Upgrade to Win11: Retain all files or delete just personal documents?
Upgrade to Win11: Retain all files or delete just personal documents?
Alright then. That wraps things up fairly well. It’ll take some time before I actually start, but I feel more ready now and know what to expect. There are a few other family computers still running Win10 that need an upgrade before the deadline, but they’re all working fine—so I should be able to just perform the standard in-place update from the popup. I’m also worried about the USB Wi-Fi adapters I used when setting up these systems; they were all the same model and had drivers that didn’t work with Windows 11, which means I might have to invest around $150 in new adapters. Another reminder of how my past choices can come back to haunt me.
Ensure optimal performance by backing up all games, installed apps, and personal files onto a distinct, ideally portable drive. Perform a fresh installation to avoid conflicts during setup.
Enhance while preserving everything. Then run Disk Cleanup to eliminate the traces of the previous operating system. Since it doesn’t rely on the current OS, your issues won’t carry over, though your files, programs, and other data will be removed.
Consider removing all drives except the one you're using for installation. As a safety measure. Start by booting from the USB installer and clearing the target drive before installing. This process may seem time-consuming but ensures everything runs smoothly.