The clock is ticking: 5 things to consider before migrating to Windows 10

As Windows 7 is put out to pasture, it is vital to make the swap to Windows 10 in a seamless manner. While there is the choice to pay for Windows 7 support and software updates through Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESUs), this can be extraordinarily costly.

As of January 14, 2020, support for Windows 7, which consists of software and security updates, will come at a hefty cost. Without these updates, your systems will be susceptible to viruses and malware. This highlights the importance of either migrating to Windows 10 or shelling out cash on paid Windows 7 support.

Compatibility is the key

According to a recent report from NetMarketShare, almost two-thirds of companies had been still running on Windows 7 at the time of the Windows 10 launch. For this reason, Microsoft has ensured that almost 99 percentage of Microsoft Store apps will work out of the box after the Windows 10 migration. Before migrating, it is essential to make sure there is a solution in place that can seamlessly reinstall applications on gadgets that have migrated to Windows 10.

Organizations that rely on in-house applications will have to face the arduous project of making sure that these applications are compatible with Windows 10. On top of this, almost each and every organization has web applications and websites that use legacy technology. For most of them to work, they frequently require plug-ins that is native to legacy browsers, such as Internet Explorer. However, Microsoft Edge is the default browser in Windows 10. Therefore, in order to render legacy websites besides any issues, companies want a solution that can reroute to a browser that can help these websites and applications.

Essential assessments

Before making the move to Windows 10, it is essential to know how many machines are still running Windows 7. Additionally, all target machines have to be assessed to make sure they meet the minimum requirements for Windows 10; the target machines should have at least 32GB of hard disk space, 1GB of RAM, and a 1Ghz processor.

User data: The make-or-break element

What good is upgrading if it requires leaving behind giant chunks of user data? User account details include the related user information and user files. Retaining the account details will reduce down time required for migration by getting rid of the want to re-customize every machine and reenter user-specific configurations after the migration.

Tackle the swarm of OS and application updates

One of the largest changes is continuous OS and application updates. Windows 10 checks for updates once each and every day. It's no secret that patching everything is a critical factor of cybersecurity; thinking about how crucial OS updates are and looking at previous attacks, such as Conficker worm, WannaCry, Petya, and NotPetya, it is necessary to make sure all patches and updates are implemented the moment they're released.

For medium to large organizations, doing this manually can be a massive undertaking. Scheduling and automating these frequent Windows 10 updates not only saves time, but additionally ensures no machines are left unpatched by mistake. Afterall, it only takes one unpatched machine to take down an entire network.

Take stock of inventory

You can't manipulate what you cannot measure. Before migrating, companies take time to analyze their applications. Monitor the utilization of each application, analyze the usage metrics, and figure out which applications need to be retained.

Before rolling out Windows 10, make sure that all hardware set has the drivers the system needs to function smoothly. For instance, if an imaging technique is being used, the imaged machine may be of a specific make and model than the one the image is being deployed to. Take note of the required drivers for every machine to keep away from driver incompatibility issues.

Conclusion

The Windows 10 migration all boils down to the strategy that organizations choose. Organizations learn the exclusive approaches to migration, and select a strategy that works fine for their IT environment and organization as a whole. Going one step further, a comprehensive endpoint management solution can assist extensively simplify the Windows 10 migration process.