■ Client Hyper-V
■ Credential Guard
■ Device Guard
■ BitLocker, which protects data on removable devices
■ DirectAccess, which links users to corporate resources from the road without a virtual private network (VPN)
■ BranchCache, which makes it faster to open files and web pages from a branch office
■ AppLocker, which restricts unauthorized software and also enables greater security hardware requirements
Before you can install the operating system, you must make sure the machine’s hardware can handle the Windows 10 operating system.
To install Windows 10 successfully, your system must meet or exceed certain hardware requirements. Table 1.3 lists the minimum requirements for a Windows 10–capable PC.
TABLE 1.3 Hardware requirements
The Windows 10–capable PC must meet or exceed the basic requirements to deliver the core functionality of the Windows 10 operating system. These requirements are based on the assumption that you are installing only the operating system, without any premium functionality. For example, you may be able to get by with the minimum requirements if you are installing the operating system just to learn the basics of the software. Remember, the better the hardware, the better the performance.
Deciding on Minimum Hardware Requirements
The company you work for has decided that everyone will have their own laptop running Windows 10. You need to decide on the new computers’ specifications for processor, memory, and disk space.
The first step is to determine which applications will be used. Typically, most users will work with an email program, a word processor, a spreadsheet application, presentation software, and maybe a drawing or graphics program. Additionally, an antivirus application will probably be used. Under these demands, a 1 GHz Celeron processor and 1 GB of RAM will make for a very slow-running machine. So for this usage, you can assume that the minimum baseline configuration would be higher than a 1 GHz processor with at least 2 GB of RAM.
Based on your choice of baseline configuration, you should then fit a test computer with the applications that will be used on it and test the configuration in a lab environment simulating normal use. This will give you an idea of whether the RAM and processor calculations you have made for your environment are going to provide a suitable response.
Today’s disk drives have become capable of much larger capacity while dropping drastically in price. So for disk space, the rule of thumb is to buy whatever is the current standard. At the time this book was written, 500 GB drives were commonplace, which is sufficient for most users. If users plan to store substantial graphics or video files, you may need to consider buying larger-than-standard drives.
Also consider what the business requirements will be over the next 12 to 18 months. If you will be implementing applications that are memory or processor intensive, you may want to spec out the computers with hardware sufficient to support upcoming needs to avoid costly upgrades in the near future.
The requirements for the graphics card depend on the resolution at which you want to run. The required amount of memory is as follows:
■ 64 MB is required for a single monitor at a resolution of 1,310,720 pixels or less, which is equivalent to a 1280×1024 resolution.
■ 128 MB is required for a single monitor at a resolution of 2,304,000 pixels or less, which is equivalent to a 1920×1200 resolution.
■ 256 MB is required for a single monitor at a resolution larger than 2,304,000 pixels.
Measurement Used for Disk Space and Memory
Hard disks are commonly rated by capacity. The following measurements are used for disk space and memory capacity:
■ 1 MB (megabyte) = 1,024 KB (kilobytes)
■ 1 GB (gigabyte) = 1,024 MB
■ 1 TB (terabyte) = 1,024 GB
■ 1 PB (petabyte) = 1,024 TB
■ 1 EB (exabyte) = 1,024 PB
If you are not sure if your machine meets the minimum requirements, Microsoft includes some tools that can help you determine if a machine is Windows 10 compatible, which we will look at in the following sections.
The Hardware Compatibility List
Along with meeting the minimum requirements, whenever possible your hardware should appear on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). The HCL is an extensive list of computers and peripheral hardware that have been tested with the Windows 10 operating system. To determine if your computer and peripherals are on the HCL, check the most up-to-date list at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ dn922588(v=vs.85).aspx.
The Windows 10 operating system requires control of the hardware for stability, efficiency, and security. The hardware and supported drivers on the HCL have been put through rigorous tests to ensure their compatibility with Windows 10. Microsoft guarantees that the items on the list meet the requirements for Windows 10 and do not have any incompatibilities that could affect the stability of the operating system.
If you call Microsoft for support, the first thing a Microsoft support engineer will ask about is your configuration. If you have any hardware that is not on the HCL, you may not be able to get support from Microsoft.
BIOS Compatibility
Before you install Windows 10, you should verify that your computer has the most current BIOS. This is especially important if your current BIOS does not include support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) functionality. ACPI functionality is required for Windows 10 to function properly. Check the computer vendor’s website for the latest BIOS version information.
Driver Requirements
To successfully install Windows 10, you must have the critical device drivers for your computer, such as the hard drive device driver. The Windows 10 media come with an extensive list of drivers. If your computer’s device drivers are not on the Windows 10 installation media, you should check the device manufacturer’s website.
New Install or Upgrade?
Once you’ve determined that your hardware meets the minimum requirements, you need to decide whether you want to do an upgrade or a clean install. An upgrade allows you to retain your existing operating system’s applications, settings, and files. If you currently have a computer with Windows Vista, you are eligible to use an upgrade copy of Windows 10.
The bad news is that if you are moving from Windows Vista, Windows XP, or earlier versions of Windows to Windows 10, you must perform a clean install. (You can, however, use a third-party tool like the Laplink utility to migrate files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 10 on the same computer.)
You can perform an upgrade to Windows 10 if the following conditions are true:
■ You are running Windows 7 or Windows 8.
■ You want to keep your existing applications and preferences.
■ You want to preserve any local users and groups you’ve created.
You must perform a clean install of Windows 10 if any of the following conditions are true:
■ There