Windows 11 Upgrade

About the upgrade

As of the 14th of October 2025, Windows 10 will be retired and will no longer be supported by Microsoft. In accordance with University rules this means that PCs running Windows 10 will no longer be allowed on the MSD IT network. Microsoft has put strict requirements on the PC hardware that can be upgraded to Windows 11, meaning that many PCs will not be upgradable, and therefore effectively making them redundant.   

Medical Sciences need to ensure that all our PCs are running Windows 11 before this date. MSD IT and associate IT managers will work with you to identify PCs and ensure this migration to Windows 11 is completed within the deadline with minimal disruption. 

Will there be any exceptions?

No, all desktop PCs will have to be running Windows 11 by October 2025 or they will not be allowed on the network. 

What do I need to do?

1. Identify if your PC can be upgraded

 Click Start and start typing “about your pc”.

As you do so the About your PC setting will appear at the top of the search list. Select it and it will bring up the following window

Under Windows specification you can see which version of Windows is running. If it says Windows 11 then no upgrade is needed. If it says Windows 10 then check the processor model. Anything 8th generation Intel or greater should be OK for a Window 11 upgrade. In this case we have a 13th gen Intel processor so this PC can be upgraded (on some older processor models it might not say which generation it is, but 8th generation and greater will show as 8000 or above).

Please note: if your PC can't be upgraded you will need to talk to your department to discuss your options for a new PC. 

2. Register for an upgrade

Complete the Windows 11 Upgrade form to register for an upgrade. 

You will need to backup any data stored on your hard disk that you need to keep before the upgrade takes place. 

You will need to know the Service Tag (serial number for a non Dell). The service tag is usually on the front panel of a Dell desktop or on the underneath of a laptop. If for some reason you cannot see it you can find it like this: 

Click Start and start typing “cmd”, as you do Command Prompt will appear at the top of the search list:

Select it and the Command Prompt window will open.

At the prompt type “wmic bios get serialnumber” then hit enter.  The Serial Number (Service Tag) will be reviled

Upgrade methods

Clean install

This is MSD IT’s preferred method. It will involve completely wiping the PC and reinstalling Windows 11. It will take between 30 and 60 minutes and on completion it will operate as when it was first delivered from Dell. The software included is Office 2021, Teams, Cisco VPN client and Sophos anti-virus.  Any other software that was installed on the PC would have to be reinstalled separately. 

All data on the hard disk will be wiped and it is your responsibility to make sure that this data is backed up if needed. We would recommend Microsoft One drive for this, but external disks and your OES/Novell home drive can also be used. 

A clean install of Windows 11 helps declutter the computer, frees up space, and eliminates performance and speed issues. It also eliminates system problems like blue screen errors. 

In place upgrade

Under certain circumstances we might suggest an in place upgrade. This involves running the Windows 11 upgrade to a Windows 10 PC, keeping the current file system intact. It can take anywhere between one and three hours. We would only recommend this option if the PC is running software that cannot be easily obtained. You will still need to backup any files you want to keep as an in place upgrade is not always 100% reliable, and if it goes wrong, we would have to revert to a clean install. 

Scope

Please note that this upgrade is only for University owned PCs.

Help

If you have any questions please contact us.