Contending with Windows 10’s retirement: part 2

You may have good reasons to stay with Windows 10 for now, but be sure to take steps to maintain security.

In part 1 of this series, we looked at the dilemma posed by the retirement of Windows 10 on October 14, with Microsoft ceasing to provide support or free security patches to customers, including those who use the operating system for test and measurement systems.

As Noman Hussain, vice president of software and strategic business analysis at Pickering Interfaces, put it in part 1, upgrade decisions come down to the cost of change vs. the cost of remaining with the current system. Several factors contribute to the cost of change. To run Windows 11, for example, existing Windows 10 computers may require expensive hardware upgrades. In addition, Hussain noted that Windows 10 is the last version with native 32-bit support, so you may have difficulty using your collection of 32-bit dynamic link libraries in the 64-bit Windows 11 environment. Microsoft has tried to facilitate the 32-to-64-bit migration, which we’ll look at in part 3 of this series.

The decision of whether to migrate to Windows 11 or remain with Windows 10 depends on the specific aspects of your complex test system. However, Table 1 provides a checklist that you can use as an initial guide as you contemplate an upgrade. If you can check most of the boxes, remaining with Windows 10 may be a short-term or even long-term solution.

For example, if your current system is stable and your computer hardware won’t support Windows 11, you might be inclined not to upgrade. For security, if you are willing to pay for Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program, you can buy yourself three years to plan a transition. Alternatively, if you can air-gap your system to isolate it from external networks and cloud-computing resources, and if you can prevent malware introduction through USB drives, you could remain with Windows 10 indefinitely.

However, Hussain pointed out an additional risk with this strategy. “It’s important to consider that a test system can include hundreds of thousands of ICs,” he said. “It only takes one IC becoming obsolete, reaching end-of-life, or requiring a last-time buy to trigger a chain reaction. The next thing you know, new products may be incompatible with the current system unless updated drivers are installed.” So if you’re committed to your Windows 10 system, you may want to ensure you have an adequate supply of spare parts on hand.

Indeed, drivers are a key consideration—you’ll need to check whether your vendors offer Windows 11 drivers for the equipment you have installed. According to Steve Summers, Director and Security Lead for Aerospace and Defense at Emerson Test and Measurement, the company “…maintains a close relationship with Microsoft so that we can begin testing on new platforms as soon as possible in Microsoft’s development process.” The company maintains an online Windows 11 compatibility guide.^[1]

When asked about driver compatibility, Toby Marsden, head of go-to-market strategy and strategic alliances at Keysight Technologies, said, “We develop our products and support customers based on industry demand to provide ongoing value. We assess the number of customers using our products and advise them to migrate to newer versions to gain productivity increases from the new features.” He added that Keysight would assess specific customer requests to remain on an older operating system version.

Similarly, third-party application software used in your system may not run under Windows 11. Conversely, noted Hussain, many third-party software vendors will stop releasing updates for their Windows 10 software versions, potentially exposing you to vulnerabilities or leaving you with tools that just won’t install any longer.

This last point encapsulates the risks and rewards of migrating to a new operating system. In the consensus view, upgrading is the best approach. “Not addressing the migration will ultimately lead to higher costs and lower business efficiency gains,” said Marsden.

Part 3 of this series will summarize the steps you can take to ensure a successful migration and meet any system revalidation requirements. Finally, we will conclude with general advice on planning for the inevitable obsolescence of Windows 11 or any other operating system you use in test-and-measurement equipment.