Upgrade to Win11 to temporarily Dual-Boot with Win 10? Suggestions?


C

CalypsoArt

Well-known member
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105
OS
Windows 11
I have an 17" MSI Stealth GS75 9SH with 16gb RAM, 1Tgb SSD and Win 10. I would like to update to Win 11 in a clean install but temporarily keeping the Win 10 drive intact. I understand that this machine has multiple SSD M.2 slots, so I'm thinking I'd add another 1T ssd with a clean install of WIN 11 and make it dual-boot. This would allow me to use the machine in the current Win10 configuration as I slowly add the software packages on the Win 11 drive. When I have the Win 11 as I want it, I'll wipe the other drive and use it as a data drive. I've done this with a desktop I built, (Win7 to win10) but never with a laptop. Also, In the past, I remember there was a sequence to removing the dual-boot, but I can't remember how I solved it. Thoughts? Suggestions?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX B850-I
    Memory
    G.SKILL DDR5 Flare X5 64GB 6000 CL30-40-40-96
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4060 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Dell U3014
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO m.2 2TB, Silicon Power m.2 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair Modular SFX 750W
    Case
    Lan-Li H2O
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN 240 AIO
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

I think this is what you need.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy TE01-1xxx
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-10700 CPU @ 2.90GHz 2.90 GHz
    Motherboard
    16.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1463MHz (21-21-21-47)
    Memory
    16384 MBytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Monitor 1 - Acer 27" Monitor 2 - Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G-1006 (SSD)
    Seagate ST1000DM003-1SB102
    Seagate BUP Slim SCSI Disk Device (SSD)
    PSU
    HP
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    Standard
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    500 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    That's all Folks!
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 (10th gen) 10700
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27" & Samsung 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x
    Hard Drives
    SSD (512 GB)
    HDD (1 TB)
    Seagate
    PSU
    Intel i7 10th Generation
    Case
    HP
    Cooling
    HP/Intel?
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave K350
    Mouse
    Logitech M705
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps
    Browser
    Firefox 90.2
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Headphone/Microphone Combo
    SuperSpeed USB Type-A (4 on front)
    HP 3-in-One Card Readr
    SuperSpeed USB Type-C
    DVD Writer
I just did an In-Place Upgrade from Win 10 to Win 11, and kept all my files and programs.
However, my Win 10 install was fairly new and very clean...



In-Place Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11...

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


Here is the short version of the In-place upgrade tutorial...

DISABLE non-Microsoft:
a) antivirus software
b) firewall software
c) drive encryption software

Make a full OS backup with a program like Macrium Reflect (free)
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

Get the Windows 11 ISO image and save it to your desktop...
www.elevenforum.com

Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to download an official Windows Server or Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO file from Microsoft. Microsoft provides ISO files for Windows Server and Windows 11 to download. You can use these ISO files to clean install or in-place upgrade Windows 11. The Flight Hub...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com



Right click the ISO image and choose: MOUNT
Open File Explorer and you will see a new drive letter. It will "look" like a DVD optical drive.
Double click the new drive letter to open it.
Find setup.exe and double click it to start the in-place upgrade.

Choose the Keep personal files and apps option.

After it's all done... to UNmount the ISO image, right click the new drive letter and choose: EJECT.


The ONLY thing you will lose is some of your personalizations. Your programs and data will be intact.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8457 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    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 Total 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?
One way is clone W10 installation to 2nd drive using tool like Macrium Reflect Free.

Then upgrade 2nd drive to Windows 11.

You can clean install to 2nd drive as well.

A very non intrusive way to do it is to create a virtual hard drive and install Windows to that (or clone to it).

1) create a virtual hard drive (say) D:\win11\W11.vhdx (or what ever drive letter /path / name on second drive) from disk management, size say 100 GB and initialise as a gpt drive.

