Install Windows 11 from Windows Update.

[LautaroPRZ]

The other day, when I installed the new drivers for my GPU, the update to W11 appeared, and searching on the internet, it turns out that there is a performance improvement in certain games compared to windows 10. My question is, ¿how bad can it be to install W11 directly from Windows Update without formatting my PC? What can happen? I also found that if I do that, I will lose the core isolation feature, is this feature important?

 

[x4it3n]

Updating to a new version of the OS shouldn't be a problem but in my case I always install and recommend installing Windows OS via a Bootable key (Windows ISO Tool).

 

[Bill_Bright]

My question is, ¿how bad can it be to install W11 directly from Windows Update without formatting my PC?

Are you asking about updating from W10 to W11? Or do you already have W11 installed and asking about updating W11 to the latest version?

Either way, 100s of millions (well over 1 billion) of users have updated through Windows Update with no problems. And they have done so without formatting the drive. In fact, if you do format, you likely will have more problems as the install likely will not be able to verify you are an authorized Windows license owner.

 

[LautaroPRZ]

Are you asking about updating from W10 to W11? Or do you already have W11 installed and asking about updating W11 to the latest version?

Either way, 100s of millions (well over 1 billion) of users have updated through Windows Update with no problems. And they have done so without formatting the drive. In fact, if you do format, you likely will have more problems as the install likely will not be able to verify you are an authorized Windows license owner.

Yes, updating from W10 to W11 without doing formatting, i saw one video that don't recommends install W11 above W10, because the files of W10 are left in the storage, and some other problems that may occur, like losing the core isolation for example

 

[chrcoluk]

I did a in place upgrade on Windows 10 1809 to 21H2, this is something in the past I always considered a bad thing to do and always have been a clean install person, but I did it as I read so many things about how Microsoft have improved the process for feature upgrades etc.

Now 21H2 is working, I still use it daily, but it wasnt glitch free. One of the problems I noticed some time afterwards was it pretty much broken the recovery system included in Windows, when I was manually examining the situation I noticed it had the 1809 recovery image file still in place so the in place upgrade obviously didnt work 100%, and at some point this OS is getting clean installed again, although I need to make a decision whether I am going to replace it with 11 LTSC at this point or keep using 10 before I do that.

So my advice is to clean install 11, a pain to setup things again, and if you are a tweaker addict it may annoy you, but less problems down the line. It will also clear out any snake oil crap you may have done to the system in the past as well.

The performance improvements in games, some will come from the spectre optimisations someone mentioned on here that have been done in the latest 11 build, but also 11 supports flip mode natively in DX games, which is great for playing games windowed or borderless.

Also some optimisations in 11 related to mouse polling and the timer frequency.

 

[Toothless]

Yes, updating from W10 to W11 without doing formatting, i saw one video that don't recommends install W11 above W10, because the files of W10 are left in the storage, and some other problems that may occur, like losing the core isolation for example

Disk cleanup of system files clean out the old stuff. It's easy.

 

[LautaroPRZ]

I did a in place upgrade on Windows 10 1809 to 21H2, this is something in the past I always considered a bad thing to do and always have been a clean install person, but I did it as I read so many things about how Microsoft have improved the process for feature upgrades etc.

Now 21H2 is working, I still use it daily, but it wasnt glitch free. One of the problems I noticed some time afterwards was it pretty much broken the recovery system included in Windows, when I was manually examining the situation I noticed it had the 1809 recovery image file still in place so the in place upgrade obviously didnt work 100%, and at some point this OS is getting clean installed again, although I need to make a decision whether I am going to replace it with 11 LTSC at this point or keep using 10 before I do that.

So my advice is to clean install 11, a pain to setup things again, and if you are a tweaker addict it may annoy you, but less problems down the line. It will also clear out any snake oil crap you may have done to the system in the past as well.

The performance improvements in games, some will come from the spectre optimisations someone mentioned on here that have been done in the latest 11 build, but also 11 supports flip mode natively in DX games, which is great for playing games windowed or borderless.

Also some optimisations in 11 related to mouse polling and the timer frequency.

All right, thank you.

Disk cleanup of system files clean out the old stuff. It's easy.

Okay, thanks

 

[Bill_Bright]

so many things about how Microsoft have improved the process for feature upgrades etc.

I sure wish everyone would understand this.

Years ago - decades ago - it was advisable to to "format and install". In fact, it was common practice among many to routinely reformat and reinstall just because it had been X number of months since they last did it.

But contrary to what many seem to believe, and worse, want everyone else to believe, Microsoft has not be sitting on their thumbs for the last 20 years doing nothing, learning nothing, or improving how upgrades work.

Windows 10/11 are not XP. Users need to stop treating them like they are.

i saw one video

And what about the dozens and dozens of videos that show how to do it without problems?

Sure, you can format first if you want. As long as your W11 is a license for a "new" install (and not an upgrade), there should be no problem. You will, of course, lose all your saved documents, network configurations, printers installations, hardware drivers and configurations, personalizations, favorites, contacts, calendar entries, installed programs (including passwords) and more. But that's okay because you've made a full backup anyway, right?

And sure, it is possible something "may" occur. But the odds of everything going just fine are very much in your favor.

 

[LautaroPRZ]

I sure wish everyone would understand this.

Years ago - decades ago - it was advisable to to "format and install". In fact, it was common practice among many to routinely reformat and reinstall just because it had been X number of months since they last did it.

But contrary to what many seem to believe, and worse, want everyone else to believe, Microsoft has not be sitting on their thumbs for the last 20 years doing nothing, learning nothing, or improving how upgrades work.

Windows 10/11 are not XP. Users need to stop treating them like they are.


And what about the dozens and dozens of videos that show how to do it without problems?

Sure, you can format first if you want. As long as your W11 is a license for a "new" install (and not an upgrade), there should be no problem. You will, of course, lose all your saved documents, network configurations, printers installations, hardware drivers and configurations, personalizations, favorites, contacts, calendar entries, installed programs (including passwords) and more. But that's okay because you've made a full backup anyway, right?

And sure, it is possible something "may" occur. But the odds of everything going just fine are very much in your favor.

I was thinking to update from this, it says that i can update to W11, version 23H2 is ready, and it is free. I don't know if that counts as an "upgrade".

 

[bonehead123]

Just DO it...

you know ya wanna, and now that we know that you know that we know that you know that we know ya do, so just go for it

Seriously though, I've been in-place upgrading several legit-keyed client rigs from 10Pro to 11Pro in the past few weeks, nottaproblemo...

well except for that one guy that has an ancient 80's-era dot-matrix printer that he refuses to get rid of, geesh that was a butt ton of fun..... hahahaha

 

[_JP_]

how bad can it be to install W11 directly from Windows Update without formatting my PC? What can happen?

It's not bad, granted your computer fits the requirements (get familiar with TPM) and is running stable.
Heck, even the 100s of computers I migrated from 7/8/8.1 to 10 went without a hitch, unless it had a fashion accessory like @bonehead123 mentioned. In which case it can be removed anyway, and reinstalled recycled later.

And sure, it is possible something "may" occur. But the odds of everything going just fine are very much in your favor.

Almost always, when something did occur, the logs were already full of WHEA entries for over a month, LSA was throwing fits or the boot drive was in the gutter.