Advice Request How to do a clean installation of Windows 11 without losing data?

[eonline]

Hi, is there any way to do a clean install of Windows 11 without losing all my programs, settings, etc? I have seen videos that the only thing they do is to install Windows 11 on a separate partition to the disk that uses Windows 10. Is there any other method?

 

[codswollip]

See here

 

[ForgottenSeer 95367]

Hi, is there any way to do a clean install of Windows 11 without losing all my programs, settings, etc? I have seen videos that the only thing they do is to install Windows 11 on a separate partition to the disk that uses Windows 10. Is there any other method?

If you do a Restore In-Place, then you will keep your data, but your non-Microsoft programs that you installed will be gone and you will have to re-install them.

 

[eonline]

See here

Thank you, I forgot about that method.

 

[brambedkar59]

Hi, is there any way to do a clean install of Windows 11 without losing all my programs, settings, etc?

No.

See here

That's not clean install, that's in-place upgrade. Clean install means you start from scratch with an empty partition.

 

[eonline]

I just wanted to install Windows 11 to test SAC anyway. I am using this .reg file from the Windows 11 forum tutorial, but the problem is that every time I restart the pc SAC appears disabled. Will I have to do a clean install deleting all my data?

Turn On or Off Smart App Control in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to manually turn on or off Smart App Control in Windows 11. Smart App Control (SAC) is a new security feature starting with Windows 11 build 22567. Smart App Control can work alongside your other security software, such as Microsoft Defender, for added...

www.elevenforum.com

 

[silversurfer]

I just wanted to install Windows 11 to test SAC anyway. I am using this .reg file from the Windows 11 forum tutorial, but the problem is that every time I restart the pc SAC appears disabled. Will I have to do a clean install deleting all my data?

Microsoft probably is the reason, why SAC keep to be turned off even after clean-install Windows 11. Read below on official description:

We start in evaluation mode. This is a period during which Windows tries to determine if you're a good candidate for Smart App Control.
If you are a good candidate for Smart App Control, then it will automatically be turned on. If not, it'll be turned off.

Smart App Control Frequently Asked Questions - Microsoft Support

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Smart App Control, a Windows feature designed to block malicious, untrusted, or potentially unwanted apps from running on your device.

support.microsoft.com

 

[brambedkar59]

I just wanted to install Windows 11 to test SAC anyway. I am using this .reg file from the Windows 11 forum tutorial, but the problem is that every time I restart the pc SAC appears disabled. Will I have to do a clean install deleting all my data?

Turn On or Off Smart App Control in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to manually turn on or off Smart App Control in Windows 11. Smart App Control (SAC) is a new security feature starting with Windows 11 build 22567. Smart App Control can work alongside your other security software, such as Microsoft Defender, for added...

www.elevenforum.com

From that same article.

To turn Smart App Control back on after it's been turned off, you'll need to clean install or reset Windows 11 build 22567 or higher.

 

[silversurfer]

I have read even on German forums or other tech websites, where users report about SAC doesn't work to keep be enabled automatically (by Microsoft) sometimes even after clean-install or reset Windows 11. Probably that's what is meant quoted from Microsoft:
"If you are a good candidate for Smart App Control, then it will automatically be turned on. If not, it'll be turned off." What is Smart App Control?

Furtermore, at this time point of development (W11 22H2), SAC seems to be more like alpha or may beta phase...
Probably, just a waste of time only for testing SAC, when you are going to clean installing Windows 11.

 

[Freki123]

Before you come to the idea to change SAC from "evaluate" to "on" have a working backup. I couldn't change it back to evaluate (not sure if its possible at all) and I instantly got problems with installing new software (that SAC with "on" didn't like).

 

[eonline]

I actually had to install it twice Windows, the first time I installed it and enabled SAC and pretty much couldn't install anything so I reinstalled it from scratch and now I have SAC disabled I don't know why mysteries of Microsoft when it should be in evaluation mode. It's kind of like a blocker for almost all SAC. Well that's my experience with SAC.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Hi, is there any way to do a clean install of Windows 11 without losing all my programs, settings, etc?

I have dreamed about it, I have even enabled Windows sync, but it did not even restore my desktop wallpaper for crying out loud, so much for MSA.
Well at least winget restores all installed apps and edge restores some settings, but I still have to restore Edge's literal files to restore a backup.

winget import -i D:\OneDrive\Setup\winget.txt --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

rd "Z:\Edge" /s /q
taskkill /im msedge.exe /f
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" /r /d y
xcopy "D:\OneDrive\Soft\Edge" "Z:\Edge" /s /i /y
rd "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" /s /q
mklink /d "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge" "Z:\Edge"

 

[codswollip]

No.

That's not clean install, that's in-place upgrade. Clean install means you start from scratch with an empty partition.

What part of the OP's request to "without losing all my programs, settings, etc", lines up with "clean install"? Geesh!