Installation and Upgrade Upgrade to Windows 11


  • Staff
Windows_11_upgrade_banner.png

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to manually upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 11 (older build/version), Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7.

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 bring you a refreshing experience on your PC.

Most devices available for purchase now will be upgradeable to Windows 11. You will have the option to upgrade, clean install, or reimage Windows 10 devices to move to Windows 11. For Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 devices that meet hardware requirements, you will need to clean install or reimage to go directly to Windows 11.

If your existing Windows 10 PC is running the most current version of Windows 10 and meets the minimum hardware specifications it will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. The upgrade rollout plan is still being finalized, but for most devices already in use today, Windows 11 will be generally available on October 5, 2021. Not all Windows 10 PCs that are eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 will be offered to upgrade at the same time. Windows Update will provide an indication if and when your PC is eligible. Once the upgrade rollout has started, you can check if it is ready for your device by going to Settings/Windows Update.

It will be free to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. But only Windows 10 PCs that are running the most current version of Windows 10 and meet the minimum hardware specifications will be able to upgrade. You can check to see if you have the latest updates for Windows 10 in Settings/Windows Update. The free upgrade offer does not have a specific end date for eligible systems. However, Microsoft reserves the right to eventually end support for the free offer. This end date will be no sooner than one year from general availability.

Windows 11 minimum system requirements:

If you’d like to see if your current PC meets the minimum requirements, download and run the PC Health Check app.


References:


Here's How:

1 Disable or uninstall any 3rd party AV or security program you have installed first to prevent it from interfering with the upgrade to Windows 11. You can enable or reinstall it again after Windows 11 has finished installing.

2 Temporarily disconnect all non OS hard drives until Windows installation has finished to avoid Windows Setup from installing files on other hard drives by mistake. You can reconnect the drives after Windows 11 has finished installing.

Step 2 is optional, but is recommended to prevent Windows adding a recovery partition on by mistake.


3 Do the step below depending on how you want to upgrade to Windows 11.
  • step 4: To Upgrade to Windows 11 with an ISO file
  • step 5: To Upgrade to Windows 11 with USB Installation Media
4 To Upgrade to Windows 11 with an ISO file

A) If you have not already, you will need to download a Windows 11 ISO file.​

B) In Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11, mount the ISO file, and go to step 6 below.​

C) In Windows 7, you will need to extract the files in the ISO to a new folder on your desktop, open the folder, and go to step 6 below.​

5 To Upgrade to Windows 11 with USB Installation Media

A) Connect and open the Windows 11 USB, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)​

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-1-min.png

6 Run the setup.exe file to start Windows 11 Setup. (see screenshot below)

If you need to bypass Windows 11 system requirements, then you can run the command below in an elevated command prompt instead.

<full path of setup.exe file> /product server

For example: D:\setup.exe /product server

If the above command no longer works for you, then try the command below instead:

<full path of setupprep.exe file in sources folder> /product server

For example: D:\sources\setupprep.exe /product server



Upgrade_to_Windows_11-2-min.png

7 If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-3-min.png

8 Windows 11 Setup will now start preparing. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-4-min.png

9 Click/tap on the Change how Setup downloads updates link. (see screenshot below)

You can check or uncheck (default) I want to help make the installation better depending on what you want. This will send setup info to Microsoft to help improve.


Upgrade_to_Windows_11-5-min-min.png

10 Select (dot) Download updates, drivers and optional features (default) or Not right now for what you want. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-6-min.png

11 Windows 11 Setup will now start getting things ready. (see screenshots below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-7-min.png
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-8-min.png
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-9-min.png

12 Click/tap on Accept for the license terms. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-10-min.png

13 Windows 11 Setup will now check for and install any available updates. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-11-min.png

14 Windows 11 Setup will now check compatibility to make sure you're ready to install. (see screenshots below)

If anything is found that needs your attention, you can click/tap on Confirm to accept and continue.


Upgrade_to_Windows_11-12-min.png
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-13-min.png

15 Click/tap on the Change what to keep link. (see left screenshot below)

After doing step 16, click/tap on Install when ready to start the upgrade to Windows 11. (see right screenshot below)


If wanted, you can close the Windows 11 Setup window at this point to safely cancel the upgrade before it starts.


Upgrade_to_Windows_11-14-min.png
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-15-min.png

16 Select (dot) Keep personal files and apps (default), Keep personal files only, or Nothing for what you want to keep, and click/tap on Next. (see left screenshot below)

When you click/tap on Next, you will go back to step 14.

When you get to step 15 again, click/tap on Install when ready to start the upgrade to Windows 11. (see right screenshot below)


If wanted, you can close the Windows 11 Setup window at this point to safely cancel the upgrade before it starts. It will be too late after this step.