2) For a clean install, boot from windows installation usb drive and st first screen press f10 to get to menu

type following

Code: 
diskpart
select vdisk file=d:\win11\win11.vhdx
attach vdisk
exit
exit

Then install W11 in normal way, selecting the virtual hard drive.

Then later if you want to remove it, just delete vhdx file and remove boot entry using msconfig.
 
Last edited:

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)
cereberus said:
One way is clone W10 installation to 2nd drive using tool like Macrium Reflect Free.

Then upgrade 2nd drive to Windows 11.

You can clean install to 2nd drive as well.

A very non intrusive way to do it is to create a virtual hard drive and install Windows to that (or clone to it).

1) create a virtual hard drive (say) D:\win11\W11.vhdx (or what ever drive letter /path / name on second drive) from disk management, size say 100 GB and initialise as a gpt drive.

2) For a clean install, boot from windows installation usb drive and st first screen press f10 to get to menu

type following

Code: 
diskpart
select vdisk file=d:\win11\win11.vhdx
attach vdisk
exit
exit

Then install W11 in normal way, selecting the virtual hard drive.

Then later if you want to remove it, just delete vhdx file and remove boot entry using msconfig.
Click to expand...
The advantage of doing it that way (via vhdx files) is you can select which Windows to boot via the standard Windows boot screen instead of selecting a boot drive via the computers BIOS menu.

E.G :

multios.png
Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-release 45
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
    Screen Resolution
    4KUHD X 2
Wow.

Install the second SSD. Boot from the Windows 11 USB flash drive and run Windows setup just like you normally would. When you get to the list of disks and partitions to install to, just select the unallocated space on the newly installed SSD and click next.

If you don't end up with dual boot, it is one simple bcdboot command to set it up.

I like to K.I.S.S.
 

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!
Thanks for the information guys. I still have to open the machine and see which SSD slot is available, etc. I get conflicting info. Some say two slots, some say 3. (1 SATA, two NVME)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX B850-I
    Memory
    G.SKILL DDR5 Flare X5 64GB 6000 CL30-40-40-96
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4060 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Dell U3014
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO m.2 2TB, Silicon Power m.2 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair Modular SFX 750W
    Case
    Lan-Li H2O
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN 240 AIO
NavyLCDR said:
If you don't end up with dual boot, it is one simple bcdboot command to set it up.

I like to K.I.S.S.
Click to expand...
Can you tell me more about this?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX B850-I
    Memory
    G.SKILL DDR5 Flare X5 64GB 6000 CL30-40-40-96
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4060 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Dell U3014
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO m.2 2TB, Silicon Power m.2 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair Modular SFX 750W
    Case
    Lan-Li H2O
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN 240 AIO
To avoid Windows 11 being on the second disk and the boot files on the first (making it difficult to remove a disk or swap disks later), I would disconnect my Windows 10 disk, install Windows 11 on second disk (or clone Windows 10 on second and upgrade to 11), and finally connect both and select where to boot with the F12 key at boot. I would go in BIOS, make Windows 11 disk first so it boots from there and change with F12 only when I wanted to boot in 10. I did that when dual booting XP and Vista, 7 and 8/10 and finally 10 and 11.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (5699), 25H2 (8457)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, no SSE4.2, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v25H2 (build 26200.8457)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3050 WINDFORCE OC V2 6GB (GV-N3050WF2OCV2-6GD)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD Blue SA510 2.5 1000GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Deepcool Gamma Archer CPU cooler, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
spapakons said:
To avoid Windows 11 being on the second disk and the boot files on the first (making it difficult to remove a disk or swap disks later), I would disconnect my Windows 10 disk, install Windows 11 on second disk (or clone Windows 10 on second and upgrade to 11), and finally connect both and select where to boot with the F12 key at boot. I would go in BIOS, make Windows 11 disk first so it boots from there and change with F12 only when I wanted to boot in 10. I did that when dual booting XP and Vista, 7 and 8/10 and finally 10 and 11.
Click to expand...
Why not use vhdx files --then when finished with the OS you don't want simply delete the vhdx file. Files can be on internal or external disks - doesn't matter. For example : standard graphical Windows boot menu. The Os'es don't have to be on the same disk or even the default boot disk. Saves messing around swapping disks and going into the BIOS. You can still have the Os'es on separate disks if you wish but of course if you try and boot that OS when the disk isn't connected you'll get an error !!!

