Should I Update Windows 10

Susan Bradley

Past , Contributing Author, Computerworld |

Planning to update to Windows 11? A checklist before you lot practise

With the Oct. 5 launch engagement less than a calendar month abroad, it's time to think near when Windows users should movement from 10 to 11. (Helpful hint: Don't rush.)

The date has been announced: Microsoft volition starting time offer Windows 11 on October. 5 to computers that fully meet its hardware requirements. But should you update?

With Windows 11, the determination isn't then clear.

It might seem quaint, but once upon a time, customers used to line up overnight at the local tech store to get a re-create of the latest and greatest Microsoft release. Now that we can update ourselves (bold y'all accept the right hardware), my recommendation is to hold off. It'southward best to ensure that any major bugs have been fixed before installing Windows 11 and to make certain your vendors will support information technology.

With software these days, everything you purchase ships with an unfinished production behind the virtual shrink wrap. From operating systems to Internet of Things devices, everything needs an immediate update to function as advertised. (This was recently showcased at Michael Niehaus' engineering weblog, Out of Office Hours, where he found that Windows Server 2022 needed a contempo cumulative update installed to fix several bugs.)

It's not just early on-release bugs that volition go on me from rolling out Windows 11 to the few systems I have that will support it. More anything else, I need to make certain that the fundamental software I rely on will support whatsoever new feature release. Here's what I keep an heart on before whatsoever upgrade.

First, I cheque whether my antivirus software supports any I'm trying to install. I rely on Microsoft Defender, as I feel it ensures that Defender will back up the operating system on the mean solar day of release. I've tracked issues in the past when antivirus from third-party vendors did non support a Windows release on twenty-four hour period one and caused issues. So check the antivirus you employ and ensure that it'southward fully up to date or uninstall information technology if you programme to upgrade to Windows xi.

Adjacent, I check my Office suite to see whether information technology will support Windows 11. I have a subscription to Microsoft 365, then I know it will be supported. But some older Function suites may be dropping out of support and, in particular, no longer supporting online services such as Microsoft 365 or Office 365. As of Nov. ane, only Outlook 2013 SP1 and after will connect to Microsoft 365 and Office 365.

Adjacent I check those applications I utilize day to mean solar day for either my own PCs or the computers at the function. Already, I've been receiving notifications from my line of business vendors that they won't exist supporting Windows 11 for several months after release. For example, Commerce Clearing House — a maker of taxation preparation software — indicated that it will non be supporting Windows 11 for the upcoming tax preparation season that starts in Feb 2022 and runs through April fifteen (assuming the tax borderline is not pushed as information technology has been in prior years).

Microsoft has already started rolling out an optional update of KB5005101 to Windows 10 (released on Sept. 1) that allows the upcoming Windows eleven release to be blocked.

As Microsoft notes in the release notes, it "adds the "Target Production Version" policy. With this, administrators can specify the Windows product they want devices to drift to or remain on (for example, Windows x or Windows 11)."

Specifically, Microsoft added to the group policy settings a new value in the "Select Target Feature update" version. Prior to the update, the setting but had a value for setting the "Target version for Characteristic Updates." You put in the release information, as noted in aka.ms/ReleaseInformationPage. Once the preview update is installed, the settings change will specifically allow you lot to target Windows 10 or Windows xi.

Basically, the group policy has been expanded to target both the characteristic release version as well as the specific Windows product version. Thus, if you have Windows ten and want to stay on Windows ten for the foreseeable hereafter, click on the search box and type in edit group policy. Next, curl down to Computer Configuration, then to Authoritative Templates, then Windows Components> Windows Update> Windows Update for Business organization. Observe the setting for Select the target Feature Update version. Click on enabled, fill in the Product version in the first box ("Windows x") then the feature release version you want to keep.

Notation: I don't recommend you install this preview update at this time; information technology'due south just so you know this value will exist included in the September Patch Tuesday releases. If yous want to keep your reckoner — or your firm's computers — on Windows 10, this is the setting to exam.

Windows ten Home tin can't do grouping policy, so you'll demand to use a registry key instead. There are two registry keys used to go on a computer on Windows 10. ProductVersion is a REG_SZ with a value information of Windows 10. The 2d sets the characteristic release version you want to keep the system at. Thus, you would add together TargetReleaseVersion with a Reg_dword of i and TargetreleaseVersionInfo with a REG_SZ value of the Windows 10 version you want to proceed running — for example 21H1.

So information technology would await as follows:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"TargetReleaseVersion"=dword:00000001
"ProductVersion"="Windows 10"
"TargetReleaseVersionInfo"="21H1"

If y'all want an easier style to set this value, you lot can employ this link to set the value to Windows 10 with feature release 21H1 or this link to gear up the value for Windows ten to characteristic release 21H2.

Microsoft has indicated that if you accept hardware that isn't officially supported, you tin can use an ISO to install Windows 11 — merely it may non receive security updates going forrard. This is not something anyone should even want to exercise on their estimator systems. Information technology puts you at take a chance besides equally other figurer users who would exist vulnerable to attacks from this unpatched machine.

Lesser line: If your system can't support Windows 11, don't try to install it. If your system can exist updated to Windows 11, make up one's mind judiciously when (or if) y'all should update. And utilise guidance from your vendors to assist make up one's mind when is the best time to move to 11.