Windows 10 will reach end-of-life (EOL) on October 10, 2025. This means Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Any security issues found around and after this date will not be patched leaving computers vulnerable. The longer a computer is running Windows 10 past this date the more vulnerable it will become. Microsoft and RFX recommend planning an upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible. Proper planning is needed to make the transition as smooth as possible.
RFX is happy to help plan an upgrade project with you. There are a few ways to upgrade from Windows 10.
If the computer is older than about 3 years it is normally more economical to replace the hardware. Replacing hardware will help minimize potential downtime since you can use the old computer until the new is ready to be deployed.
If the computer is less than 3 years old then it is a candidate for a reload where we install a fresh version of Windows 11, reinstall software, and transfer data. This causes downtime as we’ll need the computer in our lab for this work.
Lastly, an in-place upgrade may be an option if a reload is not possible.
As we help plan a project for Windows 11, we’ll review the existing software to determine if any software upgrades are needed for compatibility. Some software applications or versions may not be compatible with Windows 11 and require additional licensing, hardware, or more. In those cases, we’ll have an in-depth discussion to review options. Examples are on-premise hosted applications or specialized hardware that connects to or is controlled by a computer.
Windows 11 has additional hardware requirements that Windows 10 did not have such as requiring a TPM (cryptography) chip and a processor on an approved list. We can help to determine if your systems are compatible. These types of projects should not be rushed so we recommend starting discussions now to plan for a project in 2025.