You might not need to do a full reset, so try these tools first. Run the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter to repair the corrupted registry keys that prevent programs from being completely uninstalled, or blocks new installations and updates. Wait, didn’t we say you wouldn’t have to reformat?

• This guide will walk you through the steps to prevent Windows Update from automatically downloading and installing updates on Windows 10.
• If you activated Windows 10 by upgrading from a valid Windows 7 or 8 installation or with the computer’s recent purchase, you are likely to find the product key with most of these methods.
• In February this year, Microsoft rolled out a handful of new Windows 11 features simultaneously and outside of the promised second-half feature update.
• Now, in the left panel, right-click on the registry value you want to back up for later and choose Export.

Make sure that at least 20% of the space on your primary drive is free. Unless you want to upgrade your hardware, Windows 10 is the best route to take if you want to stay supported right now. With support until late 2025, you have a lot more time to prepare to upgrade your hardware to something that supports Windows 11 and last many more years. However, you can check out our list of PCs that support Windows 11 if you’re looking to buy a new machine. One thing you may be wondering seeing as Windows 11 has been widely available for a while now is why wouldn’t you upgrade to that instead and get a much longer support period. Technically, using the Media Creation Tool to upgrade to Windows 11 is also possible. The problem is, machines running Windows 8.1 or 7 are most likely too old to support Windows 11.

Windows 11 Updates Improvements

If you’re upgrading from an older version, such as Windows Vista or earlier, you will need to reinstall your old apps. After the final reboot, Windows 8.1 will be installed, and you’ll be told to personalize setup. Walk through the various screens and complete them as you see fit.

Describing it as a “universal app”, Windows 10 can be installed on multiple devices including PCs, tablets, and smartphones. It’s mostly because of the CPU and TPM requirements, which computers made for those older operating systems don’t meet. TPM 2.0 was only introduced in 2014, and it wasn’t required for users until Windows 11 launched in late 2021. PC manufacturers were required to include it in Windows machines for a few years before that, but it doesn’t change anything for such old devices. After accepting the license terms, choose Create installation media for another PC.

Steps

It lets you click through the registry and change individual registry settings. When you uninstall a program, for example, that program’s settings don’t always get cleaned up in the Registry. So over time, it can get filled with countless outdated settings of all types. You can also delete old versions of Windows that might be hogging space. At the bottom of the screen, check the box next to “Delete previous versions of Windows.” Storage Sense will then delete old versions of Windows ten days after you’ve installed an upgrade.

Issues with Windows Updateare relatively common. You don’t want to find yourself dealing with a problem wscsvc.dll caused by a tiny security update pushed two months ago during a major operating system update like Windows 8.1. After checking for updates, you’ll see a summary screen of your installation settings, which will keep your existing files. To upgrade from Windows 8 to 10 directly, select the Upgrade this PC now option and click on Next. Then the media creation tool will walk you through the same setup process as we explained, Step 5 to Step 8 in Way 1. Another way how to upgrade Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 is to download the media creation tool from Microsoft and run an in-place upgrade. While the free upgrade to Windows 10 offer has ended, it’s possible to activate the operating system with a Windows 8.1 product key.