Thinking of upgrading to Windows 11 (23h2)?
Upgrading to Windows 11 (23H2)
Microsoft announced on 20th September 2023, that they would be ending the free upgrade option for running Windows 7 or 8 (Source: Microsoft).
What does this mean for you?
You’ll now need to pay for a licenced version of the software if you’re running Windows 7 or 8 and want to upgrade to Windows 11. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free (at the time of writing).
Why this isn’t such bad news….
To take advantage of the latest features in Windows 11, you should ideally be running it on the latest hardware. PCs optimized for Windows 7 or 8 may struggle to run Windows 11, even if the device meets the minimum specifications.
Still thinking of upgrading?
If you’re a home user running Windows 10 and want to upgrade, Microsoft will notify you through Windows Update. They recommend waiting for this option to become available and not upgrading before then. To see if Windows 11 is ready for your PC, select:
Start > Settings >> Update & Security >> Windows Update >> Check for Updates - (Source: Microsoft).
Minimum System Requirements
Microsoft have specified the following as the minimum hardware requirements to run Windows 11:
Processor: 1 GHz with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor.
Memory: 4 GB or greater.
Storage: 64 GB or greater available disk space.
Graphics card: compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver.
System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
Display: High definition (720p) display, 9" or greater monitor, 8 bits per colour channel.
Having been advising clients for nearly 10 years on the type of PCs they should be purchasing for their workforce, the above specifications isn’t (IMHO) adequate for most home or even business users. Attempting to run Windows 11 on the bare minimum requirements may result in a less than satisfactory end user experience or poor performance, unless of course you’re the type of person who prefers waiting in queues or traffic jams.
For guidance, a device purchased 4 years ago and considered to be in the mid to high-end bracket specs wise at the time, should most certainly handle Windows 11. The said device should perform adequately as a general-purpose productivity device (e.g. primarily used for Microsoft Office, online browsing or media consumption such as YouTube or Spotify). At work, I use a Dell OptiPlex 7480 (all-in-one) desktop PC and at home, I use a Dell XPS 13 7390 laptop. The hardware specifications for both devices are as follows:
Desktop: 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5-10500 Processor || 8 GB Memory || 256 GB Solid State Drive.
Laptop: 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7-10510U Processor || 16 GB Memory || 500 GB Solid State Drive.
Both devices have been tested with Windows 11 installed. Both devices have handled the new OS reasonably well, given the respective ages of either device and for my particular use case (i.e. a standard office and home user). Despite a few minor technical wobbles, the operating system has been running stably so I’m not in any rush to reinstall Windows 10.
Thinking of purchasing a new device?
Recently, my department ran a procurement tender to replace c. 250 all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs and laptops over the summer. Windows 10 (22H2) is currently deployed across the organisation (on c. 4,600 PCs) and the department is planning a mid-2025 release date for Windows 11. As a result, we have had to define our new PC hardware standard with Windows 11 in mind. Other relevant parameters include a lifespan of at least 5 years and a budget of £700-800 for a desktop PC and £650-700 for a laptop (including taxes). With this in mind, we settled upon the following specifications:
AIO Desktop Unit:
24-27” non-touch anti-glare panel with a height/tilt adjustable stand.
Processor: Intel i5-10505 or better.
Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM.
Storage: 512GB SSD.
Integrated Graphics supporting DirectX v12 or better
System Firmware: UEFI – Secure Boot capable & TPM Version 2.
Integrated Camera/Microphone/Speakers/Headphone socket.
Power Supply: Internal bronze PSU.
Ports:
1 x 100/1000 Network Port – minimum.
1 x HDMI Port - minimum.
1 x DisplayPort – minimum
4 x 3.2 Gen 2 USB Ports -– minimum (at least 1 x port being USB-C).
Laptop:
Screen size: 14-16” non-touch anti-glare panel.
Processor: Intel i5-8265U or AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (Minimum processor specification).
Memory: 16 GB DDR4 RAM.
Storage: 512 GB SSD.
Integrated Graphics.
System Firmware: UEFI – Secure Boot capable & TPM version 2.
Integrated Camera/Microphone/Speakers/Headphone socket.
1 x WiFi 6 – 802.11ax.
Ports:
1 x 100/1000 Ethernet Port.
1 x HDMI.
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (1 x port being USB-C)
If you’re a small business or a home user and are in the market for a general all-purpose device, then you can’t go far too wrong with these specifications above if your budget permits. I’ve already trialled Windows 11 on one of our new desktop PCs. The responsiveness of the machine was excellent (as you’d expect from a freshly installed version of Windows running on modern hardware) and the overall end user experience of using Windows 11 was extremely positive.
