Don’t Rush to Upgrade to Windows 10, IT Experts Warn

IT experts are warning businesses not to rush to get a free version of Microsoft’s Windows 10, which is due for release later this month.

The team at Royal Wotton Bassett-based Sensata IT are urging people to wait until any potential teething problems are ironed out. If they jump in, they risk upgrading to a system which their other applications, hardware and peripherals such as printers, won’t run on.

Already, Windows users may have been getting pop-up messages, or noticing new desktop icons, urging them to download the new software, which is available from July 29 and is free for a year.

“We’re not saying don’t opt for Windows 10, we’re just urging people to wait until any problems are sorted out,” said Chris Griffin, Sensata IT director. “Every time there’s a new version of Windows there are one or two teething problems. For example, when Microsoft moved from Windows 7 to Windows 8, a number of third party applications wouldn’t operate on Windows 8.

“The difference this time is that messages are popping up, and icons are appearing encouraging people to upgrade to Windows 10, plus it is free for year. People will be tempted to jump to do so with potentially negative consequences for their company or, if they are a home-user, their PC. Our message is: get your IT department or IT partner to test your infrastructure for compatibility.

“We’d also urge business owners to let their staff know, so they aren’t tempted to opt for the upgrade when they see one of these icons or pop-ups – although it is possible to get into the back system and disable them,” he said: “If businesses upgrade too soon, they may find they just have to downgrade again, which is wasteful of time and resources.”

Chris said there should be no compatibility issues between the new Windows 10 and other Microsoft programmes, such as Word, Excel or Outlook.