Solved W10 to W11 Upgrade Path Questions


TVeblen

TVeblen

Well-known member
Member
VIP
Local time
3:49 AM
Posts
298
OS
Windows 11 Pro 23H2
I'm going to be moving on up to Windows 11 soon. My PC meets all criteria. I have some basic questions regarding the various upgrade paths.

I have the option to upgrade from Windows Update.
  • Is upgrading from WU the same procedure (step by step process) that you would be doing if you upgraded using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant from the Media Creation Tool page?
  • Is it better, safer, faster, to upgrade using the installation media USB method instead?
  • Is the ISO method any different than the USB method (as far as step by step process goes)?
Any other tips or pointers are appreciated!
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 10 22H2

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2Intel i7-13700KCorsair Vengence 5600 - 32GBMSI RTX3060 Ventus 2x 12GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO Z790-A WiFi
    Memory
    Corsair Vengence 5600 - 32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RTX3060 Ventus 2x 12GB
    Sound Card
    On board - Realtek ALC4080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27GL850
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    WD Black SN850X Nvme - 1TB
    WD Black 6TB HDD 256MB cache CMR
    WD Black 6TB HDD 128MB cache CMR
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Fractal Design - Define 7
    Cooling
    Deepcool AK400
    Keyboard
    MS KC0405
    Mouse
    MS Model 1113 / MS Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500
    Internet Speed
    940 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    I have a Case Speaker!
    I have a Blueray Disk drive!

  • At a glance

    Windows 10 Pro 22H2i7-9700KCorsair Vengence 32GBEVGA GTX1060
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    i7-9700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z390-A
    Memory
    Corsair Vengence 32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1060
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WD Black Nvme 500GB
    Toshiba X300 5TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Antec P101 Silent
    Cooling
    CoolerMaster Hyper T4
    Keyboard
    MS KC0405
    Mouse
    Logitec M-U0007
    Internet Speed
    940 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avast!
    Other Info
    I have a Case Speaker!
TVeblen said:
I'm going to be moving on up to Windows 11 soon. My PC meets all criteria. I have some basic questions regarding the various upgrade paths.

I have the option to upgrade from Windows Update.
Click to expand...
If you have been offered the upgrade through Windows Update then that means Windows has already checked for compatibility and there are no known issues for your particular hardware and software. MS believe you should have a trouble-free upgrade.

TVeblen said:
  • Is upgrading from WU the same procedure (step by step process) that you would be doing if you upgraded using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant from the Media Creation Tool page?
Click to expand...
More or less the same....
TVeblen said:
  • Is it better, safer, faster, to upgrade using the installation media USB method instead?
  • Is the ISO method any different than the USB method (as far as step by step process goes)?
Click to expand...
ISO or USB, makes no difference, they contain the same files. You start the in-place upgrade from within your existing Windows by running the Setup.exe you'll find on the USB or mounted ISO. From then on the steps are the same.

It is always faster to do an in-place upgrade than to use Windows Update. I documented the experience of using Windows Update here:

How long does the Windows 11 upgrade take using Windows Update?

Early last year I asked myself the same question for Windows 10 version 2004, the most recent major Feature Update for Windows 10. The PC I tested this on was not a top end machine, rather a modest spec processor with an HDD. Perhaps representative of an average consumer machine any ordinary...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    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 in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    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.
When i updated to W11 i had waited for the invite from MS to upgraed ! All was smooth & MS took care of everything ! Glad i waited compared to some problems i seen on the boards ! JMO
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows11 23H2 (OS Build 22631.2428)2.90 gigahertz Intel Core i7-1070016214 Megabytes Usable Installed Memor
OS
Windows11 23H2 (OS Build 22631.2428)
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP HP ENVY TE01
CPU
2.90 gigahertz Intel Core i7-10700
Motherboard
Board: HP 8767 A (SMVB)
Memory
16214 Megabytes Usable Installed Memor
Hard Drives
1511.52 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
1418.15 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space
Keyboard
Logitech wireless
Mouse
M 185 wireless
Internet Speed
12 ms Jitter 8 ms Download 10.5 Mbps Upload 1.7
Browser
Edge & FF
Antivirus
Windows Defender
flashh4 said:
When i updated to W11 i had waited for the invite from MS to upgraed ! All was smooth & MS took care of everything ! Glad i waited compared to some problems i seen on the boards ! JMO
Click to expand...
Actually, as a very long-time member of tenforums and elevenforum, the vast majority of problems happen with people who wait for the upgrade to happen via Windows Update. Upgrading from an ISO file downloaded directly from Microsoft has historically proven to be faster and more reliable than Windows Update.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT32GBEVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
    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

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 EducationIntel i7-8550U32GBNvidia Geforce MX150
    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 that info all. That puts the picture into focus.
The in-place upgrade is the path for me!
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 23H2Intel i7-13700KCorsair Vengence 5600 - 32GBMSI RTX3060 Ventus 2x 12GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-13700K
    Motherboard
    MSI PRO Z790-A WiFi
    Memory
    Corsair Vengence 5600 - 32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RTX3060 Ventus 2x 12GB
    Sound Card
    On board - Realtek ALC4080
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27GL850
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    WD Black SN850X Nvme - 1TB
    WD Black 6TB HDD 256MB cache CMR
    WD Black 6TB HDD 128MB cache CMR
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Fractal Design - Define 7
    Cooling
    Deepcool AK400
    Keyboard
    MS KC0405
    Mouse
    MS Model 1113 / MS Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500
    Internet Speed
    940 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    I have a Case Speaker!
    I have a Blueray Disk drive!

  • At a glance

    Windows 10 Pro 22H2i7-9700KCorsair Vengence 32GBEVGA GTX1060
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    i7-9700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime Z390-A
    Memory
    Corsair Vengence 32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1060
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WD Black Nvme 500GB
    Toshiba X300 5TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Antec P101 Silent
    Cooling
    CoolerMaster Hyper T4
    Keyboard
    MS KC0405
    Mouse
    Logitec M-U0007
    Internet Speed
    940 Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avast!
    Other Info
    I have a Case Speaker!
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W10 to W11 upgrade possible?
2
Replies
29
Views
3K
Steve C
Steve C
Upgrading W10 to W11 accounts Problem
2
Replies
24
Views
3K
Hazel123
Hazel123
Solved How to make sure I have the correct Windows 10 Key before starting W11 Upgrade
2
Replies
21
Views
7K
Bree
Bree
  • Poll Poll
Daily news discouraging W11 Upgrade
Replies
3
Views
1K
XxXxX
XxXxX
Solved A costly lesson I just learned about W11 Upgrades
2 3 4
Replies
64
Views
14K
spapakons
spapakons

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom