Windows 11 Upgrades and Windows 10 End of Support
- Palak Chauhan
Windows 11 is a no-charge upgrade and is already in use by many units/faculties on campus. Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025.*
All units and individuals on campus are strongly encouraged to begin planning to ensure Windows computers (managed and unmanaged) are upgraded to Windows 11 before October 2025. On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, feature updates or security updates for Windows 10*.
Upgrading to Windows 11 by October 2025 is essential from a cybersecurity and data privacy perspective.*
Windows 11 has been evaluated for use with University of Waterloo enterprise applications.
It is also recommended to encourage employees and students to update their self-managed/personal Windows machines to Windows 11 by October 2025 (steps and instructions are below).
Upgrade to Windows 11
Before you upgrade
Check system requirements: Ensure your device meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. You can use the Microsoft PC Health Check to verify compatibility
Test any specialized applications/peripherals with Windows 11, and upgrade as needed.
Ensure there is enough free space on your computer’s hard drive, before installing Windows 11. Windows 11 requires ~20-30 GB of free space. See Freeing up hard drive space in Windows 10 - IST Knowledge Base - Confluence.
Windows 11 Upgrade Instructions – managed computers
**Academic Support Units (ASUs)
Upgrade to Windows 11 by February 11, to avoid any disruption in work after February 11. Instructions are at: Windows 11 in-place upgrade instructions.
All managed Windows systems in ASUs will upgraded to Windows 11 by February 11th (with very few exceptions).
Related communications have been sent to admin-support@lists.uwaterloo.ca
Faculties
Please consult with your Faculty IT support team for details.
Windows 11 Upgrade Instructions – unmanaged/personal computers
Windows 11 upgrade instructions for self-managed/personal devices: Windows 11 update instructions (personal or self-managed computers)
What if my computer/software/peripheral is too old to support Windows 11?
To see if your computer will run Windows 11, see Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements | Microsoft Windows and run Meet Windows 11: Features, Look, Benefits & More | Microsoft
**ASUs: IST Account Reps have a list of ASU computers that will not support Windows 11. Academic Support Computer Reps are encouraged to review this list with their IST Account Rep as soon as possible.
*The campus community is encouraged to upgrade hardware and software to support use of Windows 11 where possible. In rare cases where Windows 10 is still needed for an essential legacy peripheral/application please contact your IST Account Rep to explore options.
Windows 11 Learning Resources
Windows 11 - what's new, different
Windows 11 Essential Training | Learning
Learn more about Windows 10 end of support updates for education.
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Need help?
Contact the IST Service Desk online or 519-888-4567 ext. 44357.
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