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 11 for those systems that are on Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise and have qualified hardware.
It is useful to note that any hardware that is not qualified to run Windows 11 will be considered end-of-life beginning October 14, 2025, as well. The greatest limitations are around processor, memory, and TPM security modules. Any system without a TPM module is ineligible for upgrade due to security reasons.
If a computer was purchased before 2018, it will likely not run Windows 11. There are exceptions to this guideline, but don’t count on good performance.
At this time, we have paused automatic updates to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 for all clients. Please let us know if you want us to unblock automatic updates or do it yourself by navigating through Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. Under Active hours, choose to update manually or automatically to Windows 11.
We will be removing this automatic update block on a rolled-out basis in the coming months. It is our professional belief that upgrading now is better in the long term. SpireTech will be reviewing each client to see how many Windows 10 machines are eligible for update and start pushing those updates between now and end of 2024 to get ahead of any issues. Clients that are on ineligible hardware will need to work with your account representatives to plan for asset replacements before 2025.
Updating early means you will experience less friction in the transition. Clients that have already requested to update to Windows 11, in all cases, have not experienced any of the issues that the entire industry faced during the Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration years ago. Line-of-business apps that work in Windows 10 are already directly compatible with Windows 11.
There are a lot of good reasons to switch to Windows 11 now. It’s more visually appealing than Windows 10, it has improved security features to help keep your PC safe, and you’ll have the most advanced technology and interface design, as well as capabilities and features that are only available in the newest version of the software.
We hope this explanation helps you understand why upgrading to Windows 11 is a smart move for you and your business. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us anytime. We are always happy to assist you.
Thank you for choosing us as your trusted partner in technology.