Upgrade_to_Windows_11-16-min.png
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-15-min.png

17 Windows 11 Setup will now start upgrading to Windows 11. (see screenshot below)

Your PC will restart several times. This might take a while.


Upgrade_to_Windows_11-17-min.png

18 When the upgrade to Windows 11 has finished, you can dismiss the lock screen and sign in to Windows 11. (see screenshots below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-18-min.jpg
Upgrade_to_Windows_11-19-min.jpg

19 After a bit, you will be on your desktop in Windows 11 with the Start menu open. (see screenshot below)

Upgrade_to_Windows_11-23-min.png

20 Make sure that you have the correct time zone, date, and time set.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

 

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Last edited:
Now we can finally point people to the first part of this tutorial about the availability to usersin 2022 versus RTM in late 2021.

People seem to always ignore the fact that RTM =/= release to public.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Now I think I have an idea how to disable my Eset security suite but am unsure of how to disconnect the other hard drive (D:) without having to physically remove the D: drive before going ahead with the upgrade.
I am also unsure whether to do it now or wait until the official release of 11 in October?
OH, one more thing so I have it right the upgrade is not done straight from the Windows update feature?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
(snip)
OH, one more thing so I have it right the upgrade is not done straight from the Windows update feature?

I believe that you have it wrong. The "upgrade" will be offered via Windows Update.

The reports on that said that the upgrades will be spread out into 2022. I'm unclear on whether Microsoft will offer an earlier manual upgrade via the Media Creation Tool or a direct ISO download.

My own version is an unblessed one, through a clean install from a uupdump.net download. I hope that it'll be updated to the GA (general availability) version just as it has received all updates through 2200.184.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (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
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    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
    8 TB 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)
Ok Bob so I can take it I will not have to mess with an ISO on a stick? if so then it will be that much easier as I also am not clear from what I read in this tutorial.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Ok Bob so I can take it I will not have to mess with an ISO on a stick? if so then it will be that much easier as I also am not clear from what I read in this tutorial.
Right. Get Windows 11 | Microsoft

In particular, "How will I know when the upgrade is available for my Windows 10 PC?"

Upgrades to Windows 11 will begin to roll out late in 2021 and continue into 2022. During this time, we will be doing some behind-the-scenes testing and validating for your specific PC. Windows Update will provide an indication if and when your PC is eligible. You can check by going to Settings/Windows Update.​

Personally, I'd prefer to get the ISO anyway. That would be a single download, which would save time if the Windows Update upgrade runs into problems. It's also handy to have a bootable installation USB for some maintenance/repair tasks.

There may not be a tutorial about using Windows Update until such updates become available. I don't know whether that will be on 5 October or later.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 22631.2861
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) Kingston DDR5 5200 (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
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1600 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora 360, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech K120 (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    1200 Mbps
  • Operating System
    windows 11 22631.2861
    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
    8 TB 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)
Thanks Bob I will wait until then but I do have an ISO on a stick just in case I just don't want to mess up my apps as per they are now so I shall just have to be careful eh?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Before upgrading to Windows 11, ensure you have image backups, backups, backups...
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Before upgrading to Windows 11, ensure you have image backups, backups, backups...
Yes Stigg but I am not that savvy to make backups that will take me back to Windows 10 all I want is for the 11 to carry over my security and other apps I have running. I would make a clone of the drive but it is one of those NVMe ones and I don't have an adaptor to do that with or I would just go down that path.
Edit Well I suppose I do have a second drive in the machine suppose I could use that eh?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Edit Well I suppose I do have a second drive in the machine suppose I could use that eh?
Yes, having a secondary drive makes image backups very easy. It is my preferred way.
No doubt many people have already suggested to you to make a backup with Macrium Reflect FREE onto your secondary drive.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Yes, having a secondary drive makes image backups very easy. It is my preferred way.
No doubt many people have already suggested to you to make a backup with Macrium Reflect FREE onto your secondary drive.
Ok Stigg I have made an image of my C: drive to the D: drive using Macrium what is still concerning me is having to disconnect the D: drive before going with the upgrade. I do have the ability to disable the D: drive in the boot section of the BIOS and taking it offline using disk management and am wondering if that would suffice because having to physically remove the drive beforehand is a pain in the neck to do.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Ok Stigg I have made an image of my C: drive to the D: drive using Macrium what is still concerning me is having to disconnect the D: drive before going with the upgrade. I do have the ability to disable the D: drive in the boot section of the BIOS and taking it offline using disk management and am wondering if that would suffice because having to physically remove the drive beforehand is a pain in the neck to do.
Did someone suggest that you disconnect the D Drive for a Windows upgrade?
It's not necessary. Just upgrade through Windows. It's not going to upgrade to another drive.

