Solved How to try Windows 11 ?


O

OldGrantonian

Well-known member
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Local time
10:13 PM
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41
OS
Windows 10
.
I have Dell XPS 17, with Windows 10.

What's the easiest way to try Windows 11? One of the Microsoft tools said my laptop is suitable for Win 11.

I have 80 GB free on my hard drive, plus several 2TB HDDs.

Thanks
.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
OldGrantonian said:
I have 80 GB free on my hard drive
Click to expand...

A fresh/clean install of Windows 11 on that hard drive will remove all partitions and anything on them as far as I know.

⚠️ ALWAYS backup/image your OS first

OldGrantonian said:
plus several 2TB HDDs.
Click to expand...

Use one of those if empty.

www.elevenforum.com

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5624
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    1000/400Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
If you want to UPGRADE from 10 to 11, you could do an in-place upgrade. I did it when I first tried Windows 11 as have others, and it worked fine.
⚠️ ALWAYS backup/image your OS first and if you aren't happy then you can go back to the way it was.

Here is a post from @Ghot

Windows 10 update to W 11

I apologize if this was posted before. I did simple search and that didn't help. I have a laptop with W 10 that says it's ready for W 11. When I do Windows Update, it offers to upgrade to W 11. So I know it's ready. My question, and I'd like a yes or no. Can I do the upgrade that way - and not...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

The in-place upgrade tutorial:

www.elevenforum.com

Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade

This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything. If you need to repair or create a new recovery partition or having problems with the Windows 11 operating system on your PC, and the usual solutions will not fix it...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5624
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    1000/400Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
You could also dual boot Windows Ten & Eleven. But that isn't for me to advise on:

www.elevenforum.com

Dual Boot Windows 11 with Windows 10

This tutorial will show you how to dual boot Windows 11 with Windows 10 on the same PC. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes with new tools, sounds, and apps. Every detail has been considered. All of it comes together to...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

And once more just to make sure you understand:

⚠️ ALWAYS backup/image your OS first ⚠️​

 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5624
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    1000/400Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
The easiest way to try it is to install Windows 11 in a vitual hard drive and create a boot entry for it.

There are guides in the win10/11 forums how to do it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
For testing and trying OSses, both Windows and Linux, I use Oracle VirtualBox, which is installed on my actual system.
It has a learning factor, but is very nice to use. Testing freeware as well in that environment.
You can make so called snapshots to save a certain situation. And delete them if nomore needed.
Of course there are other apps that bring Virtual Systems, VirtualBox is just one of them (and fully freeware!).
In my system I have moved the Virtual Machine location to an extra disk/partition, where it does not bother the system disk.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.4652
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Build by vendor to my specs
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO B550M-P Gen3
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 2x16GB DIMM DDR4 2666 CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB LP V1
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24E450F 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1. SSD Crucial P5 Plus 500GB PCIe M.2
    2. SSD-SATA Crucial MX500-2TB
    PSU
    Corsair CV650W
    Case
    Cooler Master Silencio S400
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper H412R with Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 PWM BL038 fan
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream (wired, scissor keys)
    Mouse
    Asus WT465 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    70 Mbps down / 80 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox 130.0
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZBox 7490
    Oracle VirtualBox 7 for testing software on Win 10 or 11

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
'
Thanks to all contributors for their useful responses.

To update, I used the simple:

- Start > Settings > Windows Update

For some reason, I found it amusing to use Windows Update to UpdateWindows.

Thanks
.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
OldGrantonian said:
'
Thanks to all contributors for their useful responses.

To update, I used the simple:

- Start > Settings > Windows Update

For some reason, I found it amusing to use Windows Update to UpdateWindows.

Thanks
.
Click to expand...



Remember, you're only allowed 10 days to change your mind, and go back to Windows 10.
Unless ofc, you made a full backup of Windows 10, first.
With a full OS backup of Windows 10, you have all the time in the world. :-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.4652 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5002)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
.
@Ghot said:

>> With a full OS backup of Windows 10, you have all the time in the world. :-)
----------

I do Macrium backups several times per day.

Not because I'm elderly and make numerous mistakes, you understand. I just like making backups.
.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
Windows has a default 10 day go back period which can be modified to 60 days.

With backup images it's usually no longer needed to rely on Windows features / capabilities.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
OldGrantonian said:
Not because I'm elderly and make numerous mistakes, you understand.
Click to expand...


Yep. I forget things, not because I'm elderly. It's just cause I like forgetting things. :D
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.4652 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5002)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
There are also evaluation VMs that expire after some time. They are Enterprise edition VMs, but that shouldn't matter if you're just checking out Windows 11.

developer.microsoft.com

Download a Windows virtual machine - Windows app development

Start building Windows applications quickly by using a virtual machine with the latest versions of Windows, the developer tools, SDKs, and samples ready to go.
developer.microsoft.com
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 [rev. 4652]
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Intel NUC12WSHi7
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P, 2100 MHz
    Motherboard
    NUC12WSBi7
    Memory
    64 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    built-in Realtek HD audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3219Q
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
    Keyboard
    CODE 104-Key Mechanical with Cherry MX Clears
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
.
@zbook said:

>> Windows has a default 10 day go back period which can be modified to 60 days.
----------

There doesn't seem to be much point in going back. To where? MS are ending support for Win10 in a year's time:

www.microsoft.com

End of support for Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 | Microsoft Windows

Make a smooth transition to Windows 11 from your unsupported operating system with help from Microsoft. Enjoy the benefits of upgrading to a Windows 11 PC.
www.microsoft.com
.
@zbook said:

>> With backup images it's usually no longer needed to rely on Windows features / capabilities.
----------
.
I'm sorry. I don't understand that sentence. It seems to have ambiguous and opposite meanings.

