Isolating employee's Windows 10 computers

Now that Microsoft Windows 10 is no longer supported or receiving security patches as of October 14, 2025, the Office of Information Technology, at the direction of campus leadership, will take steps to isolate computers running Windows 10 that are university-owned. In order to ensure the safety of our campus community and safeguard the personal data of our students, instructors and staff, computers running Windows 10 will be blocked from connecting to the internet.

What you should do

Here’s how to check what version of Windows your computer is running. If you are a CU Boulder faculty or staff member who has a university-issued computer that is running Windows 10, you must do one of the following before Monday, February 16:

• update your computer to Windows 11 (see How to update below),
• replace your Windows 10 computer with one running Windows 11 and return the older computer through a campus-approved method,
• or apply for an exception to run Windows 10 by Monday, February 9.  

If your Windows 10 computer is no longer being used, it should be returned through a campus-approved method. Computers that are still running Windows 10 as of Monday, February 16, will be blocked from connecting to the internet and only have access to Microsoft Outlook and Teams.

How to update

Follow these steps to start the update:

• If your computer is part of the Secure Computing framework or supported by Dedicated Desktop Support (DDS), these instructions will help you upgrade to Windows 11.
• Otherwise, you should verify if your computer can be upgraded to Windows 11.
• If your hardware can be upgraded, follow these instructions to upgrade.
• If your hardware cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, please contact your desktop support technician or the Buff Techs Desktop Support service.

Tips for updating to Windows 11

Here are some tips to ensure the upgrade process goes as smoothly as possible:

• Check out the Windows 11 Release Information page to familiarize yourself with some of the new features introduced in the Windows 11 OS.
• A good time to update is at the end of a workday so that the update process does not interfere with workday activities. Please note that the update process can take two to three hours to complete.
• If available, you should plug your computer into a wired network or a docking station as the download speeds will be faster than when using a wireless network.
• If the update seems to stall at zero percent, please be patient and let it run; the update process can take two to three hours depending upon your internet connection.  
• If your update remains at zero percent after 24 hours or fails after a second attempt, please contact your department’s IT support professional or the Buff Techs for assistance.

IT support

If you have questions about any of these security requirements or how to implement them, request assistance from your departmental IT professional or Buff Techs, or contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357.