multios.png
Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,11 Linux Fedora Rawhide pre-release 45
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
    Screen Resolution
    4KUHD X 2
Thanks again. I did the version mentioned by NavyLCDR in post #6 before I saw the other posts. That is what I'd done back in the day of XP/7, and 7/10. I did have the problem with the boot files associated with the old disk, and I forgot how I solved it. No idea what vhdx files are?

I'm in no rush to wipe the Win 10 system, but at some point I will. Then I'll be back for help it the boot gets killed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX B850-I
    Memory
    G.SKILL DDR5 Flare X5 64GB 6000 CL30-40-40-96
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4060 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Dell U3014
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO m.2 2TB, Silicon Power m.2 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair Modular SFX 750W
    Case
    Lan-Li H2O
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN 240 AIO
VHDX files are virtual hard drives.
 

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!
CalypsoArt said:
Thanks again. I did the version mentioned by NavyLCDR in post #6 before I saw the other posts. That is what I'd done back in the day of XP/7, and 7/10. I did have the problem with the boot files associated with the old disk, and I forgot how I solved it. No idea what vhdx files are?

I'm in no rush to wipe the Win 10 system, but at some point I will. Then I'll be back for help it the boot gets killed.
Click to expand...
VHDX files are "Virtual Hard Disks". They are just a file on your pc but it is a container that emulates a physical drive and acts exactly like a physical drive. When you boot from one, it looks exactly like you have booted from a physical drive.

They are really great on laptops where you often only have one physical drive.

I have several - each containing different Insider versions.
 

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)
CalypsoArt said:
No idea what vhdx files are?
Click to expand...
A .vhdx file is a virtual hard drive. A very easy way to add one or more other OS installs without disturbing your currently installed Windows.

www.elevenforum.com

Native Boot Windows 11 Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX)

This tutorial will show you how to boot a Windows 11 VHDX file natively 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 with your existing installation, or on a...
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-R9VY
    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 (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    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, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    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, 1TB 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. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this 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. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as 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, 1TB 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. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
Got it. My laptop has 3 m.2 drive slots. (2 NVMe pci, and 1 SATA) I'll keep Virtual disk in mind if I decide to update my 13" laptop.

thanks again for all the help.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 9900X
    Motherboard
    ROG STRIX B850-I
    Memory
    G.SKILL DDR5 Flare X5 64GB 6000 CL30-40-40-96
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4060 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Dell U3014
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO m.2 2TB, Silicon Power m.2 2TB
    PSU
    Corsair Modular SFX 750W
    Case
    Lan-Li H2O
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN 240 AIO
CalypsoArt said:
Thanks for the information guys. I still have to open the machine and see which SSD slot is available, etc. I get conflicting info. Some say two slots, some say 3. (1 SATA, two NVME)
Click to expand...


You have 4 SATA ports available on your board. Near the lower right-hand corner.

1675920282655.png

Here's a better view of them

1675920963513.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-14700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF Z690-PLUS WIFI BIOS 4505 11/29/25
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster AE-5 Plus
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11 25H2)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe 25H2 DEV/Games
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Corsair Nautilus 360 RS AIO
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    MR 8.1 Home

    System 3 Specs
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    ASUS PRIME Z370-P II BIOS 3004 7/12/21
    Intel Core i7-8700 CPU @ 3.20GHz
    32GB DDR4 RAM (4x8)
    iGPU Intel UHD Graphics 630
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi (BIOS 2803)
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12GB
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster Audigy Fx V2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Thermalright Frozen Edge 240 Black AIO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
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