Thanks
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
OldGrantonian said:
.
@zbook said:

>> Windows has a default 10 day go back period which can be modified to 60 days.
----------

There doesn't seem to be much point in going back. To where? MS are ending support for Win10 in a year's time:

www.microsoft.com

End of support for Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 | Microsoft Windows

Make a smooth transition to Windows 11 from your unsupported operating system with help from Microsoft. Enjoy the benefits of upgrading to a Windows 11 PC.
www.microsoft.com
.
@zbook said:

>> With backup images it's usually no longer needed to rely on Windows features / capabilities.
----------
.
I'm sorry. I don't understand that sentence. It seems to have ambiguous and opposite meanings.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If you make a backup image of your Windows 10 and store it like on an external hard drive, it is always available to restore, no matter how much time has past.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
OldGrantonian said:
What's the easiest way to try Windows 11?
Click to expand...

cereberus said:
The easiest way to try it is to install Windows 11 in a vitual hard drive and create a boot entry for it.

There are guides in the win10/11 forums how to do it.
Click to expand...
I'd second that, a native boot .vhdx file for the virtual drive is an easy way to dual boot. Here's a tutorial....

www.elevenforum.com

Create Windows 11 Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX) at Boot to Native Boot

This tutorial will show you how to create a Windows 11 Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX) file at boot and natively boot it to dual boot with Windows 10 or Windows 11. Native Boot allows you to create a virtual hard disk (VHDX), install Windows to it, and then boot it up, either on your PC side-by-side...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, and 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Also running Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine.
.
@NavyLCDR said:

>> If you make a backup image of your Windows 10 and store it like on an external hard drive, it is always available to restore, no matter how much time has past.
----------
.
For the Windows partition and a Data partition, I do full Macriums and Diffs every 2 days to alternate HDDs.

Thanks
.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
I equate moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11, like my moving from Illinois to Florida 36 years ago. There WAS no going back!!!

Likewise when I decided to move my daily OS from Win-10 to Win-11, I packed up all my goodies, for safe keeping and did a Clean install of Windows 11, completely Rufusized of course.
Since that day, I've reinstalled Win-11 several times, using smaller and faster versions from X-lite. *

* On a 12 yr old PC, even with 16GB of Crucial RAM, and a Crucial SSD, I still want the Fastest OS I can get, and....
Windows Optimum 11, 24H2, V4.2 is the smallest and fastest OS I've ever used since DOS 6.22.

Both the download of the ISO and the install to my PC, took less than 10 minutes, ea.

Once you'd try this OS, I can't believe you'd ever want to go back to Windows 10, any version or build.

Cheers Mate,
TM :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

.
I'm satisfied with my Win11 upgrade :-)

For the benefit of Win10 users who might be considering the upagrade, I can say that my installation has about 95% of MY Win10 look-and-feel (which in turn had most of the Win7 look and feel).

That's all due to inherited add-ons such as:

- StartAllBack
- Explorer Patcher
- 7+ TaskbarTweaker

I'm sure there are other add-ons, but they are not listed in:

- Start button > R-click > List of installed apps

My Start button is a blue "plus" icon at extreme left. It shows all the options that were displayed in the rightmost column of the Win7 start button. (Which displayed the most recently installed items in the leftmost column - a clever feature.)

As in Win7, Firefox tabs are visible on the taskbar, with one icon per tab. That's probably due to my Win10 addons - such as Taskbar Tweaker and ExplorerPatcher.

In fact, I don't see ANY of the default Win11 half-dozen or so taskbar icons, each of which needs to be clicked several times in order to reveal hidden secrets. With my doubtful memory, I might have spent most of the time clicking the wrong icon.
:oops:

Thanks
.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 17
OldGrantonian said:
That's all due to inherited add-ons such as:

- StartAllBack
- Explorer Patcher
- 7+ TaskbarTweaker
Click to expand...
I'd like to warn you, that mixing add-ons StartAllback (SAB) and ExplorerPatcher (EP) can give unpredictable effects!
They both go deep into the Windows system and there is no garantee at all that you can use them both in the same system.

I did use combination of EP and OpenShell (OS) without problems, because OS only is used for tweaking the start menu, while EP is used for tweaking the taskbar. Never had problems with that combination. And at this moment I am using the combination od SAB and OS, with the same purpose (SAB for the taskbar, OS for the start menu). No problems at all.

But I would not dare to use SAB and EP at the same time in the same system. Problems all over can be expected!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.4652
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Build by vendor to my specs
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO B550M-P Gen3
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 2x16GB DIMM DDR4 2666 CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB LP V1
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24E450F 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1. SSD Crucial P5 Plus 500GB PCIe M.2
    2. SSD-SATA Crucial MX500-2TB
    PSU
    Corsair CV650W
    Case
    Cooler Master Silencio S400
    Cooling
    Cooler Master Hyper H412R with Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 PWM BL038 fan
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream (wired, scissor keys)
    Mouse
    Asus WT465 (wireless)
    Internet Speed
    70 Mbps down / 80 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox 130.0
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Router: FRITZBox 7490
    Oracle VirtualBox 7 for testing software on Win 10 or 11
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