In today’s Daily news highlights, we look at a major tech change affecting colleges and universities across the U.S. Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and schools must act fast. If they don’t switch to Windows 11, they will have to pay a high fee to get extra security updates. This fee will double in the second year and might not even be offered after that.
Many schools are now working hard to update their systems to avoid extra costs and stay secure. One good example is Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Their team took smart steps to move to Windows 11 over time, rather than waiting until the last minute.
Why Colleges Must Plan Now
- Windows 10 support is ending: Microsoft will stop free updates and security help in October 2025.
- Extra updates will cost money: Schools must pay a fee per device to keep getting updates. This fee will rise over time.
- Delays increase risks: Staying on an outdated system could lead to security risks, software problems, and higher costs.
How VUMC Handled the Upgrade to Windows 11
Keith Arnold, the senior IT director at VUMC, shared how they managed their upgrade process. Their approach was slow but steady, and it worked well.
1. Early Planning Started in 2021
VUMC began checking their systems as early as 2021. They made sure their base computer images would work well with Windows 11.
2. New Devices Came with Windows 11
By April 2022, VUMC required that any new computer must come with Windows 11 already installed. This helped them slowly replace older systems.
3. Dealing with Exceptions
Some older apps did not work with Windows 11. For now, around 1,200 devices are still using Windows 10 until those apps are updated.
4. Big Push in 2024
In September 2024, VUMC started updating all administrative computers. By the end of the year, they updated 10,000 clinical devices without any major problems. Only 1% of these had apps that still needed to be certified for Windows 11.
Current Progress and Final Goals
VUMC has already updated 92% of their admin computers. Only 3% are on the exception list, and 5.5% don’t meet Microsoft’s hardware rules (such as needing more memory or better processors).
To solve this, they plan to replace the old devices starting in July 2025, so that by October, they won’t need to spend money on Windows 10 support for most systems.
Getting Support from Leaders
To get approval for this big project, the IT team worked with other departments and showed strong planning:
- They tested everything in advance.
- They asked every app owner to confirm whether their programs worked with Windows 11.
- They kept a list of apps that still needed Windows 10 and tracked them.
- They made sure new computers only used Windows 10 if they were on the exception list.
This careful method helped them gain trust and support from the university’s leaders.
Colleges Must Prepare for Windows 11
This is a Breaking News alert for all colleges and universities: Start planning now if you haven’t already. Migrating to Windows 11 can take months or even years, especially if older apps or hardware are involved.
VUMC’s smart and slow upgrade plan is a good example of how to do it right. If your school waits too long, it may face big costs and tech problems.
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