To upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 without losing files, back up first, confirm your PC has TPM 2.0, Secure Boot and a supported CPU, then upgrade through Windows Update, the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, or setup.exe from the official ISO with "Keep personal files and apps" selected. Your digital licence carries over automatically, and you can roll back within 10 days.
Written by the Softkeyworld technical team · Updated October 2026
Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Since then, the only way to keep receiving security updates on Windows 10 has been Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) programme, and consumer ESU coverage is time-limited. If your PC is still on Windows 10, an in-place upgrade to Windows 11 is the cleanest path forward. Done properly, it keeps your documents, desktop, installed programs and most settings exactly where they are.
This guide covers the order we follow on customer machines: back up, check compatibility, choose the right upgrade method, verify activation, and know how to back out if something goes wrong.
Key takeaways
- An in-place upgrade keeps files and apps, but a backup is still non-negotiable.
- Run PC Health Check first. Most "not compatible" results are TPM or Secure Boot switched off in firmware, not missing hardware.
- A genuine Windows 10 licence moves to the matching Windows 11 edition (Home to Home, Pro to Pro) with no new key.
- You have 10 days to go back to Windows 10 through Settings > System > Recovery.
Step 1: Back up before you touch anything
Windows Setup is designed to preserve your data, and in the large majority of upgrades it does. The failures we see are rarely Setup deleting files. They are power cuts mid-install, failing drives that finally give up under the heavy write load, or rollbacks that leave a user profile in a confused state. A backup turns any of those from a disaster into an inconvenience.
- Copy your user folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Downloads, Videos) to an external drive. If OneDrive is syncing, confirm the files are actually uploaded and not just online placeholders.
- Export browser data. Sign in to browser sync, or export bookmarks and saved passwords.
- Note your licence keys for software that is not tied to an account, such as older Office versions, accounting packages and specialist tools.
- Optionally, create a full system image with the legacy "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)" tool in Control Panel, or with your preferred imaging software. This is the only way to restore the PC exactly as it was after the 10-day rollback window.
-
Save your BitLocker recovery key if the drive is encrypted. Run
manage-bde -protectors -get C:or check your Microsoft account. You may be asked for it after a firmware change.
Step 2: Check Windows 11 compatibility
Microsoft's official Windows 11 specifications set the minimums below. Download the PC Health Check app from Microsoft and select Check now for a quick verdict.
| Requirement | Minimum | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1 GHz, 2+ cores, 64-bit, on Microsoft's supported CPU list | PC Health Check, or msinfo32 for the exact model |
| RAM | 4 GB | Settings > System > About |
| Storage | 64 GB device (plan for 20 GB+ free for the upgrade) | File Explorer > This PC |
| Firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable |
msinfo32: BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State |
| TPM | TPM 2.0 |
tpm.msc: Specification Version |
| Graphics / display | DirectX 12 / WDDM 2.0; 720p display over 9" | dxdiag |
TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are often just switched off
On desktops built from roughly 2017 onwards, the TPM is usually built into the CPU as firmware TPM. It is labelled Intel PTT on Intel boards and AMD fTPM on AMD boards, and it is often disabled by default. Enabling it in the firmware settings is typically all that is needed. Our guide to enabling TPM 2.0 in the BIOS covers the common menu locations by manufacturer.
Secure Boot needs the disk to use GPT partitioning and the firmware to boot in UEFI mode, not Legacy/CSM. If msinfo32 shows "BIOS Mode: Legacy", convert the disk first with mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS followed by mbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS. Then switch the firmware to UEFI and enable Secure Boot. Do this before the upgrade, not during it, and only with a backup in place.
Unsupported CPU
If the processor itself is not on Microsoft's supported list (broadly, Intel 8th generation and AMD Ryzen 2000 series onwards, with some exceptions), PC Health Check will fail, however the firmware is configured. Since version 24H2, Windows 11 also requires CPU instructions (SSE4.2 and POPCNT) that very old processors lack. Microsoft does not support bypassing these checks, and unsupported devices are not guaranteed to receive updates. If you see "This PC can't run Windows 11", work through our article on fixing the "This PC can't run Windows 11" error before concluding the hardware has to go.
Step 3: Prepare the PC
- Install all pending Windows 10 updates and restart until Windows Update is clean.
- Update the BIOS/UEFI, chipset, storage and graphics drivers from the manufacturer's site.
- Free at least 20 GB on C: (Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files, or Disk Cleanup > Clean up system files).
- Temporarily uninstall third-party antivirus and disk-encryption tools that are not BitLocker. They are the most common cause of failed upgrades we deal with.
- Disconnect non-essential USB devices, card readers, docking stations and secondary drives.
- Laptops: plug in to mains power and disable sleep for the duration.
If Windows Update on Windows 10 is itself broken, fix that first. Our guide to fixing Windows Update problems in Windows 10 covers resetting the update components.
Step 4: Choose your upgrade method
All three official methods perform the same in-place upgrade. Pick whichever works on your machine. All of them are available from Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page or within Windows itself.
Method A: Windows Update (simplest)
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for updates.
- If your PC is eligible, you will see "Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready". Select Download and install.
- Accept the licence terms and let it download. Restart when prompted. Files and apps are kept automatically.
Method B: Windows 11 Installation Assistant
Use this if the offer has not appeared in Windows Update yet. Download the Installation Assistant from Microsoft, run it, select Accept and install, and leave the PC alone. It runs the compatibility check, downloads the current release and performs a keep-everything upgrade. The PC restarts several times, and the whole process typically takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on drive speed.
