By now you may have heard about Microsoft releasing the latest version of their Operating System, Windows 11. Although it may be tempting to reach out to your local IT Support provider to help you move forward with the update its probably best to wait. If you are a typical dental practice using one of the major Practice Management software programs out there you aren’t ready for the upgrade just yet.
Why wait
As of the writing of this article, the major Practice Management Programs do not support Windows 11. It is best to wait until your PM software provider comes out with a software update that will make it compatible. If you update now, you may break things within your PM software that make it unusable.
You can see the Eaglesoft Requirements Here:
https://pattersonsupport.custhelp.com/euf/assets/Hardware/HWREQ.pdf
You can see the Dentrix Requirements here:
https://www.dentrix.com/support/system-requirements
Continued Support
Although they have released a newer version of Windows, Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. If the life cycle of a workstation is 4 years, you probably are still good to use Windows 10 for a couple more years, and you can still update your machine as it gets closer to the end of life.
In conclusion, although it may sound exciting to upgrade to Windows 11, your practice should wait a few more years before taking the plunge. For now, mark your calendars for October 2024 to start planning for the updates you will need to do before end of life. If you meet with your IT Support provider regularly, they should be reviewing this with you and will help you plan for the transition.
If you have any questions or are looking for IT support for your dental practice in Florida or Georgia, send us a message here or give us a call!