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      ■ Applications that use file-system filters, such as antivirus software, may not be compatible.

      ■ Custom power-management tools may not be supported.

      ■ If the application is compatible with Windows 10, reinstall the application after the upgrade is complete.

      ■ If the application uses dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) and there are migration DLLs for the application, apply the migration DLLs.

      ■ Use the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to determine the compatibility of your current applications with Windows 10. ACT will determine which applications are installed, identify any applications that may be affected by Windows updates, and identify any potential compatibility problems with User Account Control and Internet Explorer. Reports can be exported for detailed analysis.

      ■ If applications were written for earlier versions of Windows but are incompatible with Windows 10, use the Windows 10 Program Compatibility Wizard. From the Control Panel, click the Programs icon, and then click the Run Programs From Previous Versions link to start the Program Compatibility Wizard. If the application is not compatible with Windows 10, upgrade your application to a Windows 10–compliant version.

      ■ Verify that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 10.

      ■ Be sure your hardware is on the HCL.

      ■ Make sure you have the Windows 10 drivers for the hardware. You can verify this with the hardware manufacturer.

      ■ To audit the current configuration and status of your computer, run the Get Windows 10 App tool from the Microsoft website, which also includes documentation on using the utility. It will generate a report of any known hardware or software compatibility issues based on your configuration. You should resolve any reported issues before you upgrade to Windows 10.

      ■ Make sure your BIOS is current. Windows 10 requires that your computer has the most current BIOS. If it does not, it may not be able to use advanced power-management features or device-configuration features. In addition, your computer may cease to function during or after the upgrade. Use caution when performing BIOS updates because installing the incorrect BIOS can cause your computer to fail to boot.

      ■ Take an inventory of your current configuration. This inventory should include documentation of your current network configuration, the applications that are installed, the hardware items and their configuration, the services that are running, and any profile and policy settings.

      ■ Back up your data and configuration files. Before you make any major changes to your computer’s configuration, you should back up your data and configuration files and then verify that you can successfully restore your backup. Chances are, if you have a valid backup, you won’t have any problems. Likewise, if you don’t have a valid backup, you will likely have problems.

      ■ Delete any unnecessary files or applications, and clean up any program groups or program items you don’t use. Theoretically, you want to delete all the junk on your computer before you upgrade. Think of this as the spring-cleaning step.

      ■ Verify that there are no existing problems with your hard drive prior to the upgrade. Perform a disk scan, a current virus scan, and defragmentation. These too are spring-cleaning chores. This step just prepares your hard drive for the upgrade.

      ■ Perform the upgrade. In this step, you upgrade from the Windows 7 or Windows 8 operating system to Windows 10.

      ■ Verify your configuration. After Windows 10 has been installed, use the inventory to compare and test each element that was inventoried prior to the upgrade to verify that the upgrade was successful.

      Handling an Upgrade Failure

      Before you upgrade, you should have a contingency plan in place. Your plan should assume the worst-case scenario. For example, what happens if you upgrade and the computer doesn’t work anymore? It is possible that, after checking your upgrade list and verifying that everything should work, your attempt at the actual upgrade may not work. If this happens, you may want to return your computer to the original, working configuration.

      Indeed, I have made these plans, created my backups (two, just in case), verified them, and then had a failed upgrade anyway – only to discover that I had no clue where to find the original operating system CD. A day later, with the missing CD located, I was able to get up and running again. My problem was an older BIOS, and the manufacturer of my computer did not have an updated BIOS.

      ■ C: drive, which might be 200 GB

      ■ D: drive, which might be 150 GB

      ■ E: drive, which might be 150 GB