Need to Migrate from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro: Scared!


I'd also have an image backup before starting this upgrade in case it doesn't go well. :-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 Nvme PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
Did the upgrade to Win11 but may have an issue. After the upgrade was completed, I ran WU and several updates were installed. One update failed to install. The screenshot below shows the Warning received in the Reliability Monitor. The failed update is not seen in the in the Windows Update History and when I check for updates, WU says I’m “up to date.”

What’s going on here?
 

Attachments

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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro, version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4061)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS user built
    CPU
    i5-13500
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime B760M-A AX D4
    Memory
    G.SKILL F4-3200C16D-16GVKB
    Graphics Card(s)
    on board
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    two monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD for OS: Samsung 980 PRO 1TB, NVMe
    Case
    Antec Sonata II
    Antivirus
    OS Native
The screenshot below shows the Warning received in the Reliability Monitor. The failed update is not seen in the in the Windows Update History and when I check for updates, WU says I’m “up to date.”
That's because it's not a Windows update, it's a Store update.

 

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.
That's because it's not a Windows update, it's a Store update.

Thanks for this information. I followed the instructions of the link and Windows Web Experience Pack shows up as installed, last updated 5/5/2025. Installed version 525.10401.30.0 and modified today. I don't see an opportunity to update displayed. Seems like I should be okay so I'm not sure why I got the warning seen in my last post above. Comment on that if you can. It looks like the upgrade is working well!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro, version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4061)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS user built
    CPU
    i5-13500
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime B760M-A AX D4
    Memory
    G.SKILL F4-3200C16D-16GVKB
    Graphics Card(s)
    on board
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    two monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD for OS: Samsung 980 PRO 1TB, NVMe
    Case
    Antec Sonata II
    Antivirus
    OS Native
For those who may be interested in how I chose to do this upgrade:
  • First, I ran Windows Update on my Win 10 system to make sure it was fully current.
  • I made a Macrium Free image of my Win 10 OS drive and a Macrium Rescue Disk. I verified I could boot on the rescue disk and see the image I had made. This was for insurance.
  • I used the Microsoft Media Creation Tool to make an iso file for Win 11.
  • I ran DISM and SFC as recommended by glasskuter earlier.
  • I disconnected all other drives from the system so that only the drive containing the Win 10 OS to be upgraded, was connected at the time of the upgrade.
  • I booted on my Win 10 system, mounted the Win 11 iso file as a virtual disk and clicked setup.exe. I opted to not let setup download drivers and updates during the upgrade. I ran Windows Update after the upgrade to Windows 11. I had to do this a few times before WU came back saying I’m Up to Date.
  • All went very smoothly with all of my apps in place and working fine on Windows 11.
  • I pleasantly noticed that some minor annoyances I was having with Windows 10 simply disappeared after the upgrade. For example, Microsoft photos would usually launch behind other open windows rather then on top as expected. This may have happened periodically with some other apps as well but not since the upgrade. Excel would also hesitate by 5-secs or so when opening a new file, when an existing file was already opened. That along with one or two other delays are no longer happening after the upgrade. Accordingly, it seems the upgrade fixed some minor issues rather than creating some issues.
Thanks for the suggestions and help!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro, version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4061)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS user built
    CPU
    i5-13500
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime B760M-A AX D4
    Memory
    G.SKILL F4-3200C16D-16GVKB
    Graphics Card(s)
    on board
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    two monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD for OS: Samsung 980 PRO 1TB, NVMe
    Case
    Antec Sonata II
    Antivirus
    OS Native
All's well that ends well! :-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 Nvme PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
Just giving my two cents.

What I can tell OP is that in terms of legacy software compatibility, even very old software from Windows XP and Windows 9x days, Windows 11 24H2 is pretty good. Better than I expected, basically on the same level as Windows 10 22H2.

I'm talking only app software here, though. I haven't tested games. Also don't know about drivers compatibility since I only used 11 in VMs so far.

Also, OP seem to be planning to do an in-place update, in that case I don't know what issues might come up. The last times I did in-place updates have been when I upgraded from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, and from a fresh install of Windows 95 to Windows 98SE. These were traumatic experiences. 😂 Since then Windows version migrations always meant a reformat and fresh install for me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 24H2 Enterprise LTSC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Glad to hear that all went well.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 128G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
OP seem to be planning to do an in-place update, in that case I don't know what issues might come up. The last times I did in-place updates have been when I upgraded from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, and from a fresh install of Windows 95 to Windows 98SE. These were traumatic experiences. 😂 Since then Windows version migrations always meant a reformat and fresh install for me.
It's far less traumatic these days. My System One has an OS that upgraded from Win7 to Win10, took every W10 upgrade until it was migrated to a new machine to get Win11 21H2, then all the W11 upgrades up to 24H2. My System One's upgrade history goes back a very long way.
 

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.
Just giving my two cents.

What I can tell OP is that in terms of legacy software compatibility, even very old software from Windows XP and Windows 9x days, Windows 11 24H2 is pretty good. Better than I expected, basically on the same level as Windows 10 22H2.

I'm talking only app software here, though. I haven't tested games. Also don't know about drivers compatibility since I only used 11 in VMs so far.

Also, OP seem to be planning to do an in-place update, in that case I don't know what issues might come up. The last times I did in-place updates have been when I upgraded from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, and from a fresh install of Windows 95 to Windows 98SE. These were traumatic experiences. 😂 Since then Windows version migrations always meant a reformat and fresh install for me.
There are no guarantees, but often Win10 can be upgraded to Win11 smoothly.

