Will upgrading to Windows 10 remove programs? | How to protect your data now

Introduction

Windows provides an Upgrade Assistant that helps users migrate seamlessly from older versions of Windows to Windows 10. This utility ensures that your files and programs aren't deleted but instead are backed up and restored after the upgrade process is complete. All your files are backed up to the "Windows.old" folder, which remains accessible after the upgrade is finished.

There's also a small chance that some third-party apps, files, and settings might get removed. This is mostly due to compatibility issues, which would require you to manually restore all of that content after the upgrade. This usually happens with Windows 8/7/XP/Vista installations.

Though a Windows 10 upgrade usually doesn't remove your files or programs, data loss can still occur in certain situations, and once it does, it's irretrievable. This often happens when the upgrade fails abruptly, you get a Blue Screen of Death, or any sudden crash takes place.

通常，更新过程会顺利进行，但在开始之前备份数据至关重要。你可以手动将文件复制到外部驱动器，或使用专业软件进行备份或创建映像，以便稍后恢复。

Page content:

Preparing for the Upgrade to Windows 10
How to Back Up Your Programs, Files, and Settings
How to Upgrade to Windows 10

Before you upgrade to Windows 10

Two of the most important things to do before upgrading are to back up your programs, files, and settings with a third-party tool, and to make sure you have enough space on your install drive.

To back up Part 1, you'll need software or a program that can create a system drive image. Make sure you have a flash drive or external hard drive with enough space. You can calculate how much space you need based on how much your system drive currently takes up, and ensure that you have that much space available.

Before an upgrade, Windows Update needs to copy files to your system drive. Ideally, you'll want at least 30 GB of free space available before starting the upgrade. If you're low on space, it's time to figure out what's taking up room on your PC by looking in your Downloads folder and uninstalling large apps you no longer need.

How to Back Up Your Programs, Files, and Settings

It's essential to back up your programs, files, and settings before an upgrade, in case you need to roll back to your old OS. This is best done with specialized software like Todo PCTrans.

The Todo PCTrans tool offers many features around file transfer and backup/restore. It can also perform system cleaning, comprehensive file cleaning, app management, and product key scanning.

In addition to other features, the Backup and Restore feature comes in handy when you need to back up your data and restore it later to the same or another computer. The Backup and Restore feature is available to you for free. Here's a list of what it can do:

• Transfer apps from your old PC to your new one.
• Skip reinstalling apps, pictures, music, documents, user accounts, and settings.
• Saves space with compression.
• Create a system image for easy recovery.

Step 1: Connect your USB (flash) drive/external hard drive to the source computer.

Launch Todo PCTrans and click "Backup & Restore" > "Start" on the main interface.

Transfer files via Backup and Restore – Step 1

Step 2. Select “Data Backup” and click “Next.” Tap “Confirm” to proceed.

Transfer files via Backup and Restore – Step 2

Step 3: Select the specific data, apps, etc. you want to back up from the Apps, User Accounts, and Files panes.

Transfer files via Backup and Restore – Step 3

Note that when upgrading from 32-bit to 64-bit, a fresh installation is required. During the file transfer, you may need to download and reinstall incompatible applications. Folders will be named accordingly if the target files already exist.

How to Upgrade to Windows 10

Step 1. Back up all your files and apps using backup software, or create a system image so you can restore in case of any problems. Make sure you have enough space on your system drive. If you don't, you'll see a warning.

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Step 2. Download the Upgrade Assistant or Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's official website. You can then launch the upgrade wizard, which will check your system compatibility and back up your existing files and folders. You can also opt for a clean install, but in this case, the wizard won't back up any of your existing files.

Step 3: Once the check is complete, and everything on your PC is compatible with the updated OS, the wizard will restart your PC and proceed with the upgrade. The progress will be displayed on-screen. When it's done, you can log in using the same account credentials.

Finally, check that everything is working normally, including files and programs. If you're missing something, look for it in the Windows.OLD folder on your system drive.

Bottom line

Upgrading to Windows 10 is not rocket science. The process has been refined over the years and works most of the time. However, in certain scenarios – due to hardware issues, driver problems, rollbacks, bluescreens, or sudden crashes – the upgrade can fail. This is where having a backup and a system image is crucial. Todo PCTrans is a tool that offers a simple and effective solution. You can refer here for more information.