Win 11 install -clean or upgrade Win 10?


x509

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First post. Long time member of TenForums, but Bree convinced me that upgrading to 11 was OK, so here I am. ;-) Bree pointed out that aside from the GUI, Win 11 is very similar to Win 10, and is also quite stable at this point. Windows 10 22H2 - Windows 10 Help Forums

My home LAN includes two Lenovo laptops, one from 2019 and the other bought just recently. Both are running Win 10. Is it better to do a clean install of Win 11, and then reinstall all programs, etc., or just do an upgrade install.

I organize my system so that each has a C PROGRAMS partition, a D DATA partition, etc. That way, I can do a Win clean install if necessary without concern for my data, my photos and videos, etc.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
Even if your data is on a separate partition, all the programs will have registry entries on the C: drive! If you backup with a program like Macrium Reflect (free) and you mess up things, a restore will be much quicker than re-installing Windows. If Win 11 is offered, I would do an upgrade install.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 OS build 22631.3296
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    13Mbps
    Browser
    Brave, Edge or Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
Even if your data is on a separate partition, all the programs will have registry entries on the C: drive! If you backup with a program like Macrium Reflect (free) and you mess up things, a restore will be much quicker than re-installing Windows. If Win 11 is offered, I would do an upgrade install.
I agree. I did that on one of my VMs and it works fine
Dave
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self built
    CPU
    Intel i8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME Z370-P
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT710
    Sound Card
    ASUS Xonar D2X
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SE2417HGXF Full HD Gaming Monitor, 24"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung V-NAND SSD 860EVO
    Other spinning HDDs
    PSU
    Xilence XP420
    Cooling
    PSU fan and stock CPU fan
    Mouse
    Microsoft
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avira free
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 on VMware (Release, Beta and Dev)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
First post. Long time member of TenForums, but Bree convinced me that upgrading to 11 was OK, so here I am.....
Welcome to Eleven Forum.....
Is it better to do a clean install of Win 11, and then reinstall all programs, etc., or just do an upgrade install.
I have done both. My System One was upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11. My System Three (it's in the 'Other Info' section) had a clean install. There's little if any difference I can find in their installed Windows.

As said above, make a system image before you start, that way you can go back and start again if you change your mind.
 

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
    50 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 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.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude 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.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
I've had no issues with upgrades from 10 to 11.
 

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!
Either goes.

The install on Lenovo is pretty fast. I did either way. no issues.

If you prefer clean install, please first export all drivers to the Data partition. When clean install done, you can re-install all drivers from the export folder quick, with 5 min. then re-install apps.

If you go upgrade install, you can save those tasks above. If OS size is NOT a concern, this way is easier. (one of my Lenovo runs 2GB RAM 30GB disk. hence had to go clean-install than upgrade install)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP/Lenovo/Asus
    CPU
    Intel
    Hard Drives
    NVMe SSD/SATA SSD
Sometimes upgrading from W10 can go bonkers.

I once had a silly message saying "W11 needs at least a 2 Core CPU" on a 32GB RAM dual (physical i.e 2 CPUs) approved CPU set and wouldn't upgrade. Of course it installed "clean" !!! but I couldn't upgrade from W10.

Meanwhile a lowly 8GB laptop with an unsupported CPU worked !!!!!!!

Then I copied that image via Macrium to the 32GB desktop -- upgraded the drivers and all OK !!!!!

Well part of the fun is of course "The mystery of Windows".

What would I do with all the extra time I would have if Windows didn't have any problems !!!!!

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
If your Windows 10 system is good without major issues and with tens of applications installed, an upgrade to Windows 11 looks like a much better idea than a clean installation. If you have a compliant system just download the latest ISO, mount it and run Setup from there. Make sure you download the same language as Windows 10 or you cannot keep both your apps and data. If your computer is unsupported read the appropriate thread to bypass compatibility check and proceed. In 22H2 you must also disconnect from the internet to prevent online compatibility check and Windows Update messing with your working drivers during installation. If you stay online the upgrade will fail after a while. It is important to disconnect from the internet before upgrading an unsupported computer.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    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, 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 v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    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)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    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
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB 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
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key 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
All 4 of my initial W11's have been upgrades from W10, with no noticable problems. I have re installed W11 since on 2 of the pc's for unrelated reasons using ISO DVD,s downloaded from Microsoft.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    W11 pro beta
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    Athlon 3000G
    Motherboard
    Asrock A320M-HDV r4.0
    Memory
    16Gb Crucial DDR4 2400
    Graphics Card(s)
    onboard cpu
    Sound Card
    onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560-1440
    Hard Drives
    WD black SN750 M2 500Gb
    PSU
    500W Seasonic core 80+gold non modular
    Case
    Fractal Design Define R2
    Cooling
    front 2 x 120mm rear 100mm stock psu
    Internet Speed
    135/20
    Browser
    Firefox and edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Security and free Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    W11 pro 64 beta (from W10 pro system builder pack)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 tomahawk max II
    Memory
    4 x 8Gb Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000 DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    onboard cpu
    Sound Card
    motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 21.5" IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    WD 1Tb Black M2 SN850X on Asus hyper M2 X16 max V2 card
    PSU
    Be Quiet 400 semi modular 80+gold
    Case
    Coolermaster Silencio 650
    Cooling
    140mm front, 120 rear Akasa Vegas Chroma AM
    Internet Speed
    135/20
    Browser
    edge/Firefox
    Antivirus
    WD plus Malwarebytes free
Yes, all you need is the official Microsoft ISO and to bypass compatibility check. In 22H2 you must also disconnect from the internet before upgrading. After a successful upgrade to Windows 11 22H2 you can reconnect to the internet to activate and update your drivers if necessary.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    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, 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 v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    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)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    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
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB 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
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key 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
@Bree, @jimbo45 and @NavyLCDR