IMHO, it's wise to do the preparations for a clean install, just in case. That involves gathering files and installers to bring a clean install back up to what Windows was like before.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 26100.3915
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/300 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    Arris G36 modem/router
  • Operating System
    windows 11 26100.3915
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA329C
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
Personally, I vastly prefer a clean install over an upgrade. Yes, I know it's potentially considerably more work, however the return on the investment can be major.

You doubtless have tons of things that have gotten installed over the years that you no longer use if you're the typical user. Also, things like the registry get larger and larger as the years go by, and it never shrinks by itself. With a clean install, the registry is back to the clean install size, that also will help performance, even if it's in a small way.

After I left all the unused applications behind in the change from Win10 to Win11 a couple months ago, my boot drive used space went from over 250GB to currently 134GB. I suspect much of that was the no longer used applications and other bloat that gets left behind even when you do an uninstall, but the Windows folder also shrank in size from over 50GB to 36GB, don't know what all that bloat was from.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 Nvme PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Build 26100.4349, Experience Pack 1000.26100.107.0
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Security
Personally, I vastly prefer a clean install over an upgrade. Yes, I know it's potentially considerably more work, however the return on the investment can be major.

You doubtless have tons of things that have gotten installed over the years that you no longer use if you're the typical user. Also, things like the registry get larger and larger as the years go by, and it never shrinks by itself. With a clean install, the registry is back to the clean install size, that also will help performance, even if it's in a small way.

After I left all the unused applications behind in the change from Win10 to Win11 a couple months ago, my boot drive used space went from over 250GB to currently 134GB. I suspect much of that was the no longer used applications and other bloat that gets left behind even when you do an uninstall, but the Windows folder also shrank in size from over 50GB to 36GB, don't know what all that bloat was from.
I agree 100%
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 128G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
The history of my windows 10 installation from which I just upgraded as described in post #45, is as follows. Back in Feb 2016 I did a Win 10 clean install onto a WD Velociraptor HDD and a Gigabyte P55-USB3_v2.0 which I bought in 2010. Over time I loaded up all my software. In March, 2023 I migrated that Win 10 installation to the Samsung 980 Pro 1TB NVMe SSD and the Asus Prime B760M-A AX D4 Mobo. I did that migration manually using the method described by NavyLCDR in Tenforums here in his post #20. That migration went smoothly and that’s the hardware I’m using today. The original Win 10 install has been thru hardware and software changes including three video cards that I can remember, so I’m sure there is leftover driver fragments and other stuff on the system. That said, this upgrade proceeding smoothly and the system appears to be quite solid and even improved over the Win 10 install from which it originated as I described in post #45 above. If it could work better or faster than it is now, it’s beyond my ability to perceive. The nice thing about having upgraded, aside from the obvious time and effort saved, is that I can always do a clean install should I find a reason to do so later on. Given the history of the Win 10 installation from which I upgraded, I can only imagine that the upgrade process has improved over the years, or maybe I just got lucky! Of course, as Bree mentioned in post #16, the two kernels are very similar, so maybe that played a role also (I’d like to know what a “kernel” is). I should point out that back in Feb of 2016, I tried to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 10 on the Velociraptor/Gigabyte P55 platform. I had no success getting that to work right, so I had to go the clean install route.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro, version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.4061)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS user built
    CPU
    i5-13500
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime B760M-A AX D4
    Memory
    G.SKILL F4-3200C16D-16GVKB
    Graphics Card(s)
    on board
    Sound Card
    on board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    two monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    SSD for OS: Samsung 980 PRO 1TB, NVMe
    Case
    Antec Sonata II
    Antivirus
    OS Native
@Tweakit The Windows 11 kernel is the core part of the operating system that manages system resources, hardware interactions, and process execution. It provides essential services like memory management, process scheduling, and security enforcement, ensuring efficient performance and stability. The kernel enables communication between hardware and software, acting as a bridge for seamless operation.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 16 9640
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
    Memory
    32GB LPDDR5x 7467 MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16.3 inch 4K+ OLED Infinity Edge Touch
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    1 Terabyte M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
    Cooling
    Vapor Chamber Cooling
    Mouse
    None
    Internet Speed
    960 Mbps Netgear Mesh + 2 Satellites
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Security (Defender)
    Other Info
    Microsoft 365 subscription
    Microsoft OneDrive 1TB Cloud
    Microsoft Visual Studio
    Microsoft Visual Studio Code
    Microsoft Sysinternals Suite
    Microsoft BitLocker
    Microsoft Copilot
    Macrium Reflect X subscription
    Dell Support Assist
    Dell Command | Update
    1Password Password Manager
    Amazon Kindle for PC
    Lightroom/Photoshop subscription
    Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation
I usually prefer a clean install, but on one machine it was problematic and didn't go right until I a) clean installed windows 10, then b) upgraded to Windows 11.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3514sa
    CPU
    Core i5
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 evo plus 2TB
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd
That's a pretty straight forwards way of doing things. I may just give that a shot. Of course I'll make a Macrum backup first, maybe two!
The ISO is gotten using the media creation tool, Right??

Heck, if you have a macrium backup image, why not shoot for the moon and just let windows update do all the work for you.

OOOPS ...didn't realize you'd already done the upgrade! Sorry.

But I'm happy the upgrade went smoothly.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 11 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 790 (Mt)
    CPU
    i5-2400
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    32 GB DDR-3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 2000 (on-board)
    Sound Card
    Intel Cougar Point PCH [B2] (On-Board)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27MN60T
I know many on this thread have recommend and clean install of Win11 followed by an install of all your programs. But I have around 50 installed programs, and getting their customizations correct after installing on as clean system is an absolute nightmare. I go with those that say do a backup and then an upgrade in place. If it works, fine. If it doesn't you can restore ant then go the clean install route. Yes, you'll still have all the old garbage you had in your Win10 system, but you'll probably also have working installed programs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort

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