Upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 – NOT a Nightmare

By Malcolm and John Harding of Compu-Home

We remind Macintosh users that although this column is one that they can blissfully ignore, it is unseemly to appear too smug!

Microsoft sometimes ghoulishly refers to “end of life” when the date for the end of support for a piece of software is approaching. In the case of the Windows 10 Operating System that date is October 14, 2025 and users of Windows 10 can expect to receive frequent reminders over the next year that the day is approaching. Although this does NOT mean that your computer will shut down on October 15, there are a few facts to keep in mind:

Microsoft will stop maintaining Windows 10 on or soon after that date and there has been no hint about an extension. Since “maintaining” refers primarily to updates related to security issues, security will eventually become problematic for users who stay with Windows 10 as time passes. 

Older computers cannot be upgraded to Windows 11. If you accept the invitation to upgrade but your computer turns out to be too old, you will get a clear message. “Too old” would be about six years old at this time. This is not whimsical or arbitrary – computers introduced in roughly 2018 came with notably improved safety measures built into their hardware, and Windows 11 takes advantage of them.

Advice can be found that there are “workarounds” for the older computer compatibility issue and that measures can be taken or utilities can be bought that will allow the upgrade. Considering that 1) Microsoft would have huge motivation to facilitate more computers being able to use Windows 11 if a way could be found to make that possible; 2) Microsoft does not charge for Windows 11, and 3) Microsoft has only a very small niche market share in the sale of computers, we are skeptical that the workarounds would work reliably for a useful length of time and we do NOT recommend that strategy.

If your computer cannot be upgraded and you decide to buy a replacement, this is not an emergency. You can take lots of time to be proactive, look for sales, ask for advice, and make considered decisions about exactly what you need, to avoid over-buying.

Upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 is free, and the glitches that were common in earlier years seem to have subsided. You can probably do it yourself. 

Whoever is performing the upgrade, it is vital to be absolutely sure to have done a full data backup before starting, in case something does go wrong. If you start down the road to the upgrade but have not done the backup, find a “Remind me later” button and back out until you are really ready.

The backup, followed by the 10-to-11 upgrade will likely take a few hours. You will have to be available occasionally during the process to monitor progress and to confirm next steps.

After the upgrade, learning to use Windows 11 is very smooth and quick for most people. Although Windows 11 is a significantly more sophisticated operating system than its predecessors, the “front end” features that we mere mortal users see and use day-to-day are largely cosmetic and you are unlikely to encounter serious mysteries. On the contrary, there are lots of little conveniences.

Microsoft has expressed a commitment that the other software that you were using in Windows 10 will run fine in 11. We have found that to be mostly true. Likewise, peripheral equipment such as printers and scanners seem to make the transition without difficulty, with a required driver update being the rare exception.