Why Upgrade?
Windows 10 will be end of life in October 2025 and will no longer receive security updates from Microsoft. At that time it will no longer be supported by either ITS or the Educational Technologies Office.
We recommend that all users of Windows 10 computers upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as practicable in order to ease the transition as you may find it harder to adjust if the upgrade is delayed until October. The upgrade takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ETO at [email protected] or 434-924-7086.
Note: Once you have upgraded your computer to Windows 11, we recommend checking the bottom of this page for the Common Questions About Windows 11 section.
Automated Upgrade to Windows 11
Manually Upgrade to Windows 11
Common Questions about Windows 11
Automated Upgrade to Windows 11
Beginning in August, computers that are capable of installing Windows 11 will begin receiving notifications urging you to upgrade to Windows 11.
Initially, the upgrade to Windows 11 will be optional, but as October approaches the upgrade notifications will appear more often and the option to Snooze will be disabled.
When the notification appears you will see the following options.
- Ok: Begins the upgrade process immediately. The computer will restart at the end of the upgrade.
- Snooze: Puts the notification to sleep for two hours before it appears again.
Note: The Snooze button may be disabled in the future as October 14th approaches.
Once the upgrade begins this notification will appear.
After approximately 30-45 minutes the upgrade will be complete and the computer will restart automatically.
IMPORTANT: Please save any documents or other information to ensure that the restart does not cause any work loss.
Manually Upgrade to Windows 11
1. Go to Start > search for "check for updates" and click Open.
It's possible that you will need to click the Check for Updates button again until there are no Windows 10 update available, but most computers should have the Windows 11 upgrade available.
2. To begin the upgrade process, click "Download and install."
IMPORTANT: If you do not see Windows 11 as available after installing all available updates in Windows Update, proceed to the Check Your Computer Compatibility section below or contact the ETO ([email protected] or 434-924-7086).
3. Agree to the Software License Terms and then the upgrade will begin downloading.
4. When the upgrade is ready to start, you will be prompted to restart or pick a time.
5. Once the upgrade begins your computer will restart several times and screens like the below will be shown.
Check Your Computer Compatibility
Most computers from the last 6 years can upgrade to Windows 11.
If you do not have the Windows 11 Upgrade available after checking for all available updates, you can use the PC Health Check App to confirm that your computer is eligible (Microsoft instructions here).
Example: PC is compatible with Windows 11
Example: PC not compatible with Windows 11
If your computer is not eligible for Windows 11 for any reason, contact the ETO at [email protected] or 434-924-7086.
Common Questions about Windows 11
How do I change the position of the Start Menu?
Right click on the Taskbar (the bar of the bottom) and select Taskbar settings.
Scroll down if needed and select Taskbar behaviors.
You can then change the Taskbar alignment to the Left.
My right click menu is different?
Microsoft condensed many of the functions and hid others behind a Show more options button when you right click.
Below is an example of some of the content menu options you're used to from Windows 10.
Is there a dark mode?
Yes, Windows 11 has a dark mode.
To enable it, go to start and search for "dark mode" and open Turn on dark mode for apps.
Then under Choose your mode change it to Dark.
You can also change the theme by going to the Start Menu and opening Themes and related settings, then changing the theme to your liking.