Desktop system upgrades, similar to shifting to Home windows 11, are often a significant problem for enterprise IT, and irrespective of how a lot testing Home windows directors carry out, some points will inevitably happen.
Think about Home windows Vista for instance. Vista induced lots of utility compatibility issues due to how the OS restricted permissions. Earlier than Vista, utility builders labored underneath the idea that their functions may run with limitless permissions. This led to a number of functions that labored in Home windows XP failing in Vista.
Upgrades to Home windows 8 had been equally problematic for a lot of organizations. The consumer interface was so totally different from earlier variations of Home windows that assist desks had been initially swamped with assist calls from confused customers who didn’t know tips on how to use the brand new OS.
Even for the best-designed OSes with the smoothest UI transitions, working system upgrades may cause many issues for finish customers, starting from knowledge loss to desktop personalization settings reverting to default values.
The Home windows 11 improve course of has suffered from numerous points starting from {hardware} incompatibilities and cryptic error messages to post-upgrade issues with elements similar to File Explorer.
Home windows Replace errors
The most typical improve technique from Home windows 10 to Home windows 11 includes utilizing the native Home windows Replace utility. Nevertheless, Home windows Replace won’t permit Home windows 11 to put in except the PC adheres to the Home windows 11 system necessities. Generally PCs falsely report that they lack the minimal required {hardware} (Determine 1).
Determine 1. The Home windows Replace utility signifies that the PC doesn’t meet the Home windows 11 system necessities.
These notifications are sometimes incorrect. From the start of the Home windows 11 rollout, Microsoft acknowledged that PCs over a couple of years previous are unlikely to be Home windows 11 suitable. Nevertheless, the PC on this instance is barely a few yr previous and comprises a tenth-generation Intel Core-i9 processor. It ought to simply meet the Home windows 11 {hardware} necessities given its element specs (Determine 2).
Determine 2. A contemporary PC with cheap elements ought to simply meet the Home windows 11 {hardware} necessities.
The warning message stating that the PC is incompatible features a hyperlink to run the PC Well being Test. The PC Well being Test is an easy utility that assesses Home windows 11 {hardware} compatibility.
In some conditions, Home windows Replace is unable to decide as as to if or not the system is able to operating Home windows 11. In these conditions, desktop admins can often run PC Well being Test to check the system. Assuming all is effectively, Home windows Replace will permit the PC to maneuver ahead with the improve. On this case, although, PC Well being Test signifies that the system lacks the mandatory Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 {hardware} (Determine 3).
Determine 3. The Home windows PC Well being Test studies that the system lacks a TPM 2.0 chip.
In actuality, nonetheless, this technique does comprise the mandatory TPM 2.0 chip. The desktop admin must allow it via the system’s Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) earlier than Home windows or PC Well being Test can acknowledge it.
It’s price noting that although the Home windows 11 minimal system necessities listing TPM 2.0, it’s doable to put in Home windows 11 on a system that doesn’t embody a TPM 2.0 chip. The workaround includes making a registry key that can permit Home windows 11 to put in so long as the system consists of TPM 1.2 assist. Microsoft is fast to level out, nonetheless, that putting in Home windows 11 on this manner shouldn’t be advisable and that there are dangers related to putting in Home windows 11 on a PC that doesn’t embody TPM 2.0 {hardware}. Microsoft additionally notes that “critical issues would possibly happen when you modify the registry incorrectly.”
Frequent error messages related to Home windows 11 upgrades
Desktop directors upgrading PCs to Home windows 11 have generally reported receiving an error code, similar to 0C1900101-0x2000c. There are quite a few variations of this error code, however in response to Microsoft, any error that begins with the characters 0xC1900101 is usually because of a driver error. As such, Microsoft gives a number of suggestions for anybody who could also be receiving one in every of these error messages.
Microsoft outlines a number of steps admins can take to resolve a majority of these errors. The very first thing that Microsoft recommends doing is to make it possible for there’s sufficient cupboard space obtainable on the boot drive. The improve course of requires a minimal of 16 GB of free house if the PC runs a 32-bit working system or 20 GB of free house for a 64-bit working system. In actuality, extra cupboard space could also be required. Some admins have hassle putting in Home windows 11 on low-end units with 64 GB of storage, even when the gadget has sufficient free storage to satisfy the minimal improve necessities.
Microsoft additionally recommends that anybody experiencing errors runs Home windows Replace a couple of occasions to put in any obtainable updates. It’s significantly essential to put in any obtainable firmware updates, safety updates and driver updates that Home windows Replace provides.
Directors which have upgraded to Home windows 11 have discovered that generally the working system does not carry out in addition to Home windows 10.
Error messages in the course of the improve course of are sometimes because of add-on {hardware}. Microsoft recommends checking to make sure that all third-party gadget drivers are updated. Admins must also test Gadget Supervisor to make sure there are not any reported {hardware} errors. If the error message persists, Microsoft recommends unplugging any {hardware} units that are not required for fundamental performance.
The following pointers cannot handle each potential error message, as that might be not possible to do inside a single article, however they need to resolve the most typical conditions. Another issues that admins can do to resolve errors embody disabling third-party safety software program till after the improve and checking the arduous disk to see if any errors exist. Use the chkdsk /f command for this.
Points with the Home windows 11 File Explorer
Directors which have upgraded to Home windows 11 have discovered that generally the working system does not carry out in addition to Home windows 10. Initially, they attributed this to a reminiscence leak in File Explorer that was recognized to degrade system efficiency over time.
One other File Explorer bug causes PCs to expertise sluggish efficiency any time File Explorer is open. Home windows 11 customers have reported delays after clicking on File Explorer objects and menus being gradual to open. There are additionally some studies of the display screen flickering in response to right-clicking on an merchandise in File Explorer. Fortunately, these points have been resolved in a latest preview construct — 22478.
On an identical word, Home windows 11 has additionally skilled efficiency issues with some solid-state storage units. This downside stems from the NTFS USN Journal and might develop into problematic when the system is underneath a heavy workload, and a few Home windows 11 customers have reported their storage efficiency being lower almost in half. Microsoft has acknowledged the problem and is engaged on a repair on the time this text publishes.