Method C: Mount the ISO and run setup.exe
This is the most controllable option and our choice when the other two fail or when upgrading several PCs.
- Download the Windows 11 ISO (multi-edition) from Microsoft's download page in the same language as your Windows 10 installation.
- Right-click the ISO and select Mount, then run setup.exe from the new virtual drive.
- When offered, choose to download updates during setup. This pulls in the latest drivers and fixes.
- On the "Choose what to keep" screen, select Keep personal files and apps. Check the "Ready to install" summary shows this before selecting Install.
If "Keep personal files and apps" is greyed out, the usual causes are a language mismatch between the ISO and installed Windows, a different architecture (32-bit Windows 10 cannot be upgraded in place, because Windows 11 is 64-bit only), or running setup from inside Windows PE or a boot USB instead of from the running desktop.
Step 5: Confirm activation carried over
A genuinely activated Windows 10 installation has a digital licence stored against its hardware ID. After the upgrade, Windows 11 checks in and activates the matching edition: Windows 10 Home becomes Windows 11 Home, and Windows 10 Pro becomes Windows 11 Pro. No key is needed. Check Settings > System > Activation. It should read "Active" with "Windows is activated with a digital license".
If it shows as not activated, connect to the internet, wait an hour and restart, then run the Activation troubleshooter on the same page. If Windows 10 was never activated, Windows 11 will not be either, and you will need a valid Windows 11 Pro licence key or Home key. You enter it on the Activation page under "Change product key".
Step 6: How to roll back to Windows 10
For 10 days after the upgrade, Windows keeps your previous installation in C:\Windows.old. To go back, open Settings > System > Recovery and select Go back. Files are kept, but apps installed and settings changed after the upgrade will be lost. Do not run Disk Cleanup's "Previous Windows installation(s)" option if you might want to roll back.
To extend the window before it expires, run this in an elevated prompt: DISM /Online /Set-OSUninstallWindow /Value:60. That sets the window to 60 days, the maximum. Check the current setting with DISM /Online /Get-OSUninstallWindow.
Common upgrade errors and fixes
Setup rolls back automatically when it hits a fatal error, so you usually land back on Windows 10 with your files intact. Microsoft documents the codes in its upgrade error resolution procedures. These are the ones we meet most often:
| Error code | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 0xC1900101 (any extended code) | A driver crashed or hung during setup; generic rollback | Update or remove problem drivers (graphics, storage, VPN, antivirus), disconnect peripherals, clean boot, retry |
| 0xC1900200 / 0xC1900202 | PC does not meet minimum requirements | Recheck TPM, Secure Boot, CPU and storage with PC Health Check |
| 0xC1900208 / 0xC1900209 | Incompatible app blocking the upgrade | Uninstall the flagged app (often older antivirus or utilities) and retry |
| 0x80070070 / 0xC190020E | Not enough free space | Free 20 GB or more on C:, or attach a USB drive when setup asks |
| 0xC1900107 | A previous upgrade cleanup is pending | Restart, run Disk Cleanup, then try again |
| 0x800F0922 | Cannot reach update servers, or the System Reserved partition is too small | Disconnect VPN, check connection; free or enlarge the reserved partition |
For any repeated failure, check C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setuperr.log or run Microsoft's free SetupDiag tool. It reads the logs and names the failing driver or app. If the upgrade stalls on a blue "Getting Windows ready" screen for hours, see our guide on fixing "Getting Windows ready" when it gets stuck.
Frequently asked questions
Is upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 still free?
Yes, for a genuinely activated Windows 10 PC that meets the Windows 11 requirements. Your existing licence carries over to the same edition of Windows 11.
Will I lose my files when upgrading to Windows 11?
Not if you choose "Keep personal files and apps", which is the default for Windows Update and the Installation Assistant. A backup is still essential in case of hardware failure or power loss.
How long does the upgrade take?
On an SSD, usually 30 to 90 minutes including downloads. Older hard drives can take several hours. Do not switch off the PC during restarts.
Do I need a new product key for Windows 11?
No. An activated Windows 10 licence activates Windows 11 automatically. You only need a key if Windows 10 was not activated or you are changing edition.
Will my programs work on Windows 11?
Almost all Windows 10 desktop software runs unchanged. Exceptions are typically old antivirus, VPN clients, low-level system utilities and drivers for legacy hardware, so update or replace those first.
Can I upgrade a 32-bit Windows 10 PC?
Not in place. Windows 11 is 64-bit only, so a 32-bit installation needs a clean install on 64-bit-capable hardware, after backing up your files.
Our recommendation
If your PC passes PC Health Check, upgrade now rather than waiting. Back up, update drivers, remove third-party antivirus, and use Windows Update or the Installation Assistant. If you are unsure whether the move is worth it, our honest look at Windows 11's pros and cons may help. If your Windows 10 was never properly activated, or you want Pro features after the move, a genuine Windows 11 Pro licence will activate the upgraded system cleanly.
Related reading
| Resource | Why read it |
|---|---|
| How to enable TPM 2.0 in BIOS | The most common fix for failed compatibility checks |
| Fix "This PC can't run Windows 11" | Firmware and hardware checks before giving up |
| "Getting Windows ready" stuck | What to do if the upgrade hangs |
| Windows 11 Pro Licence Key | Activate or move up to Pro after upgrading |