What to Backup When Upgrading to Windows 11?

Hello! I am running Windows 10, and I am planning to upgrade to Windows 11. Will Windows 11 upgrade delete my files? What to backup when upgrading to Windows 11?

By @Jonna Last Updated September 25, 2023

When upgrading to Windows 11, it is essential to back up any important files or settings. Here is a list of items that need to be backed up:

  • Documents, photos, videos, and other personal files.
  • System image backup.
  • Drivers and hardware configurations.
  • Common application data.
  • User profiles and settings.
  • Software licenses and activation keys.

Further to say, it's not too much of a stretch to make a full backup of your computer before upgrading to Windows 11. This is because unknown errors may occur during the upgrade process or the new Windows 11 system may have compatibility issues, and the backup can prevent data loss.

After knowing what to backup when upgrading to Windows 11, you may need a specialized backup tool to help you. AOMEI Backupper Standard, a professional and free Windows Backup utility, can help you automatically back up files, systems, disks, and partitions, and save the backups to various locations, including external hard drives, NAS, network drives, cloud drives, etc.

AOMEI Backupper - Professional Windows Backup Solution

Safeguard your precious data with robust and intuitive Windows data protection solution.

If an error happens during the Windows 11 upgrade, you can restore system image to recover your computer with ease.

Here is how to backup before upgrading to Windows 11 using AOMEI Backupper:

1Run the backup software. Select Backup, and then choose System Backup.

2All system and boot partitions will be selected automatically, and you only need to choose a backup destination path.

3Tap on Start Backup to begin the system backup.