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Windows 11 upgrade advice for small and medium businesses

Should you upgrade to Windows 11 now? It depends…

This has been the most confusing upgrade decision in years, not because of the usual advice to wait around until all the bugs are ironed out, but because of the strict hardware requirements.

We don’t recommend upgrading any computers within your business right now, without having an IT team on hand to carry out the upgrade. 

Windows has always been the most popular operating system (OS) since its inception. This is due to the wide range of hardware compatibility. The big problem with Windows 11 is the minimum hardware requirements. All new operating systems have a minimum requirement, such as CPU, RAM and storage, but Windows 11 is asking for much more.

You’ll want to know the age of all your PCs, what components they have, and how they’re configured.

The update is free, and includes a new user interface, a redesigned Start menu, an overhauled Microsoft Store, Widgets, Microsoft Teams integration, and lots more.

It’s an exciting update with a fresh coat of paint and some great integrations, to help your business run more efficiently.

As exciting of an update as it is, there are quite a few caveats this time around. 

Windows 11 is changing things up with the following requirements:

  • Basic system requirements: 1GHz dual-core CPU, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, UEFI motherboard, TPM 2.0, DX12 graphics, 720p display
  • UEFI must be enabled
  • TPM must be enabled
  • Secure Boot must be enabled
  • Processor must be on Microsoft’s approved list if you want an in-place upgrade
  • 64GB of free space if you want to dual-boot Windows 11

You can bypass these requirements, however Microsoft is reserving the right to withhold security updates if you install on older systems.

Microsoft has an official PC Health Check tool (Direct download here) which allows you to check if your PC is compatible. If it is, we still wouldn’t recommend upgrading all of your computers right away. Should you wish to test Windows 11 before upgrading all machines, The Verge have as a great article explaining how to enable the various BIOS settings on your PC. 

Too complicated?

Then reach out to us. We’ll carry out a FREE IT AUDIT to ensure all your PCs are ready for the upgrade. We’ll test your software and processes beforehand, ensuring that everything works like it should.