How to Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 (Without Breaking Anything)

Windows 10 stopped getting security updates in October 2025. Since then I've seen a steady stream of people still running it — some because they're nervous about the upgrade breaking things, some because Windows kept nagging them and they clicked "remind me later" until it stopped asking, some because they tried and got an error about TPM 2.0 and gave up.

For most people, upgrading is straightforward and the result is fine. It looks different for about a week and then you stop noticing. This post covers how to check if your PC is eligible, what to do if it isn't quite meeting the requirements, and how to do the actual upgrade without losing anything.

Before anything else: back up

Upgrades go wrong occasionally. Not often, but occasionally. A backup means that if something does go sideways, you can recover without losing your files. I've written about how to back up your PC if you haven't got anything in place — it doesn't take long to set up and it's worth having before you start.

Check if your PC is eligible: PC Health Check

Microsoft's free PC Health Check app runs through everything Windows 11 requires and tells you exactly where your PC stands. Download it from microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-11 — there's a "Check for compatibility" section on that page. Run it, and it'll come back with either a green tick (you're eligible, just upgrade) or a list of what's failing.

The two most common failures are TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Both are usually fixable without any hardware changes — they just need to be switched on in BIOS.

Fixing TPM 2.0

TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module. It's a security chip — on most modern PCs it's built into the processor rather than being a separate physical chip. Most PCs from 2018 onwards have it, but it might be disabled in BIOS settings.

To enable it: restart the PC and get into the BIOS (usually by pressing F2, F10, Del or Esc during startup — the exact key varies by manufacturer and is usually shown briefly on screen). Once in the BIOS, look for a Security or Advanced section. On Intel boards look for an option called PTT (Intel Platform Trust Technology). On AMD boards look for fTPM (firmware TPM). Enable it, save and exit.

The exact menu names vary by motherboard brand. If you can't find it, search for "[your laptop/motherboard model] enable TPM Windows 11" — you'll find the exact steps for your specific machine.

Fixing Secure Boot

Secure Boot is another BIOS setting. If the PC is set to Legacy boot mode (sometimes shown as CSM mode), Secure Boot is likely disabled. You need to switch to UEFI mode.

Processors that just won't work

Intel 7th generation processors (Core i7-7xxx, i5-7xxx, i3-7xxx series) and older are hard blocked by Microsoft. AMD Ryzen 1000 series and older are in the same boat. There's no official upgrade path for these processors, full stop.

If PC Health Check flags your CPU as incompatible, you're in this group. If the machine is already 6 or 7 years old and the processor is the blocker, that's probably your sign that it's time to think about replacement rather than forcing an unsupported install.

There are bypass methods — a tool called Rufus can create a Windows 11 installer that skips the TPM and CPU checks. These installs work but come with caveats: Microsoft has previously blocked security update delivery to bypass installs, and that may happen again. I'm not going to tell you not to do it, but go in with eyes open.

Three ways to do the actual upgrade

If your PC is eligible, you've got options:

1. Windows Update — the easiest. Go to Settings → Windows Update. If your PC is eligible and Windows has rolled it out to you, you'll see "Windows 11, version 24H2" (or similar) as an available update. Click, wait, done. Takes 30-60 minutes.
2. Windows 11 Installation Assistant — for eligible PCs that aren't seeing the upgrade in Windows Update yet (Microsoft rolls it out gradually). Download it from Microsoft's site, run it, it forces the in-place upgrade. Same result as option 1.
3. Bootable USB via Media Creation Tool — for a clean install. Creates a USB stick you boot from; wipes the drive and installs Windows 11 fresh. Faster and cleaner than an in-place upgrade, but you'll need to reinstall your software and restore your files from backup afterwards.

For most people, option 1 or 2 is the right call. Option 3 is for people who want a fresh start or have a particularly slow/cluttered Windows installation they'd rather not carry forward.

After upgrading: check your drivers

Once Windows 11 is running, open Device Manager (right-click the Start button → Device Manager) and look for anything with a yellow exclamation mark. These are devices Windows couldn't find drivers for automatically — often graphics, audio, or network adapters.

If you see any, go to the manufacturer's website (Intel, AMD, Nvidia for graphics; Realtek or Conexant for audio; your laptop's maker for everything else) and download the drivers directly. Don't rely on Windows Update for drivers — it often installs old versions.

The 10-day rollback window

Windows keeps a copy of your Windows 10 installation for 10 days after upgrading, in a folder called Windows.old. If something's wrong and you want to go back: Settings → System → Recovery → Go back. This option disappears after 10 days — so if you're going to use it, do it within that window.

If the upgrade went fine and you want the disk space back early, you can remove it yourself: Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → tick "Previous Windows installation(s)" → Remove files.

If the upgrade stalls, throws errors, or something stops working afterwards and you can't sort it yourself, my computer repair service in St Helens covers Windows upgrades and the various things that can go wrong with them.

Mark

Mark has been fixing computers since the late '90s and went self-employed in 2008. Based in St Helens since 2013, he works evenings and weekends from his home in Laffak — friendly, affordable repairs for PCs, laptops, and Macs. See reviews on Google