FAQ for Upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11

As a trusted Microsoft Solutions partner, Thrive experts recommend the following steps to ensure a successful migration: 

1. Assess Your Current Setup: Evaluate your existing hardware and software to determine compatibility with Windows 11, including systems which should be retired rather than replaced.
2. Backup Your Data: Ensure that all important data is backed up before starting the upgrade process.
3. Create a Timeline: Plan a timeline for the upgrade, considering factors such as business operations and potential downtime.
4. Test Before Rollout: Perform a test upgrade on a small group of devices to identify any issues and address them before an organization-wide rollout.
5. Train Your Team: Provide training and resources to help your team get familiar with Windows 11 and its new features.

Yes, Thrive helps new clients assess and manage their Microsoft environments all the time! We’d love to speak with you and get you on the path to Windows 11 success. Contact us today at info@thrivenextgen.com or complete this quick form to get started.

For clients that have Thrive End User Support or Managed Patching services on their devices, Thrive will assess device readiness and provide a summary of devices that are ineligible and need replacement. Your account management team can work with you to procure new workstations that meet Windows 11 criteria. 

Before fully rolling out the upgrade, Thrive will run a pilot migration to prove its effectiveness. Once determined ready, Thrive will deploy the Windows 11 Feature Update to the remaining eligible devices and provide remote support during the next business day to help ensure a smooth transition.  

After the upgrade process is complete, Thrive will provide a summary of all the devices that were upgraded, which you can review with your account management team.  

For organizations looking for strategic and technical consultative help, Thrive’s Advisory Services can also assist clients throughout the process and design a plan for any additional managed Microsoft, AI, cybersecurity, cloud, or help desk needs. 

Thrive’s advisory services help clients develop and manage a customized and effective information security program. 

Thrive’s virtual CIOs (vCIOs) work within your account management team to align your technical strategies by: 

• Assessing your environment, processes, and infrastructure to create a Technology Business Review and provide strategic roadmaps aligned to your priorities 
• Advising on new technology/solution environment readiness, such as Windows 11 
• Developing and maintaining a deep functional knowledge of your business operations, goals, technical challenges, and critical infrastructure 
• Working with your account management team on budgeting and forecasting 

Yes, Thrive account managers will work directly with you to help obtain the services required to update to Windows 11. 

Yes, Microsoft provides an option that’s available for up to three years post-Windows 10 End of Life/End of Service. The Microsoft Extended Security Update (ESU) program for Windows 11 is limited to Critical and Important Windows 10 security patches and is intended to protect your organization while you migrate to the new system.  

The ESU program does not add any new capabilities to Windows 10, and it does not include Windows 11 features, updates, or Microsoft technical support. 

Windows 10 ESUs for Commercial editions are only available through a Microsoft partner like Thrive. Thrive helps clients access specific volume licensing programs or other options for Enterprise, Pro, and Education edition ESU purchases.  

Contact your account manager or reach our team today for details. 

No, Microsoft technical support isn’t included in the ESU program. However, Microsoft will provide support for customers that encounter challenges related to the ESU itself. 

When you purchase your Windows 10 ESUs through Thrive, we assist with the installation and activation on your devices. 

Thrive Microsoft-centric services are available options for additional layers of security, and Thrive End User Support can help bridge some gaps while you prepare for a complete Windows 11 upgrade. 

Yes, vulnerabilities and attack vectors will rapidly evolve throughout the global transition to Windows 11. Thrive strongly recommends clients use a multi-layered security strategy that takes advantage of Microsoft’s specialized ESU updates as well as Thrive’s EDR with real-time monitoring and orchestrated threat containment to stay ahead of risks. 

There are two considerations for whether a device should be upgraded or replaced: its hardware compatibility and its age. Not all systems are eligible for upgrade to Windows 11 because of the CPU requirements; there are reports in the Thrive Client Portal that can show upgrade readiness. Even if a machine can be upgraded, it still may not be worth it given the performance and longevity of older hardware. Generally speaking, the benefits of procuring a new machine outweigh the costs and risks associated with proceeding with an in-place upgrade, especially those machines that are 18 months old or older. 

Older but still functional machines can be retained and converted to spares, while new machines running Windows 11 are purchased for use. 

Most applications that work with Windows 10 should work with Widows 11. However, in rare cases that they do not, it may be worth exploring other solutions such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI.