Windows 11 at SLAC

Microsoft has released Windows 11 as of October 2021. Microsoft has made improvements to features and reliability in Windows 11. SLAC IT has evaluated Windows 11 for general deployment and use within the SLAC community.

Windows 10 support is ending and some systems cannot upgrade to Windows 11

• Windows 10 reaches end of support on October 14, 2025. Windows 10 systems will not be allowed to connect to the SLAC network after this date.
• Windows 11 has some significant system requirements. Several of these requirements are rather technical and often non-trivial to assess. Generally, systems purchased prior to 2019 are unlikely to support Windows 11.
• Dell provides a list of models (see below) that can be upgraded to Windows 11. If a system is determined to be incompatible with Windows 11 it must be lifecycled.
•  

Determining if your machine can upgrade to Windows 11

• The Windows 11 Upgrade Readiness tool has been made available in Software Center. This tool displays the upgrade readiness status of your system and indicates whether or not your machine is able to upgrade to Windows 11.
• You can find more information about the Windows 11 Upgrade Readiness tool in Knowledge Base Article KB0012825.
• If the Windows 11 upgrade is advertised to your system in the Updates tab of Software Center, it meets the Windows 11 system requirements and is ready to upgrade at any time.

If your system cannot be upgraded to Windows 11

• If your machine was determined that it cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 you must lifecycle the machine by sending it over to Salvage for proper disposal.
• You can find more information about how to salvage a computer here: KB0011249
• If you would like to purchase a new computer to replace that lifecycled computer then you can visit the IT Marketplace. https://it.slac.stanford.edu/marketplace

Steps to prepare for the upgrade to Windows 11

• Make sure your data is backed up using the approved applications: CrashPlan, OneDrive, Google Drive.
• Ensure 3rd party applications are up-to-date before initializing the upgrade to Windows 11.
• Applications in Software Center/Company Portal are ready for Window 11
• Ensure laptops are plugged in to a power source during the upgrade.
• Before starting the upgrade make sure you establish a stable internet connection. VPN is NOT required to be connected to.
• Disconnect from SLAC VPN before starting the upgrade.

Please allow 2-3 hours for the upgrade to Windows 11. Please Note: During the download and staging of the upgrade you can continue to work on the machine, and you will be prompted when a reboot is required to continue. Ensure that you have saved and closed anything you have been working on before rebooting. The upgrade will take another 30 minutes or so to complete following the reboot and you will not be able to work on the machine until it has finished.

List of all minimum system requirements for Windows 11

These are the minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11 on a PC. If your device does not meet these requirements, you may not be able to install Windows 11 on your device and might want to consider purchasing a new PC. If you are unsure whether your PC meets these requirements, you can use the PC Health Check app to assess compatibility. Note that this app does not check for graphics card or display, as most compatible devices will meet those requirements listed below.

Your device must be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to upgrade. Free updates are available through Windows Update in Settings>Update and Security.

• Processor – 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC).
• RAM – 4 gigabyte (GB).
• Storage – 64 GB or larger storage device Note: See below under “More information on storage space to keep Windows 11 up-to-date” for more details.
• System firmware – UEFI, Secure Boot capable. Check here for information on how your PC might be able to meet this requirement.
• TPM – Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. Check here for instructions on how your PC might be enabled to meet this requirement.
• Graphics card Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
• Display – High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9” diagonally, 8 bits per color channel.
• Internet connection – Windows 11 Pro for personal use and Windows 11 Home require internet connectivity and a Microsoft account during initial device setup.

Visual difference between Windows 10 and Windows 11

• Desktop and Start Menu – The Windows 11 desktop is now a more improved Aero look and feel to bring a calming look to the Windows Operating System. The Windows 11 Start Menu is now located in the middle of the Task Bar versus to the left in Windows 10.

• Manage Multiple Desktops – Using the Task View button on the taskbar, you can create and access multiple desktops for all your application needs.

• Start Menu and Full Applications List – With Windows 11, you’ll have to click on ‘view all apps’ once you open the Start Menu in order to see the full list of applications installed on your machine.

List of SLAC purchased Dell models that can support Windows 11 upgrade

If you have any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk.