What the organization was facing
The law firm wanted to move its Windows 10 fleet to Windows 11 before the October 2025 end-of-support deadline rather than purchase extended support. Discovery expanded the project from the expected 50 computers to approximately 60.
Many attorneys had limited availability for technology work. Some computers also lacked enough free storage for the upgrade, retained profiles from previous users, or synchronized large OneDrive libraries locally. A smaller group raised hardware, capacity, or expected-performance concerns that made replacement more sensible than forcing an upgrade.
The decision behind the work
The project started with a five-device pilot before attempting the larger fleet. That established the Intune deployment path, confirmed that the firm’s essential applications still opened, and exposed the types of failures that would need individual attention.
Automation remained the default, but it was paired with a manual recovery path for computers that could not complete the upgrade unattended. Work was scheduled near or after the end of the day so a failed attempt would not take an attorney out of active work.
How the project moved
Find the actual fleet
Reconciled the expected scope with the computers still running Windows 10 and identified approximately ten more devices than the project originally anticipated.
Prove the process with a pilot
Upgraded five representative computers first and tested the firm’s working applications before widening the deployment.
Automate suitable upgrades
Used Intune to deliver Windows 11 to devices that met the requirements and had sufficient capacity for an unattended installation.
Remediate failures individually
Worked with employees and the director to remove approved stale profiles, clear temporary and unneeded local files, and reduce unnecessary OneDrive synchronization before retrying failed upgrades.
Separate upgrades from replacements
Did not force the remaining five computers through an unsuitable change. Documented the hardware, storage, or performance concern and recommended replacement where that was the more responsible path.
How the work was checked
- Physically tested key applications during the pilot rather than relying only on a completed-install status.
- Asked each employee to run through the applications and workflows specific to their role after the upgrade.
- Kept the director informed when local user data or stale profiles needed approval before removal.
- Handled installations and retries toward the end of the day, with no reported meaningful loss of working time.
What changed
Fifty-five of the approximately 60 Windows 10 computers were successfully moved to Windows 11 over roughly three weeks. Those users reached the support deadline on the current operating system without requiring extended Windows 10 coverage for the upgraded devices.
The five remaining computers were treated as explicit exceptions rather than hidden incomplete work. The firm received replacement recommendations based on the condition and expected usability of each device.