To do list before you install or upgrade to Windows 11

There’s a list of things to do first before you install or upgrade to the new Windows 11 operating system on your PC.

There’s a checklist in this article by the Windows Club about compatibility, usability, vendor support, security, upgrade time and cost, and features to go through before. In case you are planning to get Windows 11 on your PC, you can check out the guide to know the things you should do or consider before performing the upgrade.

Here are 10 things you should check through before getting the new Windows.

1] Things to see before you run Windows 11

Can your PC run Windows 11? Windows 11 is free but there’s a standard of qualification your PC needs to have to run it. Use Microsoft’s PC Health Check tool to determine that! Download this app from the Microsoft website and then run it to know whether or not your system can run Windows 11.

2] Enable TPM 2.0 on the BIOS

Windows 11 needs the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 chip for enhanced security. Enable TPM 2.0 on the BIOS, for the seamless transition. Here are the steps to do that:

Firstly, open the Settings app by pressing Windows + I hotkey and then navigate to the Update & Security > Recovery section.
Now, under the Advanced startup section, click on the Restart button.
Next, press the Troubleshoot and then Advanced options button on the advanced startup screen.
Then, tap on the UEFI Firmware settings option and click on the Restart button.
Depending upon your motherboard, click on the advanced, security, or boot settings page and then choose the TPM 2.0 option.

Finally, select the Enabled option for TPM 2.0.

3] Enable Secure Boot on BIOS

To run Windows 11, secure boot is another requirement. This module makes sure that your PC boots only using trusted software. In most cases, the devices having UEFI firmware include Secure Boot. You can enable Secure Boot before installing Windows 11 using the below steps:

Open Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and under Advanced startup section, click on the Restart now button.
On the advanced startup screen, press the Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware settings option.
Click the Restart button and then the advanced, security, or boot settings page.
Choose the “Secure Boot” option and select the Enabled option.
Read: How to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

4] Backup Important Data

Before proceeding with Windows 11 upgrade process, make sure you have taken a backup of all your important data. Take a backup of all necessary files and folders to an external hard drive or USB. In a rare case, if something goes wrong during the installation process, you will have your data back up to restore it later.

Here is a guide to automatically backup files on your PC. You can also check out some free backup software to use like EASEUS Todo Backup Home, etc.

5] Clear up Disk Space

Sufficient disk space is required to install the new OS or even updates. We have seen installation failing due to insufficient disk space required for the upgrade. So, make sure you have enough disk space on your PC to install Windows 11 without any error. To clear up dis space, you can use the Disk Cleanup Utility. There are some more methods to increase your disk space by freeing up space. In case you can you prefer third-party software, you have some free options like CCleaner. In addition to that, you may also try deleting and getting rid of duplicate files from your PC and make some free space.

6] Uninstall conflicting and non-essential apps

It is common that during an upgrade to a new version of OS or even during the feature update process, third-party apps and software conflict and interfere with the installation process and result in many errors. This generally happens when you are using a third-party antivirus on your PC. So, before proceeding with Windows 11 installation, remove any conflicting third-party software installed on your PC.

Also, if you have some non-essential or poorly designed apps installed on your PC, get rid of them to avoid any errors and problems during the upgrade process. You can easily uninstall the software via Settings. Open the Settings app and then go to the App & features section. Here, select the conflicting apps one by one and then uninstall them using the Uninstall option.

7] Check and fix system errors

Another thing you should consider before installing Windows 11 is to check for system file corruption. In many cases, corrupted system files on your PC result in errors and prevent you from upgrading to the newer version. So, before initiating Windows 11 installation process, verify your system files and repair them if there is some corruption. You can use System File Checker i.e., SFC scan and Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management (DISM) to do that. These are command-based utility tools to restore the healthy state of your PC.

8] Disconnect non-essential peripherals

You may disconnect non-essential peripherals like printers, scanners, USBs, etc before you commence.

9] Select a method to install Windows 11

You can use upgrade to Windows 11 via Windows Update. It is the most recommended method to easily get Windows 11 on your PC. Just open the Settings app and then go to the Updates & security > Windows Updates section. Here, you can check for the upgrade available and then directly download and install it on your system.

You can also use Windows 11 Installation Assistant to install Windows 11 on your PC. It is one of the easiest ways to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft offers a dedicated Windows 11 Installation Assistant application that you can run to automatically install Windows 11 on your system.

If you want to perform a fresh or clean install of Windows 11, you can create Windows 11 bootable installation media and then install Windows 11 through it.
Another popular method to install Windows 11 is to download Windows 11 ISO image file and use it to install Windows 11. Mount the ISO file and create a “virtual” bootable disc. After that, you can run the setup.exe file and follow the onscreen instructions to complete Windows 11 installation.

10] Remember to plug in your laptop to the Mains

Make sure that your laptop is fully charged and plugged in before you start the upgrade or installation.

What do you need to consider before doing a clean installation?
You can perform a clean installation of Windows 11 using a Windows 11 ISO image file. Before doing a clean installation of Windows 11, there are some important factors that you need to take care of. Here are the minimum requirements before proceeding with clean install:

At least 8GB USB flash drive or blank disc.
Sufficient data storage to download the ISO image file on your system.
Stable internet connection.