Windows 11 Pro upgrade from Windows 10 without losing data?

If you're unable to do a Windows 11 Pro upgrade from Windows 10 Home due to hardware restrictions, you might consider performing a clean installation of Windows 11 Pro. A clean installation involves wiping your current system and installing Windows 11 Pro fresh from scratch.

However, it's important to note that a clean installation of Windows 11 Pro on your current hardware will still trigger the same compatibility check. Since your CPU (Intel i7 6500) is not officially supported for Windows 11, Microsoft’s setup will likely prevent the installation from proceeding, even if you try to perform a clean install.

In other words, doing a clean installation of Windows 11 Pro if you can't do a Windows 11 Pro upgrade from Windows 10 Home is generally not feasible on unsupported hardware. The installer performs hardware checks before installation, and if your CPU doesn't meet the requirements, the process will halt.

This method is especially useful if you encounter issues when trying to upgrade Windows 11 Pro from Windows 10 Home via the upgrade option. Performing a clean install often results in a more stable and fresh version of Windows 11 Pro, but remember to back up your data beforehand to avoid losing anything important.