1.0 Introduction

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will end support for most versions of Windows 10. You will be able to continue using Windows 10 but most importantly, you will no longer receive important and often critical security and reliability updates. Continuing to use Windows 10 after this date will leave your host PC and security system vulnerable to security risks - such as ever-increasing
cyber-attacks, including the installation of malware or ransomware.

IMPORTANT NOTE:If you have an IT department you should consult with them about updating the operating system to Windows 11 or for upgrading to a newer physical appliance or PC.

What Does This Mean for Keri Customers?

Keri Systems' appliance PCs use Windows 10 IoT LTSC or Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC (Long Term Service Channel). This version of Windows 10 will continue to be updated and supported
beyond October 14th 2025, so therefore Keri appliances will not need to be updated. Refer to
section 2.0 to determine the specific Windows 10 IoT LTSC version and the date when support for
that OS will end.

Note: The ASUS based i2 box appliance uses Windows 10 Professional and they cannot be upgraded to Windows 11. The ASUS-based i2 appliances use the 7th generation Intel processors. Windows 11 requires at least an 8th generation Intel processor. The older Plus/Pro appliances based on the ASUS VC65 or VC66 would likely not support Windows 11 - refer to section 3.0 for instructions on how you can verify this.

For other Keri customers, who are using desktop PCs, laptops or virtual machines, this document explains how to find out if the current host PC specification meets the requirements for upgrading to Windows 11. If it does then the host machine should be upgraded to Windows 11 at the earliest convenience.

If the host machine cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 then you should consider upgrading the machine to a newer, higher performance PC, preferably with Windows 11 already installed - or you can purchase a new Keri appliance which has Windows 11 and Doors.NET pre-installed - you will then continue to receive important security and performance updates for the foreseeable future and can take advantage of the enhanced layers of security that are built-into Windows 11, by default. The newer PC will also have improved speed, processing and performance.

You may also wish to consider upgrading the access control system to Borealis for the highest level of security. Borealis is constantly and automatically kept up-to-date, it is hosted on the cloud and the database is automatically backed-up to the cloud.

The following document explains how you can check the specific Windows 10 IoT LTSC version on an appliance, if an alternative host PC is capable of running Windows 11, how to backup the existing Doors.NET database and how to restore that database to the new PC or appliance.

Finally, if you prefer to upgrade your Doors32 or Doors.NET system to Borealis the document briefly explains what steps should be taken.

2.0 Keri Appliances With Windows 10 IoT LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel)

The Keri appliances (excluding the ASUS-based i2 appliances) have Windows 10 LTSC or Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) as the installed operating system. This particular version of Windows will continue to be supported after October 14, 2025.

• Appliances are configured with either Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC or Windows 10 IoT
  Enterprise LTSC.

• These LTSC versions are designed for embedded and industrial systems and follow an
  extended support lifecycle.

The following steps explain how to find out the specific installed version of Windows:

1. In the Windows Search field enter 'CMD'.
2. Select to 'Run as Administrator'.
3. Enter 'WINVER' at the command prompt.
4. A window will appear displaying the specific version of Windows that is installed.

Note: The specific year of the version can be interpreted using the following table:

3.0 How to Find out if the Host PC Can Run Windows 11

You can download and run the PC Health Check app from the Microsoft website to discover if the host PC meets the requirements for running Windows 11.

1. Go to Google and enter 'PC Health Check App'.
2. Click the link for the Microsoft website.
3. Download the PC Health Check app from the Microsoft website.
4. Install the app from your Downloads folder. It will take only a few seconds to install.
5. Open the app.
6. Click the CHECK NOW button.
   
   
   
   
7. The app will tell you if the host PC can run Windows 11. If it can't run Windows 11
   it will provide the reason why.
   
   
   
   
8. If the PC does meet the requirements for Windows 11 click the MORE
   ABOUT WINDOWS 11 button for further information about how to upgrade the PC.

