Windows 10 is an operating system many have come to know and love, dominating the market starting in 2014. However, today tells a different story. Microsoft has announced that the end of life for Windows 10 will be on October 14, 2025. This will be the time when Microsoft stops releasing security updates and patches, potentially leaving millions of systems still running the OS open and vulnerable to attack.
Today, I am going to explain the need to upgrade to Windows 11, and what it might mean for you.
Windows 11 is Microsoft's newest operating system, publicly released in 2021. As always, its popularity was split and opinions were divided. Windows 11 brought a new and innovative user interface to the table, alleviating some of the design flaws of Windows 10, including the redesign of system apps such as File Explorer and Settings. Microsoft has also made Windows 11 more compatible with hardware drivers out of the box, meaning a new device should work straight away. Windows 11 also incorporates enhanced security, with Windows Defender built-in ensuring your device is protected from malware and viruses. Microsoft has also packed in plenty more features and redesigns that can be explored .
What stops many people from upgrading their systems to Windows 11 is Microsoft's new strict hardware requirements. These include (but are not limited to) TPM 2.0, UEFI and Secure Boot, DirectX 12, and at least 4GB of RAM. The full list can be found . Newer systems, many built within the last 4 or 5 years, are compatible out of the box, with new PCs today shipping with Windows 11. These systems can be upgraded or have a clean install of Windows 11 using . For PCs that do not meet these requirements, please read the below section as many systems do work with Windows 11 simply by bypassing the requirements.
For non-advanced users without a compatible PC, you can download the latest , then download , a tool that writes the ISO file to a USB Flash Drive. This method can also bypass the system requirement of a minimum 4GB RAM, TPM 2.0, and Secure Boot. Check out this handy guide from Make Use Of to learn more.
WARNING*: This method may make your computer unstable and cause data loss. It may also prevent your system from receiving updates. Please back up your data before you start and conduct thorough testing before deciding if it should be your main OS. Digital Digest assumes no responsibility for your decision.*
For Homelab users or Businesses using Windows Server without a compatible PC, Microsoft includes official tools designed for Windows Server that can deploy the Windows client OS. This method bypasses all system requirements and makes Windows 11 deployable over the network, regardless of whether the computer supports the hardware requirements. This is achieved by integrating with . Once Windows 11 is configured as an OS for install in MDT, the MDT WinPE Boot ISO can be created and converted to a WIM file, then placed as a boot image in WDS. This method can be installed like a normal OS from a PXE server and can be integrated with Active Directory setups for ease of use. Refer to if you need help.
As this method is designed for businesses in mind it is much more stable and less likely to cause issues than other methods, however you should still conduct your own testing*.*
Summary: Windows 10's life is coming to an end on October 14, 2025, after 11 long years. This means no more security or feature updates will be issued, and there will be a big push to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft has set strict system requirements for Windows 11; however, these can be bypassed using the methods described above.
Thank you for reading!
Digital Digest :)