One curveball - AI
I did consider future proofing our investment by trying to anticipate the future hardware requirements of the next version of Windows. Sources like Tech Advisor suggested at the time, that the next generation of Windows may feature AI heavily and so may have a very different set of hardware requirements, such as incorporating AI into the chipset design (e.g. AMD’s Ryzen AI). Working in higher education, the department felt that there is no need to invest in bleeding edge technology at this stage. Much of the sector (like many others), is trying to understand and grapple with AI given its impact upon the workforce and student learning. As a result, hardware consideration for this technology was deferred until next summer pending ongoing discussions internally, within the sector and within the Department for Education.
The Windows 11 Update (23H2)
How to get it
Microsoft recently released the latest version of Windows 11, 23H2, known as the Windows 11 Update. To get it simply switch on Get the latest updates as soon as they're available setting if you’re a home user (Source: Windows Central). Need some further help? Read this easy-to-follow guide here.
Before doing anything, I strongly recommend taking a backup of all your data and applications in the unlikely event that a restore or even a rebuild is required. If you’re an organisation, the Windows 11 2023 Update is available through Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and Windows Update for Business. You can download it directly through the Volume Licensing Service Center, Software Download Center or through Visual Studio Subscriptions (Source: Microsoft Tech Community). I highly recommend installing the Windows 11 update on a sample of PCs (targeted deployment) to test compatibility across devices, apps and infrastructure. You should also research any known issues and notifications here.
What’s new in Windows 11
Here’s a quick high-level rundown of some of the features in the latest addition of the OS:
Co-pilot in Windows (in preview), an AI powered intelligent assistant.
Windows passwordless experience or login.
Web sign-in for Windows.
Enhanced Windows firewall capabilities.
Greater control over taskbar search.
Snipping tool enhancements.
Declared configured protocol.
Multi-app kiosk.
From the summary above, the 2 most interesting features that caught my eye in the new update of Windows 11 are:
Co-pilot.
Passwordless authentication.
Co-Pilot
Co-Pilot is Microsoft’s everyday Generative AI companion that aims to help you with productivity and creativity.
For those who blissfully unaware, Generative AI is simply a type of artificial intelligence that can generate new content (e.g. text, images or music), without explicit human input. It's like having a computer program that can create things on its own, rather than simply following pre-programmed instructions.
According to Wired, Co-Pilot should be able to compose a poem, write code and come up with travel advice. The service will integrate with Microsoft services such as M365, Edge, Windows 11 and Bing. To switch it on after you have installed the 23H2 update, read this, however, this service isn’t free. It will cost $30 per user per month (at the time of writing with an annual commitment) and requires a M365 E3 or E5 licence.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, colleges across the country are assessing the impact of AI on both learners and staff alike. It would be interesting to see how Co-Pilot could possibly be woven into the workflow of staff and to also aid in the learning process for students. The future impact of AI cannot be underestimated in this or any other sector; this moment feels similar to when the electronic calculator was first introduced and those involved in education were saying how maths would ever be the same again.
Passwordless Authentication
Do you have problems remembering your password? I do which is why I use a password manager. Are you guilty of using an insecure password? Many people are. Microsoft’s solution to these problems is to go passwordless. Yes, you read that right! No passwords. Now, this doesn’t mean zero security. It simply means confirming (or rather authenticating) your identity using biometrics (e.g. facial recognition or fingerprint scanning). This unlocks the passkey so you can gain access websites or apps. As I manage a helpdesk for a group of colleges (spread across 4 campuses), I see a lot of support requests are raised for password resets. Work associated with resetting passwords really isn’t a good use of anyone’s time and affects ultimately affects productivity (Source: Mashable). Using biometrics should negate the need for a password and so, I would expect to see a drop in such support-related requests and a rise in productivity.
Should I upgrade?
That depends. If I was faced with this question, I have 3 criteria that will aid in my decision-making.
Is there an immediate time sensitive reason to upgrade? Windows 10 is a solid operating system and will remain in support until October 2025 (i.e. it will still receive security updates until this date). From this perspective, there really is no reason to upgrade right now if you’re a home user or organisation. If you’re the latter, you should use this time to plan and test compatibility of Windows 11 with your existing IT estate with view to an eventual upgrade before Windows 10 support formally ends.
Hardware performance. If your current hardware runs Windows 10 sufficiently but might struggle with Windows 11, I recommend waiting until you’re ready to purchase new hardware before trying Windows 11. My rationale? You’re likely to have a better experience and for doing so given that Windows 11 can get better performance out of many modern Intel CPUs (Source: Computer World).
Feature wise, there are some notable differences between Windows 10 and 11, including the look and feel. If you’re keen on taking advantage of new features, such as experimenting with Co-Pilot and embedding it into your workflows or if you’re someone who’s just keen on future proofing their IT knowledge, then Windows 11 23H2 and Co-Pilot is a decent place to start. It is worth pointing out that there are other ways of getting exposure to AI that doesn’t involve upgrading to Windows 11.
For a deeper dive into the above, check out this Microsoft Learn page (Source: Microsoft).
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