Windows 11 is a hard effort from Microsoft so that its users don’t all run away to MacBooks. Fortunately, there are indeed many advantages of Windows 11 over Windows 10, so many people are curious and the hype is also quite high.
It’s no wonder that this makes many people want to immediately update from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Even some new laptop manufacturers have pinned Windows 11 as their default OS!
But there’s very little discussion about what you have to prepare before updating to Windows 11. Because it turns out there’s a lot you need to prepare beforehand, not just just click “update”!
1. Check Device Compatibility
The first important step is to ensure the compatibility of the device you are using. Of course, this is intended so that the device can later run Windows 11 without problems.
The following is a minimal compatibility guide for Windows 11 installations:
- CPU: 1 GHz or faster with a 64-bit processor.
- GPU: Minimum supports DirectX 12 with WDDDM 2.0 Driver
- RAM: minimum 4 GB
- Memory: minimum 64 GB
- Firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot Capable
- TPM (Trusted Platform Module): version 1.2 or 2.0
- Screen: minimum HD (720p) with a minimum diagonal size of 9 inches
- Internet: The important thing is it’s stable enough
For those who are confused about TPM, we will explain it later in the next section.
To check the specifications above, you can also open Settings > System > About. You can also use the Windows PC Health Checkup application from the official Microsoft website.
If your laptop doesn’t meet these minimum specifications, of course, we don’t recommend updating it. But if you have fulfilled it, please do the second step before updating.
2. Refresh Microsoft Account
One of the things Windows users often forget is the Microsoft account they have. Moreover, most people in Indonesia have long preferred to use pirated Windows instead of the original one.
Unfortunately, the Windows 11 update process requires you to log into your Microsoft account. Make sure you have the credentials or can log in to the Microsoft account you used to register earlier.
Our advice if you forget, find the account in any way. So then if you are asked for a Microsoft account to update Windows 11 you won’t have any trouble. Until you can complete the update process to Windows 11.
3. Make sure the internet is stable
One of the reasons Windows 11 updates fail is an unstable internet connection. Windows 11 is a system that is quite sensitive to connections when updating. Because when updating the system it will retrieve data from the Microsoft server.
Make sure you use private internet at a fairly high speed with a stable connection. If you use WiFi in public, make sure you use a trusted provider so you don’t have to repeat yourself every time you experience an error during an update.
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4. Make sure there is enough battery
Another reason the update process to Windows 11 can fail is an insufficient laptop battery. So that when updating you experience interruptions and then the update process stops.
If this is the case, sometimes you have to repeat the update process, or worse, your laptop system is damaged because it stops halfway and you have to take it to a repairman.
If using a laptop, make sure it is plugged into a power source. In addition, make sure the power supply is not interrupted so that the Windows 11 update process is not interrupted and you have to repeat the update process.
5. Back up data
When deciding to update Windows to Windows 11, one of the risks to consider is data loss. To prevent this, you must back up your data.
The easiest way is of course to copy-paste all your important data to a flash disk or cloud storage. Another more technical and more complete way is as follows:
- Click Start > Go to Backup Settings > Backup Settings.
- Select Add a drive and plug in the external hard disk that you will use to back up data.
- Click Select a Drive.
- Continue the backup process.
- Wait until the backup process is complete.
Manual backups are actually enough, but with manual backups (to a flash drive or cloud), some that are often skipped are: Windows settings, browser settings, game saves, passwords in the browser, and other settings.
Please choose the backup method that is easiest for you, and make sure you save the backup data properly and correctly.
6. Activate the Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
TPM is a chip installed on the motherboard which is intended to store sensitive security data. Before updating to Windows 11, make sure the TPM is activated. The steps can be done as below.
- Click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- Look for the Advanced Startup menu > Restart Now.
- You will enter into the blue menu. This is where you will change the TPM settings
- Look for the Troubleshoot menu > click Advanced Options.
- Select UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart Boot.
- Change the TPM 2.0 toggle to Enabled.
On some laptops, especially because the motherboard used must be different. The TPM name label may vary, and for this one, please do a search based on the manufacturer of the device you are using, if you don’t find the TPM 2.0 label.
7. Enable Secure Boot
Just like you activate TPM, secure boot is intended as one of the security features in Windows. The goal, of course, is that when you boot the system, the system will use a trusted operating system.
The steps are as follows:
- Click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced Startup > Restart Now.
- You will enter BIOS and be able to change secure boot settings.
- Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options.
- Click UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart > Boot.
- Change the Secure Boot toggle to Enabled.
For those who use PC devices, there is a possibility that the system will not automatically reboot. If so, you can change the MBR to GPT, and change the BIOS to UEFI.
8. Storage Optimization
The fifth important step that you must take is to optimize storage. As we explained previously, Microsoft requires around 64 GB of Windows 11 storage.
You can see the steps you can take below.
Use Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup is one of the built-in programs that Windows has to clean up ‘messy’ drives. Here’s how to use it.
- Open Start > Type Delete Temporary Files in the start menu.
- Click Temporary Files.
- The system will display some ‘unused’ files. Pay close attention, and select files that are no longer used.
- Check the files you want to delete.
- Click Remove.
Use an External Hard Disk
If you don’t want to accidentally delete important data, we also recommend that you clean your data manually. The method is to select unused data one by one to be moved to an external hard disk.
In this way, the possibility of important data being deleted will be even smaller. But the drawback is of course this method will take quite a long time considering that this kind of ‘garbage’ or junk data is usually quite a lot.
9. Check for System Malfunctions
This step is also fairly important because in some cases corrupted system files will interrupt and interfere with the Windows 11 update process. Before starting to update, it’s a good idea to scan for system damage.
To do this, you can follow the method below.
- Click Start > open Command Prompt.
- Right Click > Run as administrator.
- In cmd, type sfc / scannow and wait until the scanning process is complete.
- If found, please make changes to the Safe Mode menu.
Restart the laptop and enter Safe Mode by pressing F2 / F8 / F10 / Del. Adjust it to the laptop manufacturer you have.
If damage occurs, you can check here to find a solution. But because in our opinion the level of difficulty to repair this is quite high, if you are too skilled you can take it to a laptop repair shop or ask a friend who is more skilled.
You can also find the information yourself online. But unfortunately, if you are not proficient enough you might get confused yourself. Not to mention the risk that you will further damage your device.
10. Create a Recovery Drive
The last tip we can give you is to create a recovery drive. The recovery drive itself is storage that can be made as a preventive measure if after updating your device becomes an error.
The way to create a recovery drive is as follows.
- Click Start > type Recovery Drive > Click Recovery Drive.
- Select Back up system files to the recovery drive > click Next.
- Plug in the flash drive or external hard drive, and select the recovery drive as the storage source (must be NTFS ).
- Click Next.
- Wait for a few moments.
Now you can use this drive later when you experience a system malfunction after the update. You can immediately refresh and reset the device you are using. Of course, by striking the drive again.
The way to do this is by following the steps below.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
- Select Reset this PC > click Get Started.
- Select Keep my files > Next.
- Select Local Reinstall.
After that, you just need to continue the process until it’s finished. But of course, the system will return to the way it was before the update.
