We know you just can’t resist the ‘Free’ upgrade offer to Windows 10, and time is running out (July 31 unless they extend the date).  If that’s the case, then there’s some planning you need to do before you click the button!

• At a minimum, be on Windows 7. (You shouldn’t have any XP’s anyway!)
            If you’re running Windows 8.1, you’ll like Windows 10 better according to the techs.
• Check your computer specs:

o   You need a 1Ghz processor, minimum

o   We strongly recommend at least 4GB of RAM to have any kind of positive experience

o   Make sure you have lots of drive space; this isn’t an uninstall/upgrade – it creates a new directory and takes more space

o   Supports DirectX Video card

• Anti-Virus – there are compatibility issues with several AV products including the popular Symantec Endpoint anti-virus; it’s not compatible, which means you can’t have Windows 10 and Symantec Endpoint on the same machine

o   Choose an AV product that is compatible with Windows 10; we have an anti-virus service that is absolutely compatible and is an excellent product; give us a call to get more details (630-850-9039)

• Critical Software you need in order to run your business – not all software is compatible with Windows 10 at this time.  You may have special applications for accounting, managing products or services, etc.  If you cannot function without these software packages, call them, get on their websites, talk with other companies that use the software, but find out if they are compatible before you click the upgrade button.  We cannot emphasize this enough!!

o   Here’s a tip – with a recent Windows Security update, Microsoft has made available a small icon that sits on the tray in the bottom right corner of your screen.  It is designed to check the software on your computer to see if anything is incompatible with Windows 10.

o   There are a couple of steps to run this test, so we’ve provided a screen shot for you

Update-procedure-windows-10

 If your software is compatible and you’re dead set to install the upgrade, make sure you have the software disks available for any specific software you’ve installed on your computer.  After the upgrade, you may need to re-install one or more of the programs, so have things ready before you start.

OK – with this kind of planning, the risk of a computer problem during the Windows 10 upgrade is lowered, but we still recommend waiting until Microsoft releases the Service Pack (the fixes for everything the rest of the world has uncovered).  If we can help in any way, just give us a call and we’ll jump in!  — CMW