Notes:

• Before upgrading the PC to Windows 11 you should perform a backup of the Doors.NET
  database (see the following section).
• You should consult your IT department, if you have one, before upgrading the host PC. Keri
  does not provide any support or assisting with upgrading the Windows Operating system.
• You should also consider verifying that all supporting software and drivers on the host PC
  are Windows 11 compatible prior to performing the operating system upgrade.
• To upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 you must have a fully activated, genuine
  copy of Windows 10. It must be updated to the latest version of Windows 10 (v22H2).

4.0 Backup the Doors.NET Database

The upgrade procedure will typically retain all the original files and programs but this precautionary step is highly recommended. You should also backup the entire DoorsNet folder as it may have feature information not stored within the Doors.NET database - the default location for this folder is C:\Keri\DoorsNET. The backup file and possibly the DoorsNET folder will also be required if the host PC will be replaced for a newer PC or appliance with Windows 11 already installed.

Creating a Backup File from the Doors.NET User Interface

1. Login into Doors.NET as the System Administrator.
2. Click on the Tools tab near the top of the screen.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Backup icon.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Yes to proceed.
5. Once complete, click Yes on the prompt to view the backup file location.
6. Check the data and time stamp and copy the latest backup file to a USB drive or
   external storage device.
   
   
   
   
7. The backup file can then be restored onto a new PC or to the existing PC if you will be clearing all files and folders or resetting the PC/appliance prior to the Windows upgrade.

5.0 Restoring the Doors.NET Database

If you upgrade the host PC you do not need to re-install the Doors.NET software or restore the database. Your Doors.NET shortcuts remain as they were in Windows 10 (for example on the Desktop and via the Start Menu).

You will only need to reinstall Doors.NET if you are starting with a fresh installation of Windows 11 or if you have purchased a new PC or appliance with Windows 11 installed. For a new Windows 11 installation or new PC/appliance you should also find out your current Doors.NET license key. Keri Systems will need to increase the activation count on the license so that it can be re-activated. The current license key can be found in Doors.NET via Setup >> System Options >> select License >> scroll down to Server settings. The license key will be displayed on the right.
It consists of 26 Characters.

Restoring the Doors.NET database requires SQL Studio Manager to be installed on the
PC/appliance. The following steps assume that Doors.NET is already installed with the
default database.

The following knowledge base document explains how to restore the database backup that was
created in the previous section:

• https://help.kerisys.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-to-restore-the-doors-net-database

This document also provides detailed instructions for migrating a system from one PC to
another (for example; from a Windows 10 PC/Appliance to one running Windows 11):

• https://help.kerisys.com/portal/en/kb/articles/doors-net-migrating-a-system

6.0 Upgrading Your Host PC to a Keri Appliance

The easiest way to upgrade your Doors.NET host PC to Windows 11 is to purchase an appliance which is pre-loaded with the latest version of Doors.NET. The only additional required step is to restore the Doors.NET backup file. There are 3 different versions of the appliance (Basic, Corporate and Elite) depending on the size and feature requirements of your access control system). Further information about Keri appliances can be found here:

• https://help.kerisys.com/portal/en/kb/articles/appliance-overview

7.0 Upgrade your System to Borealis

To further enhance the security of your access control system you may wish to consider
upgrading to Keri's cloud-based solution.

Borealis is fully hosted on the cloud. The system is updated regularly and automatically and the system database is automatically backed-up to the cloud. A Borealis system does not require any software to be installed on a host PC and it can be accessed from any device which has an active internet connected. You can continue to use your existing hardware, readers and credentials and an upgrade path is available to seamlessly transfer your existing Door32 or Doors.NET system to Borealis.

The following knowledge base document outlines the procedure for upgrading your system to Borealis:

• https://help.kerisys.com/portal/en/kb/articles/doors-net-to-borealis-database-conversion-procedure

Speak to Keri's inside sales team to discuss purchasing an appliance for Doors.NET or upgrading your Doors32 or Doors.NET system to Borealis.