How to Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 Without Losing Data

Applies to: Windows 10 Home and Pro, version 2004 or later, on a PC that meets the Windows 11 requirements. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, so this upgrade is how the PC gets security updates again.

Check that the PC meets the requirements

These are Microsoft’s minimum requirements for Windows 11.

The processor list is the part that rules out most older PCs. As a rough guide, it starts at Intel 8th generation and AMD Ryzen 2000 series.

You do not have to check these by hand. Install Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app and select Check now. It reports which requirements pass and which fail.

If the only failure is TPM or Secure Boot, the PC may still qualify. Many PCs built since 2016 have a TPM that is switched off in the firmware settings. Restart into the UEFI/BIOS setup, look for a setting named TPM, Intel PTT or AMD fTPM, turn it on, and run the check again.

If the processor fails, the PC is not supported. Microsoft says installing Windows 11 on a PC that does not meet the requirements is not recommended, may cause compatibility issues, and that such a PC is not entitled to receive updates.

Before you upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11

• Back up your files. The upgrade keeps them, but a power cut or a failing drive in the middle of it can still cost you data. Copy documents and photos to an external drive or cloud storage first.
• Free up disk space. The Installation Assistant needs 9 GB free just for the download. Aim for 25 GB or more free on drive C: so setup has room to work.
• Check activation. Open Settings > Update & Security > Activation. If Windows 10 is activated, Windows 11 will be too.
• Install pending Windows 10 updates and restart once.
• Unplug devices you do not need: extra USB drives, printers, docks.
• Plug in a laptop. The upgrade takes from 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the drive and the connection.

Method 1: Windows Update

This is the route Microsoft recommends, because Windows Update only offers the upgrade when it has checked the PC is ready for it.

1. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. When “Upgrade to Windows 11 is ready” appears, select Download and install.
4. Accept the license terms. The download runs in the background, and you can keep working.
5. When prompted, select Restart now. The PC restarts several times and finishes on the Windows 11 desktop.

No offer on a PC that passes PC Health Check? Use Method 2.

Method 2: Installation Assistant

Microsoft describes the Installation Assistant as the best option for installing Windows 11 on the device you are currently using. It needs Windows 10 version 2004 or later, a Windows 10 license, and 9 GB of free disk space. It does not run on Arm-based PCs.

1. Go to Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page.
2. Under Windows 11 Installation Assistant, select Download Now and run the file.
3. Select Accept and install.
4. Wait for the download and installation steps to finish, then select Restart now.

Only download it from microsoft.com. Sites that offer a “Windows 11 upgrade tool” from anywhere else are not Microsoft.

Method 3: ISO file

Use this when the first two methods fail, or to upgrade several PCs without downloading Windows each time.

1. On the same Microsoft page, under Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO), choose Windows 11, select your language, and download the file.
2. Right-click the ISO file and select Mount.
3. Double-click setup.exe.
4. When setup asks what to keep, choose Keep personal files and apps.
5. Select Install.

Step 4 is the one that protects your data. Read the choice on screen before you continue:

Starting the PC from a USB drive is a different thing: that is a clean installation and it erases the drive. To keep your data, always run setup from inside Windows 10.

What happens to your license

• The upgrade is free on an activated copy of Windows 10. You do not enter a new key.
• The edition stays the same. Windows 10 Home becomes Windows 11 Home. Windows 10 Pro becomes Windows 11 Pro.
• Activation carries over. After the upgrade, Settings > System > Activation should show Windows as activated with a digital license.
• If Windows 10 was not activated, Windows 11 will not be either. You can still upgrade, then activate Windows 11 with a key for the matching edition.
• If you want Pro and have Home, upgrade to Windows 11 first, then enter a Windows 11 Pro key under Change product key.

The steps for both are in how to activate Windows 11 Pro with an OEM product key. For the edition differences, see Windows 11 Home vs Pro.

After the upgrade

1. Check activation under Settings > System > Activation.
2. Run Windows Update under Settings > Windows Update until nothing is left to install. This also brings in newer drivers.
3. Open the apps you rely on and confirm each one starts.
4. Decide within 10 days if you want to go back. During that window, Settings > System > Recovery > Go back returns the PC to Windows 10 with your files. After it, going back means a clean installation.

If the upgrade fails

If you cannot upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 on this PC at all, it stays on an operating system without security updates. The realistic options then are a newer PC or a supported Linux desktop.