People often suggest disconnecting other internal drives when performing a clean install.
This is to prevent any confusion and possibly installing to the wrong drive.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Did someone suggest that you disconnect the D Drive for a Windows upgrade?
It's not necessary. Just upgrade through Windows. It's not going to upgrade to another drive.
Yes Stigg it is in point 2 of this tutorial Upgrade to Windows 11 see this in it
2 Temporarily disconnect all non OS hard drives until Windows installation has finished to avoid Windows Setup from installing files on other hard drives by mistake. You can reconnect the drives after Windows 11 has finished installing.
Which I will do but am trying to avoid opening the machine up and taking out the D: drive.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Yes Stigg it is in point 2 of this tutorial Upgrade to Windows 11 see this in it
2 Temporarily disconnect all non OS hard drives until Windows installation has finished to avoid Windows Setup from installing files on other hard drives by mistake. You can reconnect the drives after Windows 11 has finished installing.
Which I will do but am trying to avoid opening the machine up and taking out the D: drive.
OK.
Well, it is not for me to debate the tutorial. Being a tutorial, I guess the author is being very cautious.

All I can say is that all my computers have more than one internal drive, and I have never disconnected them just for an existing Windows upgrade. A clean install is another story.

Edit: If you are really concerned and not sure about things, why not just upgrade via Windows Update?
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Edit: If you are really concerned and not sure about things, why not just upgrade via Windows Update?
Yes I suppose you are right mate and I have that backup on the D: drive just in case things go belly up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Ok Shawn just to be sure I do the right thing - I don't have a DVD drive on my machine so I am able to boot from a USB stick that I have created as in point 6?
One last point I can disable the security suite on the machine but can only disconnect/ take offline the secondary HDD drive in disk management willthis be suffice to do the upgrade?
DSKMGMT.PNG
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security
Hi,
Don't believe a win-11 iso will fit on a dvd not sure a recent win-10 will either
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win-7-10-11Pro's
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer 17" Nitro 7840sn/ 2x16gb 5600c40/ 4060/ stock 1tb-os/ 4tb sn850x
    CPU
    10900k & 9940x & 5930k
    Motherboard
    z490-Apex & x299-Apex & x99-Sabertooth
    Memory
    Trident-Z Royal 4000c16 2x16gb & Trident-Z 3600c16 4x8gb & 3200c14 4x8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Titan Xp & 1080ti FTW3 & evga 980ti gaming
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek x3
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1-AOC G2460PG 24"G-Sync 144Hz/ 2nd 1-ASUS VG248QE 24"/ 3rd LG 43" series
    Screen Resolution
    1920-1080 not sure what the t.v is besides 43" class scales from 1920-1080 perfectly
    Hard Drives
    2-WD-sn850x 4tb/ 970evo+500gb/ 980 pro 2tb.
    PSU
    1000p2 & 1200p2 & 850p2
    Case
    D450 x2 & 1 Test bench in cherry Entertainment center
    Cooling
    Custom water loops x3 with 2x mora 360mm rads only 980ti gaming air cooled
    Keyboard
    G710+x3
    Mouse
    Redragon x3
    Internet Speed
    xfinity gigabyte
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    mbam pro
Ok Shawn just to be sure I do the right thing - I don't have a DVD drive on my machine so I am able to boot from a USB stick that I have created as in point 6?
One last point I can disable the security suite on the machine but can only disconnect/ take offline the secondary HDD drive in disk management willthis be suffice to do the upgrade?

Hey John, :-)

Actually, you do not need to boot from the USB. You could just connect it, and run the setup.exe file on it to start the upgrade.

Disconnecting or taking offline non OS hard drives is not required, but more a precaution to prevent any mistakes causing something to be installed or used on those drives.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Spectre x360 2in1 14-eu0098nr (2024)
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 4.8 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated Intel Arc
    Sound Card
    Poly Studio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" 2.8K OLED multitouch
    Screen Resolution
    2880 x 1800
    Hard Drives
    2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
    Internet Speed
    Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
Thanks, Shawn that sounds a lot easier than what I thought I was going to have to do:D
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 (OS Build 22621.2361)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Vivo notebook X712P
    CPU
    i7 -10510U
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    Samsung 16GB DDR4 2666 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    On board Intel CPU graphics
    Sound Card
    N/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro NMe
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    Asus in built
    Keyboard
    Generic
    Mouse
    Logitec Wireless
    Internet Speed
    50MB max
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    ESET Smart Security

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