The Windows upgrade to Windows 11 has been available since last Fall and many of our customers have been confused about whether to upgrade and how to keep employees from instantly upgrading without the whole organization being on board. Here are a few issues with upgrading immediately and advice on blocking employees from upgrading before you do:

As with any new OS, there can be glitches at first. if you are hesitant to upgrade right now, just click “Stay on Windows 10 for now.” According to zdnet.com, be sure that your hardware is compatible with Windows 11 before upgrading. Most PCs designed before 2019 are not CPU compatible and you would have to download an installation file, which is more difficult than an instant download.

You will also lose some features from Windows 10, that you might prefer. The task bar in Windows 11 has some limitations. You can dock the Windows 10 taskbar at the top of the display or on either side. The Windows 11 task bar is at the bottom. You can’t move it around or drag a file or icon onto the task bar and have it pinned as a shortcut.

There are annoying bugs with Windows 11 that will need to be fixed. The first feature upgrade is due in October of 2022, so if you are hesitant about the upgrade, it might be best to wait till then. If you have already upgraded, rest assured that these bugs will be fixed in the coming year. Also, if you have upgraded, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Blocking Upgrades for Now

How do you prevent over-eager employees from downloading the upgrade if you are not ready to have your organization upgraded yet? Using a GPO setting (best set up by an IT professional), employers can block an upgrade to Windows 11. If companies use Windows Update for Businesses (WUfB), it can be confusing (see 4sypsos.com) but here is what you need to do:

The setting Remove access to all Windows update feature will prevent employees from updating manually. It can be found under computer configuration>policies>administrative templates>windows component>windows update. This will prevent unauthorized upgrades to Windows 11. The Windows 11 upgrade will then not be installed until Windows 10 is near the end of its support or the administrator decides to upgrade.

Please contact us with any additional questions about the Windows 11. We know it can be confusing.