Windows 11 Is Being Released October 5. Here’s What Businesses Need to Know

September 28, 2021 by Tim

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Overview

• Windows 11 will be released on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
• Windows 10 will be supported until October 13, 2025.
• Users are advised not to upgrade to Windows 11 until the kinks are ironed out.
• Most businesses should stick with Windows 10 until 2023 or 2024.
• Many older PCs, even those from 2018 or 2019, won’t be able to run Windows 11. Many businesses will need to buy new PCs to upgrade to Windows 11.

What’s Happening?

Windows 11, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, will be released on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

The only currently supported versions of Windows are Windows 10 and Windows 8.1. Most users, including all GMITS clients, are currently running Windows 10. If you are using an older version, such as Windows XP or Windows 7, you are exposing yourself to a security risk and should contact a trusted IT professional to ask about upgrading.

What’s New in Windows 11?

Frankly, I’m guessing that most small business users won’t be excited about the new features in Windows 11. Most notably, the user interface has been redesigned, with the Start Menu now in the middle of the screen.

There’s a few other cool ideas, like creating separate virtual desktops for different functions (like home and work), but many users likely won’t use this feature. Another thing Microsoft has promised is a better update process. But unfortunately, it looks like you’ll still have to reboot and stare at a Windows Update screen to update your PC.

Beyond that, the new features are mostly fluff. You can run some Android apps on Windows. You can use your Xbox game pass on your PC – not exactly the kind of things businesses were asking for.

What’s Happening To Windows 10?

While it may seem like Windows 10 just came out (partly because many users hung onto Windows 7 for so long), it’s actually been around since 2015. Believe it or not, these 6 years mark the longest gap ever between Windows releases.

Windows 10 will continue to be supported until October 14, 2025, meaning businesses have 4 years to upgrade. That being said, you don’t want to be upgrading at the eleventh hour! I recommend most businesses using Windows 10 begin to think about upgrading to Windows 11 sometime in 2023 or 2024.

Wasn’t Windows 10 Going to Be the Last Version Of Windows?

Yes. When Windows 10 was first released, Microsoft implied they were transition to a “Windows-as-a-Service” model. Instead of releasing a new version of Windows, Windows 10 would continue to receive periodic feature updates, forever.

Apparently, the plans have changed. Windows 11 is very real and will be released on October 5, 2021. Windows 10 will die in 2025.

Should I Upgrade to Windows 11 Now?

Probably not. While you will need to upgrade to Windows 11 eventually, it’s best not to be too early to the party. Any new operating system will have issues that need to be worked out during the first few months of its release.

Microsoft also has an unofficial track record of alternating good and bad operating systems. Of course, this is subjective, but many Windows users will agree with this assessment:

• Windows XP: decent
• Windows Vista: bad
• Windows 7: decent
• Windows 8/8.1: bad
• Windows 10: decent
• Windows 11: ????

If this trend continues, Windows 11 could be a dud. Just something to think about!

If you’re buying a new computer, I’d continue to look for PCs running Windows 10 for about a year or so, until the kinks are ironed out of Windows 11. Just make sure that your new computer will run Windows 11 when the time does come to upgrade (see below). Sometime in 2022, it will probably be safe to start purchasing new PCs with Windows 11.

Windows 11 can be installed as an in-place upgrade, meaning it installs itself on top of your existing Windows 10 and keeps all your files, programs, settings, etc. In my experience, this is too good to be true and can cause a host of issues. I recommend users contact a trusted IT professional to back up their data and perform a clean installation, which makes for a better experience.

There’s also the question of if your PC will even be able to run Windows 11, which brings us to…

The Requirements Controversy

When Windows 10 was released, Microsoft seemed eager to get its new operating system onto as many PCs as possible. Windows 10 has a lenient set of system requirements and can run well on older PCs.

It appears this won’t be the case with Windows 11. Microsoft is tightening the system requirements for Windows 11, which include:

• PCs must have the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, a special security chip
• PCs must support UEFI firmware with Secure Boot
• Users of Windows 10 Home must have a Microsoft account
• PCs must have a processor from Microsoft’s compatible list.

The processor requirement is especially bad news. For Intel processors, Microsoft will only be supporting 8th generation CPUs and newer, meaning that millions of PCs that are just a few years old won’t be able to run Windows 11. Many PCs sold in 2018 and even 2019 won’t run Windows 11!

Though I don’t reccomend businesses use computers older than about 5 years, many home users got adequate performance on Windows 10 with PCs that are 10 years old or even older. This won’t be possible with Windows 11.

It’s a shame and a disgrace that many folks will need to buy new PCs for Windows 11 when, if not for Microsoft’s requirements, their current PCs could easily run the new operating system. It’s a tragedy that millions of otherwise usable computers will be thrown in the trash once Windows 11 releases. To me, this looks like nothing more than a cash grab from Microsoft and manufacturers to sell new PCs.

Microsoft hasn’t been exactly clear about their Windows 11 requirements, either. At first, users could install the public preview of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Then Microsoft said the final version of Windows 11 would only work on supported PCs. Then they said Windows 11 would run on unsupported PCs after all.

At time of writing, Microsoft’s latest word is that you technically can install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, but won’t be able to install updates. Because updates are essential to the security and performance of Windows PCs, there’s no serious path to running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

While I’m hopeful Microsoft will relax their requirements, I’m not holding my breath. Some hacks or workarounds may be found that could be acceptable for home users, but most businesses should expect to purchase new PCs in the next few years to upgrade to Windows 11.

The Bottom Line

Windows 11 looks nice enough, but there’s not much change from Windows 10. And I’m feeling pretty sour about the hardware requirements, and the fact that Microsoft backtracked on their promise that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows.

Unfortunately, businesses who are tied to a Microsoft computing environment won’t have much choice but to play ball once Windows 10 reaches end of life. Business owners should mark their calendars (and budgets) to upgrade to Windows 11 sometime in 2023 or 2024.