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I have Windows 8.1 Update, if I update to Windows 10 when it becomes available what is going to happen to my data and apps?
Of course I have to do a backup, but I wonder if the data will be overwritten or not.
mattiav27
Posted 2015-06-03T08:26:46.913
Reputation: 337
19
The Preview allows you to retain your settings, files and apps, and the final version will too:
Of course having a backup is prudent as with any such major upgrade.
Karan
Posted 2015-06-03T08:26:46.913
Reputation: 51 857
6
According to This Article, you will be able to run an in-place upgrade which will keep all of your personal data.
During the install, you will be given the option to keep all your data and settings, keep you rdata only or bin the lot.
Anything older than Windows 7 will require a complete format of your machine during which you will lose everything as evidensed by this screenshot:
Of course, with this being a complete OS upgrade - things could go wrong, so it is always advised to take a backup of your machine first and ensure that all your personal files/data are copied off the machine onto another computer/external disk/nas
Fazer87
Posted 2015-06-03T08:26:46.913
Reputation: 11 177
1"Anything older than Windows 7 will require a complete format of your machine during which you will lose everything as evidensed by this screenshot" - Are you sure everything will be lost? Won't Setup create a Windows.old folder just as it has done previously? – Karan – 2015-06-03T09:00:44.363
it will do, but not everything may make it there if there are locked files, if something doesn't copy over correctly etc. It's always safer to assume that nothing will make it across and use the .old folder only as a last resort. If you google something along the lines of "windows 10 missing .old folder", there are dozens of threads on Technet, 7 8 and 10 forums etc complaining that data didnt backup to that folder – Fazer87 – 2015-06-03T09:04:10.790
XP and Vista users who are really determined not to lose their apps and settings can perform multiple in-place upgrades (to Vista > 7 > 10 and to 7 > 10 respectively), as demonstrated here.
– Karan – 2015-06-03T09:04:56.937