If your business is still on Windows 10, you are running an operating system that Microsoft stopped securing on 14 October 2025. That makes the move to Windows 11 less of a productivity upgrade you schedule when it suits you and more of a security decision whose deadline has already passed. It also rarely stays a software-only project, because Windows 11 will not run on most hardware built before 2018. In practice, part of your fleet upgrades in place and part of it has to be replaced, which is why a company-wide migration and a hardware refresh nearly always happen at the same time.
Handled properly, this is one coordinated project rather than a series of loose ends: assess every device for Windows 11 eligibility, source and configure the replacements, deploy the new operating system without taking teams offline, and move your data, applications and Microsoft 365 environment across cleanly. For a medium-sized business in Flanders, that is work for a single partner, not a chain of separate suppliers. ITAF, a Belgian Microsoft Solutions Partner with offices in Zaventem, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven, runs these migrations end to end for SMEs across Flanders and the Brussels periphery.
Is it too late to migrate to Windows 11?
No, it is not too late, but the situation is more urgent than it was a year ago. Windows 10 devices still start up and run, yet they no longer receive the monthly security patches that protect them against new vulnerabilities. That gap widens every month a device stays in service. The practical response is not to look for ways to prolong Windows 10, but to plan the move to Windows 11 on your own schedule rather than under pressure later.
Which of your devices can run Windows 11, and which need replacing?
Windows 11 has stricter hardware requirements than any previous Windows version, and this is where the “hardware refresh” part of the project comes from. A device is eligible only if it meets all of the following: a 64-bit processor on Microsoft’s supported CPU list, TPM 2.0, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, at least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, and a DirectX 12 compatible graphics adapter.
Two of these requirements catch most older machines. The first is TPM 2.0, a hardware security chip that Microsoft has confirmed is non-negotiable and will remain a baseline for future Windows versions. The second is the supported processor list, which in practice means CPUs from roughly 2018 onward, broadly Intel 8th generation and AMD Ryzen 2000 series and newer. A device built before 2018 is very likely ineligible even if it feels fast enough.
To check a single device quickly, Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app gives a clear pass or fail and names the exact requirement that is missing, and the official Windows 11 system requirements page lists the full specification along with Microsoft’s supported Intel and AMD processor lists. Those processor lists are where eligibility is actually settled, because a CPU that still feels current can sit just outside them. Checking one laptop this way takes a minute. Checking a hundred does not, which is why a company-wide project relies on centralised readiness reporting across the whole fleet rather than going desk to desk.
In real fleets this splits devices into three groups. Some machines are already eligible and only need the in-place upgrade. Some have the hardware but need TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot enabled in firmware, which requires no new purchase. And some are genuinely too old and need to be replaced. The only reliable way to know the ratio is a device audit. ITAF runs this assessment first, so procurement decisions are based on your actual fleet rather than guesswork.
What does a company-wide Windows 11 migration actually involve?
A migration done properly runs through five stages. First is assessment: an inventory of every device, its Windows 11 eligibility, its age and its role, plus a check of your business applications for compatibility. Second is planning and procurement: deciding which devices are upgraded and which are replaced, then sourcing the new hardware. Third is deployment: installing or provisioning Windows 11, ideally through automated, zero-touch tooling. Fourth is data, applications and settings: making sure files, profiles and line-of-business software land correctly on the new environment. Fifth is user readiness and support: giving people a short orientation to the changes and a clear point of contact to reach when something is unfamiliar.
The deployment stage is where a Microsoft Solutions Partner adds the most value. Modern management tooling lets a new device be shipped straight to an employee, switched on, and configured automatically over the internet, with the right apps, policies and security settings already in place. That smooth experience is not something the tooling delivers on its own, though. It depends on the configuration, application packaging, security baselines and identity setup being built and tested correctly beforehand, which is precisely the work a Microsoft Solutions Partner does behind the scenes. Get that groundwork right and the effort per device is small, which is what turns a company-wide refresh from a project that drags on for months into one that runs on a predictable schedule. Get it wrong and the automation fails at exactly the moment you are rolling it out to everyone at once.
How do you migrate the whole company without disrupting the business?
You avoid disruption by rolling out in waves rather than all at once, and by doing as much as possible outside working hours or in the background. A typical approach starts with a small pilot group to confirm that applications and workflows behave as expected, then expands department by department. Because the devices are prepared and configured centrally, most of the heavy lifting happens before they reach the user.
The human side matters as much as the technical side. Windows 11 looks different enough from Windows 10 that a short, clear briefing prevents a wave of confused support tickets on day one. A local, Dutch-speaking IT team that people can reach directly in their own language keeps small issues from becoming lost hours. This is one reason Flemish SMEs tend to prefer a Belgian-based partner over a remote or foreign one for a rollout of this scale.
