Computer Replacement Schedule Template

Know which computers are due for review, spread the cost across budget years, and stop replacing them in a panic. Free Excel template, no email required.

Download the template (.xlsx)

why a schedule

Replace computers on purpose, not by surprise

For most businesses, three to five years is a sensible planning range for a computer. It is a range, not a rule. A computer reaching three years old is a signal to review it, and the real question is whether it is still secure, reliable, and right for the person using it.

A replacement schedule turns computer purchases into something you plan for instead of something that happens to you. You know which devices are approaching the end of operating system support. You can spread purchases over several budget years instead of discovering that twelve computers need replacing at once. And your IT team has time to order, configure, test, and deploy new equipment properly.

This template gives you a place to start.

what's inside

Four tabs, built to be used

Inventory

One row per computer: assigned employee, purchase date, warranty end, operating system and its support end date, role criticality, and support requests over the last year. The sheet works out each computer’s age, review date, expected replacement year, and a status flag.

Budget by Year

Totals how many computers fall due each year and what they are likely to cost, so you can see a spike coming and spread it out instead of buying everything at once.

Review Checklist

Six questions to ask before replacing any computer, with notes on what each answer means. Print it or copy it for each device you review.

Disposal Record

A log for every computer that leaves your control: asset and serial number, disposal date, how the data was removed, and what happened to the device.

how it flags devices

The sheet tells you where to look first

Enter the purchase date and the date the operating system stops receiving security updates, and the Status column does the rest. Operating system support comes first because security matters more than speed: an unsupported operating system stops receiving fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities, and antivirus cannot repair that.

Asset Tag	Role	Age (yrs)	Operating System	Status
SAMPLE-001	Sales	4.0	Windows 11 Pro	Review now
SAMPLE-002	Accounting	2.0	Windows 11 Pro	OK
SAMPLE-003	Front Desk	6.0	Windows 10 Pro	OS unsupported

Sample rows included in the template. Delete them before you start.

What each status means

OS unsupported. The operating system no longer receives security updates. Highest priority.
OS ends < 12 mo. Operating system support ends within a year. Plan the replacement now.
Overdue. The computer has passed the age you planned to keep it.
Review now. It has reached your review age. Run the checklist.
Warranty ended. Coverage has lapsed. Check repair history and parts availability.
OK. Nothing needs attention yet.

how to use it

Set it up in an afternoon

Set your ages. Choose the age at which a computer gets reviewed (we suggest 3 years) and the age you plan to keep it until (we suggest 5).
List every computer. Include laptops, desktops, and the prepared spares you keep on hand. Pull purchase dates from invoices and warranty dates from the manufacturer.
Review the flagged ones. For any computer marked for review, work through the six questions on the Review Checklist tab. Not every flagged computer needs replacing.
Check the budget tab. If one year looks heavy, move some reviews earlier so the cost is spread out.
Record disposals. When a computer leaves, log it and confirm its data was properly removed first.

Keep the file somewhere your whole team can find it, and look at it a few times a year. A schedule only helps if someone is looking at it.

Download the template (.xlsx)

Keep reading

faq

Common questions

Three to five years is a practical planning range for most business computers. Age should trigger a review, not an automatic replacement. A secure, reliable three-year-old computer may have plenty of life left, while a five-year-old computer that slows people down or cannot run a supported operating system may already be costing more than a new one.

Yes. There is no form to fill out and no email address required. Download it, copy it, and adapt it for your own business.

At a minimum: purchase date, make and model, serial number, assigned employee, warranty end date, operating system, and the date that operating system stops receiving security updates. The template also tracks role criticality and support history, which help you decide which computers to replace first.

Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. The formulas, drop-down lists, and status colors carry over.

Remove it from device management, security monitoring, backup systems, and your asset inventory, and sanitize its storage before it leaves your control. Deleting files or removing a user account is not the same as securely removing business data. Record each disposal on the Disposal Record tab, and see NIST Special Publication 800-88 Revision 2 for current media sanitization guidance.

Yes. We track device age, warranty, and operating system support dates for the businesses we manage, so replacements are planned and budgeted instead of arriving as emergencies.

Would you rather not track this yourself?

We keep tabs on device age, warranty, and operating system support for the businesses we manage, so replacements are planned and budgeted well ahead of time.