Review updates for transitioning from Windows 10 to Windows 11
Review updates for transitioning from Windows 10 to Windows 11
You're weighing two options for your system update and upgrade path. Option A suggests upgrading Windows first and then cloning the system, while Option B recommends cloning onto a new drive before upgrading. You're leaning toward avoiding a clean install unless necessary, since you have many installed programs and want to preserve them. Cloning with tools from Samsung, WD, or Kingston seems like a safer approach compared to a full reset.
I wouldn't make the change then because performing an upgrade install doesn't really affect whether the existing software continues to function properly.
It's not about them ceasing completely, but more about avoiding issues like chat logs and crashes. It seems these files are likely already outside the registry. That’s how I ended up breaking my modded Skyrim last time (just reinstalled Windows 10 during the switch from SATA to NVMe).
I changed from version 10 to 11 and then made a clone onto a new storage device. The old SSD was already four years old, and its cost had dropped significantly, so I decided to stick with it for reliability. After setting up, I adjusted the BIOS to recognize the new SSD in the first M.2 slot on the motherboard and moved the boot file there. Once the switch was made, I only needed to select the boot drive during the first start-up, then revert it after the clone completed and restarted the system.