Hi guys. I'm glad to see some "familiar faces" from the Win 10 forums also here. Makes me feel a bit better about upgrading all my systems to Win 11.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
I remember my hesitation to upgrade from one Windows version to the other. From 7 to 8, then to 8.1. Later to Windows 10 and finally to 11. Once done you get used to the new interface and feels weird when using an earlier version on another computer. As always you are missing some new features when using an earlier version. Of course you are also missing some good old features no longer available in the new versions. Thankfully third party applications can restore most of the old features in Windows 11 (classic games, gadgets, start button and start menu, Windows Media Center, Windows Photo Viewer etc).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    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, 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 v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    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)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    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
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB 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
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key 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
There are pro and con for an upgrade compared to a clean install.

These are some:

Upgrade:
Pro: typically quicker unless there is an upgrade failure
Con: if there are partition issues the partition architecture often remains the same, may fail to upgrade

Clean install:
Pro: creates new partitions, cleans unknown spyware/malware, allows the installation of Windows 11 in an unsupported fashion without file modifications
Con: slower than an upgrade having to reinstall drivers and applications
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
My upgrade removed some programs - Brave browser for example.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 OS build 22631.3296
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    13Mbps
    Browser
    Brave, Edge or Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
A clean installation without the data and applications takes less time than an upgrade that has to process all user data and applications. But then you can spend hours to reinstall and reconfigure all your applications. So if it is a typical office PC with Office and a couple applications, it might be faster to do a clean installation. If it is a typical home computer with tons of applications, I would like to avoid all the hassle to reinstall everything from start. I would only do that if upgrade is impossible or there are major issues in the current system.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    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, 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 v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    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)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    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
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB 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
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key 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
The best way to install Windows is to do a clean install, disconnect the other disks and install windows on the one you intend to install, ssd or m2 disk.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11 PRO
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AsRock
    CPU
    Ryzen Threadripper 1920x
    Motherboard
    AsRock Fatal1ty
    Memory
    Hyperx 32GB 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus GeForce TURBO RTX 2080Ti 11GB
    Sound Card
    matheboard and Logitech G933 Gaming Headset
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS 28"
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    ssd m2 970, 960, ssd 840 EVO 1TB, 4 x 4TB HDD
    PSU
    corsair 1200W
    Case
    big tower
    Cooling
    corsair H150IPro
    Keyboard
    logitech k800
    Mouse
    logitech G603
    Internet Speed
    download 200 Mbps upload 100 Mbps
    Browser
    Maxthon
    Antivirus
    avira
The 'best' way to install Windows depends on your circumstances!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 OS build 22631.3296
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    13Mbps
    Browser
    Brave, Edge or Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
I have said it before in several posts, not all computers are the same. An office computer typically has Office, Chrome, an ERP software and one or two more applications. In that case I would do a clean installation and reinstall the applications. It gives a more robust system, updated (unless you install old versions of the applications) and is faster than an upgrade. A typical home computer has tens of applications and tons of data. To do a proper clean installation you must first spend a couple of hours taking a backup of all these GB of data with the risk of missing something. You then need half an hour to install Windows and roughly another half an hour to install drivers. No, not everyone should rely entirely on Windows Update. For best performance at least the graphics drivers should be downloaded directly from manufacturer. After that spend a couple of hours to reinstall and reconfigure all the applications with the risk of either forgetting something or cannot find the installer or the setup won't work in Windows 11... Assuming you finally install everything you need another couple hours to copy all your data back. I think now you get the idea. No thanks, I would not like to go through all this nightmare to do a clean installation and get very little performance gain. I prefer doing an upgrade from my earlier Windows version. So it depends upon each case. Clean installation for a few applications and less than 30GB data, and upgrade for more than ten applications and many GB of data.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    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, 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 v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    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)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    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
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB 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
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key 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
There are pro and con for an upgrade compared to a clean install.

These are some:

Upgrade:
Pro: typically quicker unless there is an upgrade failure
Con: if there are partition issues the partition architecture often remains the same, may fail to upgrade

Clean install:
Pro: creates new partitions, cleans unknown spyware/malware, allows the installation of Windows 11 in an unsupported fashion without file modifications
Con: slower than an upgrade having to reinstall drivers and applications
Yes, I agree mostly with your pros and cons. I upgradede from Windows 10 22H2 to Windows 11 22H2. All went well without errors. Still, I got a weird "bug" that no one was able to solve. Norton lost something, or some driver etc issue from Windows side. Norton firewall went grey and could not be accessed. Did about 10 different operations regarding this, no success and help desk could not solve it either => had to go back to Windows 10 because of this.
I have so many programs with licenses etc. that I'm not that glad to clean install. Did that on a test partition, Norton worked flawlessly there.

The best path is to make a risk assessment plan, what is required and what is not. Could be upgrade or clean installation of W11.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 and Windows 11 (dual boot)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 - 5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus X570 TUF Pro Wifi
    Memory
    G-Skill 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 4090
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus 28- 4k - 144Hz
    Screen Resolution
    2160p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980Pro 1TB
    PSU
    EVGA 1000W Platinum
    Cooling
    Deepcool 720S
    Keyboard
    Logitech G915
    Internet Speed
    1Gb/600Mb
    Antivirus
    Norton 360
Clean installation for a few applications and less than 30GB data, and upgrade for more than ten applications and many GB of data.
I keep all my data in separate Windows partitions. A clean Windows install doesn't affect those partitions.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10

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