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Leoleei's avatar
Leoleei
Iron Contributor
Oct 20, 2025

Why keep files and apps option greyed out when upgrading to Windows 11

Hi everyone, I'm trying to upgrade my PC to Windows 11, but during the setup process, the Keep personal files and apps is greyed out when upgrading Windows .  I don't lost any file and apps during W...
RyderNova's avatar
RyderNova
Iron Contributor
Oct 20, 2025

That “Keep personal files and apps” option usually gets greyed out during a Windows 11 upgrade for one of a few technical reasons. The most popular one is using the wrong Windows Editions or Languages.

If you’re upgrading from, say, Windows 10 Home (English) to Windows 11 Pro (French) or vice versa, setup won’t allow keeping apps/files. You must match edition, language, and architecture (x64/ARM64) exactly.

(1) Check Your Current Edition

Press Windows + R, type winver, and hit Enter.

A small window appears showing something like:
Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Home, etc.

Or go to:
Settings > System > About → look under Windows specifications → check the Edition field.
Example: “Windows 10 Pro” or “Windows 11 Home Single Language.”

(2) Check the System Language

Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & region.

Look under Windows display language — that’s the language of your system (e.g., English (United States), French (France)).

Note this exact language — it must match the ISO language you use to upgrade.

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