Windows 11 Migration: A Plain-English Guide for London Businesses

Windows 10 end-of-life is here. Plan the migration properly — or pay for ESU and pretend the problem isn't real.

The deadline is real

Windows 10 reached end of mainstream support on 14 October 2025. Extended Security Updates (ESU) buy you time, but at a per-device cost that scales aggressively year-on-year. By 2026, the maths almost always favours migration.

Step one: hardware reality check

Windows 11 has firm hardware requirements — TPM 2.0, supported CPU, Secure Boot. Roughly 30–40% of the SME fleets we audit have at least some devices that won't upgrade in place.

Run a compatibility scan across your estate. The result usually splits into three buckets:

  • Upgrade in place — modern devices, low risk
  • Reimage — capable hardware that needs a clean install
  • Replace — anything older than ~2019, or unsupported CPUs

Step two: budget honestly

  • ESU per device: starts modest, increases each year
  • Replacement laptops: £700–£1,400 per user depending on spec
  • Engineering time for migration: budget 1–2 hours per device, plus discovery

For a 30-person business with 60% replacement need, you're looking at £15k–£25k spread over the migration window. Plan it; don't be surprised by it.

Step three: phase the rollout

Don't migrate everyone in one weekend. Run a pilot with 3–5 power users first. Capture issues with line-of-business apps, peripherals, and workflows. Then roll out in waves of 10–15 users with proper change comms.

Common migration potholes

  • Old printer drivers that haven't been updated since 2017
  • VPN clients that need new builds for Windows 11
  • Niche line-of-business apps that "work fine" on 10 but throw warnings on 11
  • BitLocker recovery keys that aren't escrowed properly

What you gain

Beyond compliance, Windows 11 brings genuine improvements: better security baseline (Pluton, virtualisation-based security on by default), tidier UX, faster boot, and better hybrid-work features. Done well, users notice the upgrade in a good way.

Want a migration plan?

We scope and run Windows 11 migrations for London SMEs every month. Book a free 30-minute call to get a tailored plan, or message us on WhatsApp to start the conversation.