WHAT TO DO IF YOU DECIDE TO UPGRADE
If you decide to upgrade to Windows 11 by buying a new PC, then the process is relatively straightforward – you’ll just need to use an external hard drive to move the personal files from your old computer to the equivalent folders on your new one. But if you’re installing Windows 11 on your existing PC, you’ll need to prepare your computer beforehand.
Clear storage to make space for Windows 11
The process of upgrading can consume a lot of storage, and the last thing you want is for the upgrade to fail because you’re running low on space. Upgrading is likely to be slower the more files and programs you have installed, so slimming down first can save you time in the long run.
Click Start, Settings, Apps, then work your way through the list of programs and tools you have installed, asking yourself whether you really need each one. If it’s something you never use, click it, then click the Uninstall button, followed by Uninstall again.
Now turn your attention to any large files, such as videos, stored on your computer. You may want to move them to an external drive temporarily. Also check your Downloads folder because it may be home to a lot of large program installers you can safely delete. Move downloads you want to keep to a different location on your hard drive.
Next, wipe temporary files from your PC. Click Start, Settings, System, Storage, then ‘Temporary files’. Windows will scan for any junk that can be safely removed. Tick all the categories ( 1 in our screenshot below) except Thumbnails, then click ‘Remove files’ 2 . On our machine, this process freed up a healthy 5.46GB 3 .
Make sure Windows 10 is up to date
Your upgrade to Windows 11 may run into problems if Windows 10 isn’t up to date. Officially, your device must be running Windows 10 version 2004 or later to qualify for Windows 11. But even if you have a newer version, it’s worth making sure all the latest updates have been applied before you begin.
Check your Windows 10 version number (Settings, System, then About). If you see 21H1 below the ‘Windows specifications’ heading (see screenshot above right), you have a current version of Windows 10 and should be able to get the latest updates by going to Settings, ‘Update & Security’, Windows Update and clicking the ‘Check for updates’ button. Apply any pending updates, restart your PC if necessary, then repeat the process until Windows can’t find any more updates to install.
If your Windows 10 version isn’t listed as 21H1 (or 21H2 – the newest version of Windows 10, due for imminent release), try checking for available updates as described above. Hopefully, this will update your copy of Windows 10 to the latest version. However, it’s not uncommon for Windows 10 to get stuck on an older version. If that’s the case, you may even see error messages when you attempt to run Windows Update. Freeing
up space, as we described above, may solve the problem. If not, Windows Update itself may need fixing.
First, try Windows 10’s built-in troubleshooting tool. Click Start, Settings, ‘Update & Security’, Troubleshoot, ‘Additional troubleshooters’, then click the Windows Update option. This will attempt to fix any problem it finds. Once it’s finished, try checking for updates again. If it hasn’t solved the problem, you may have to install the latest version of Windows 10 manually. This effectively means you’ll be upgrading Windows twice – once to install the latest version of Windows 10, then once to install Windows 11. It’s a bit of hassle, but effective.
Before you install the latest version of Windows 10, back up your PC and all its data, as we outline below – just in case. Next, go to www.snipca.com/39549 and click the blue ‘Update now’ button. This will download the Update Assistant tool. Run the tool and follow the steps.
If you had to install a lot of Windows 10 updates, it’s worth scanning for and removing temporary files again one last time (as explained earlier).
Back up everything twice
You should use a tool such as Windows 10’s File History to automatically back up your personal files to an external drive. Make sure you also run a manual backup immediately before upgrading. In File History, for example, make sure your backup drive is connected, then click Start, Settings, ‘Update & Security’, Backup, ‘More options’, then ‘Back up now’.
We also recommend making a full system backup of your computer – again, right at the last minute before upgrading. This lets you restore your system to its pre-windows 11 state. Follow our Mini Workshop opposite for instructions.
Roll back to Windows 10
If you don’t like Windows 11, return to Windows 10 by clicking Settings, System,
Recovery, then ‘Go back’. There are two things to be aware of, however. First, you’ll need to be able to start Windows 11 in order to access the ‘Go back’ option – something that a botched upgrade could prevent you from doing. Second, you’ve got only 10 days after upgrading to return. If the ‘Go back’ option is greyed out (see screenshot below left), then you’ve missed the deadline.
Both these potential problems can be resolved by making a system backup. It means you can go back to Windows 10 at any time by restoring the backup image. It’s even possible to restore a system image backup if your computer won’t start - just start your PC with your backup drive attached. You should see a blue screen of recovery options – click Troubleshoot, ‘Advanced options’, then System Image Recovery.