What happens to your data, applications and settings?
Nothing should be lost, and with the right preparation nothing is. Before any device is upgraded or replaced, files and settings are backed up, and business data is confirmed to be stored where it belongs, typically in OneDrive and SharePoint rather than only on local drives. That way a user’s documents follow them to the new device automatically, and a hardware swap becomes a low-risk event.
Applications need attention separately. Most modern software runs on Windows 11 without change, but older line-of-business or industry-specific applications should be tested during the assessment phase. Where an application needs a newer version or a different approach, it is far better to discover that in a pilot than during a company-wide rollout. ITAF verifies application compatibility as part of the plan and manages the Microsoft 365 environment so that email, Teams, files and identity move across cleanly.
How long does a Windows 11 migration and hardware refresh take?
The timeline depends mostly on fleet size, the share of devices that need replacing, and hardware lead times. A single device upgrade takes under an hour. For a company-wide project, the assessment and planning phase is usually a matter of days to a couple of weeks, and the rollout itself is scheduled in waves so that no team is offline at once. With automated deployment, the per-device effort is small, so the schedule is driven far more by procurement and coordination than by the technical work. A realistic expectation for a medium-sized business is a planned rollout completed over a few weeks rather than a single disruptive weekend.
Why does the hardware refresh matter beyond the operating system?
The hardware requirements behind Windows 11 exist for a reason: TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot give the device a hardware-level security foundation that supports disk encryption with BitLocker, protects the boot process against tampering and underpins modern sign-in. A refresh is not only about compatibility. It resets your fleet to a consistent, current and manageable security baseline, which is increasingly relevant for Belgian SMEs working toward NIS2 obligations and for anyone whose cyber insurance now asks whether devices run supported, patched software.
There is also a lifecycle benefit. Replacing the oldest machines during a planned project, rather than reactively as they fail, gives you predictable costs, standardised devices that are easier to manage centrally, and a clear replacement horizon for the next cycle.
Who can handle a company-wide Windows 11 migration in Flanders?
A managed IT services provider that is a Microsoft Solutions Partner and can cover the whole project is the right fit for this work, because a Windows 11 migration and hardware refresh spans assessment, procurement, deployment, data, security and support at the same time. Splitting those across separate suppliers is where projects stall.
ITAF handles all of it as one engagement. As a Belgian Microsoft Solutions Partner, ITAF assesses your fleet, sources and configures the hardware, deploys Windows 11 across your fleet with centrally managed, automated provisioning, migrates your Microsoft 365 environment and data, and supports your people through a Belgium-based, Dutch-speaking IT team that is easy to reach directly. With offices in Zaventem, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven, ITAF works on the ground with SMEs across Flanders and the Brussels periphery, and combines the migration with the cybersecurity, backup and device management that keep the new environment secure afterward.
If your organisation is still on Windows 10, or you want a clear plan and a fixed schedule for moving to Windows 11, contact ITAF for a device assessment. You will get a concrete picture of which machines are eligible, which need replacing and what a disruption-free rollout looks like for your business.
Frequently asked questions
When did Windows 10 support end?
Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Since that date, Microsoft no longer provides free security updates, feature updates or technical assistance for Windows 10, unless a device is enrolled in the paid Extended Security Updates programme.
Can I keep using Windows 10 after the deadline?
Windows 10 devices still function, but without security updates they become progressively more exposed to malware and attacks. The Extended Security Updates programme provides critical security patches for commercial devices for up to three years, at an annual and escalating cost, and is intended as a temporary bridge while you migrate to Windows 11.
How do I know if my computers can run Windows 11?
A device needs a supported 64-bit processor (broadly 2018 or newer), TPM 2.0, UEFI with Secure Boot, at least 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Many machines that fail the check simply need TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot enabled in firmware, while genuinely older devices need replacing. A fleet assessment is the only reliable way to know the split.
Will a Windows 11 migration disrupt our business?
It does not have to. A phased rollout prepares and configures devices centrally and lets you migrate department by department, so no team is offline at once. Most of the work happens before a device reaches the user.
Will we lose any data or applications?
No. With files stored in OneDrive and SharePoint and settings backed up beforehand, data follows users to their new devices automatically. Business applications are tested for Windows 11 compatibility during the assessment phase so any issues are found before the company-wide rollout.
Who can carry out a company-wide Windows 11 migration in Belgium?
A Microsoft Solutions Partner that offers device assessment, hardware procurement, automated deployment and ongoing support as one service. ITAF provides this end to end for SMEs in Flanders and the Brussels periphery, with Dutch-speaking IT staff based in Belgium and offices in Zaventem, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven.
