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To install Windows 11 from an ISO and keep your data, sign in to the Windows installation you want to upgrade, open the ISO’s files, and run setup.exe from that session. Choose Keep personal files and apps if you want to retain your apps and settings as well as files. Do not boot the PC from the ISO or USB drive for this in-place install: booting from installation media starts a different, fresh-install path that can remove the existing Windows installation and files.
Before you begin
- Back up important files. Save a separate copy to an external hard drive, USB flash drive, or cloud storage such as OneDrive. A Setup keep option is not a backup.
- Make sure you are signed in to the Windows installation you intend to upgrade or repair. The keep options depend on how Windows Setup is started.
- Have the Windows 11 ISO available on the PC. If you already have the ISO, you do not need to create a USB drive just to mount the ISO and run Setup from Windows.
Install Windows 11 from the ISO while keeping files
- In your current Windows session, locate the ISO file and open it so its contents are accessible.
- Open the mounted ISO or installation media in File Explorer, then run
setup.exe. - Follow Windows Setup until it asks what to keep. Select the option that matches what you want to retain; compare the choices below before proceeding.
- Review Setup’s final summary carefully. Confirm that the intended keep choice is shown before selecting Install.
- Let Setup finish. The PC restarts several times during reinstallation; do not interrupt the process.
What each “Keep” option preserves
| Setup choice | Personal files | Installed apps | Windows settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep personal files and apps | Kept | Kept | Kept |
| Keep personal files only | Kept | Removed | Kept, according to Microsoft’s reinstall guidance |
| Keep nothing | Removed | Removed | Removed |
For the broadest in-place migration, choose Keep personal files and apps. Choose Keep personal files only if you are willing to reinstall your applications afterward. Keep nothing does not meet the goal of preserving files.
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If Setup does not offer the keep option you want
Stop rather than continuing with an option that removes your files or apps. Microsoft’s general installation guidance says available keep choices depend on how Setup is started, but does not establish every cause of a missing choice in this guidance. Check that you started setup.exe from the Windows session you intend to upgrade, not by booting from the installation media. If the desired option still does not appear, do not select a destructive alternative unless you have decided to proceed with its consequences.
Do not boot from the ISO or USB for an in-place install
Running setup.exe inside Windows is the in-place route described above. Booting the computer from installation media instead starts a fresh-install path. Microsoft warns that a clean installation removes the existing Windows installation and files, so it is not the method to use when preserving them is the priority.
#1 Best Overall
- Less chaos, more calm. The refreshed design of Windows 11 enables you to do what you want effortlessly.
- Biometric logins. Encrypted authentication. And, of course, advanced antivirus defenses. Everything you need, plus more, to protect you against the latest cyberthreats.
- Make the most of your screen space with snap layouts, desktops, and seamless redocking.
- Widgets makes staying up-to-date with the content you love and the news you care about, simple.
- Stay in touch with friends and family with Microsoft Teams, which can be seamlessly integrated into your taskbar. (1)
When a USB drive is involved
A USB drive is optional if you are mounting an ISO and running Setup directly from Windows. If you use Microsoft’s media-creation route to make a USB installer, its instructions call for a blank USB drive with at least 8 GB and warn that the drive’s existing contents are deleted. Back up anything on that USB before creating media; this requirement applies to making installation media, not to mounting an ISO directly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Activation and edition notes
Microsoft says Windows generally activates automatically after reinstallation once the device is online. A significant hardware change, such as replacing the motherboard, can require the Activation troubleshooter. Microsoft also says an edition installed during a clean reinstall must match the device’s license; this is a clean-install caveat rather than a reason to boot from media for the file-preserving procedure above.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
- STREAMLINED & INTUITIVE UI, DVD FORMAT | Intelligent desktop | Personalize your experience for simpler efficiency | Powerful security built-in and enabled.
- OEM IS TO BE INSTALLED ON A NEW PC with no prior version of Windows installed and cannot be transferred to another machine.
- OEM DOES NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT | To acquire product with Microsoft support, obtain the full packaged “Retail” version.
- PRODUCT SHIPS IN PLAIN ENVELOPE | Activation key is located under scratch-off area on label.
- GENUINE WINDOWS SOFTWARE IS BRANDED BY MIRCOSOFT ONLY.
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