Guide to migrate to a New Windows 11 computer

- Backup old one, Setup new one, and Restoring Data
- Also works for a "format and clean installation" procedure (erasing your existing computer and clean installing Windows 11 Drivers and Apps)
- Written for Dell. Should work for other Windows computers, and even Windows 10.

Tip: You should read through this Guide before starting.

Backing-Up and Getting Ready
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Computer should be able to pass Dell's ePSA Diagnostics (outside of Windows).
- Pressing F12 on boot will load the computer's UEFI environment.
- If it does NOT pass, repair computer until it does.
- If it DOES pass, there is a 95% chance your hardware is good enough to run Windows properly.
Document and inventory what is currently installed on existing/old computer. Screen shots or phone pictures help.
- Locate any required disks, installers, license keys, and serial numbers.
- Be sure you know your login credentials to any cloud based accounts (ie; Microsoft, Google, iCloud, etc.)
- Be sure you know your login credentials to any important websites (ie; banks, stores, and forums) and know they are saved somewhere secure.
Run backups for any Programs with their own, internal backup routines (like QuickBooks).
Backup old computer fully. Any Critical data files will end up getting backed up twice.
- Do a Full Backup with Macrium Reflect to a file set onto an external HDD. Option “Verify After Creation” should be Enabled.
- - This is your final backup. Don't erase this one any time soon.
- - After Full Backup Image is created (and is Verified) eject and temporarily disconnect the USB-HDD from computer.
With Windows File-Explorer, simple file copy your critical Data files in Documents, Pictures, etc. folders to a separate flash drive.
- and then, properly Eject.

Create a perfect Windows-11 Installer USB-flash-drive with Microsoft Media Creation Tool
- Download and install tool. Create installer with 16GB flash drive ( DO NOT download .ISO or use Rufus).
- It's usually a good idea to make sure it boots and works. Then, exit out.
- - It can also be used to repair a Windows 11 computer, or to run command utilities like DiskPart.
- - Always Eject properly first if needing to remove it while computer is still on.

Dell Recovery (Factory Image) Backup
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Note: While we WILL NOT be using it in these steps. If you ever want to try to restore back to the old Dell Factory shipped software configuration you need to create the Windows Recovery Drive now. Lately, it takes a 32GB flash drive (because it will now still include the whole extra custom OEM Dell Recovery Partition). In no way am I saying the Dell part will actually work if you try to use it, or what it contains. Just that now is your last chance to create it.

- In the search box on the task bar, search for "Create a Recovery Drive" and then select it. It will ask for permission.
- When the tool opens, make sure "Back up System Files to the Recovery Drive" is selected (very important) and then select Next.
- Connect a 32GB USB flash-drive to your PC, select it, and then select Next.
- Select Create. Many files need to be copied to the recovery drive, so this might take a while.

Label it as Dell Recovery and put it in a drawer (we will NOT be using it). This guide is about installing Microsoft Windows 11 (without any Dell OEM customizations). 

Installing Windows 11 (erase and clean install)
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Note: If you bought a new computer (and you want to run the existing factory installed Windows, drivers, and included pre-install programs/apps), you should SKIP this section. Instead, its recommended to just setup your new computer and do its Windows First Time Setup. If you purchased Microsoft Office (or other software) with your new Dell, you should Activate those first (before ever thinking of erasing the computer).

This is a clean install of Microsoft Windows 11 only (as that is all you need to run Windows Programs, Apps, and Games).
- It will be built-up lean from scratch, with a "perfect copy of Windows 11 64-bit" as the foundation.

The computer needs to be as minimal as possible (hardware-wise).
- Mostly, only a wired USB keyboard, wired USB mouse, and a monitor should be connected.
- A network connection is ok (for updated pre-installation files or online Microsoft Account login)
All Overclocks should be OFF.

Temporarily, only the future C: Drive should be connected (inside computer. See recommended procedure below or get help)
- It's easier for installer to find desired destination (since only one drive is installed/connected)
- There is then no chance any other drive can be deemed "Windows Boot Manager" boot drive
- If your bootable C: Drive (that holds Windows and your Apps) is still not a SSD, now is a good time to upgrade
- - as 480GB (or larger) SSDs are relatively inexpensive now.
- If possible, the C: Drive should be completely erased, raw, uninitialized, and have no existing partitions

BIOS Options:
This should be a modern computer, so you want UEFI mode.
Normally, your future C: Drive will appear in BIOS, and report as the proper size (but not always, depending on actual config).
SecureBoot can be left Enabled (since our BootKit is Microsoft Authorized).
On Dell/Alienware, SATA options reportedly seem to affect PCIe drives (like NVMe SSDs)
- I think because all drives need to be accessed one way or the other, so...
Set to AHCI (recommended). Microsoft's drivers will be used (and they work fine).
- Removes dependency on Intel-RST. OMaSM should NOT be installed inside Windows.
If you set to RAID (oddly, Dell's default), Intel-RST drivers will be used
- And Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management should also be installed inside Windows.
If you randomly try to switch this option at some other time, you will likely be forced to re-install Windows (so don't).
Save BIOS settings and Exit.

Install Windows 11:
Insert Microsoft's Windows 11 Installer USB and turn-on computer.
- Press F12 a few times slowly (for UEFI Environment).
- Using the "One Time Boot Menu" boot the Windows-11 USB flash-drive
- Configure the installer for a new install.
- Erase ANY and ALL existing partitions
- - If you have trouble erasing any partitions (ie; Dell related ones) I suggest you "DiskPart Clean" it first.
- Install Windows to the un-allocated space.
Walk through any prompts and let computer reboot as required.
- The Installer will automatically Initialize the drive as GPT, partition appropriately, and format as NTFS for you
- With a SSD and a good network connection, it should go pretty fast.
- There should be no errors, crashing, hanging, or strange behavior.

Windows 11 Setup
----------------------
Do the Windows First-Time-Setup on new computer.
- If it asks you about setting-up OneDrive, click not-now or skip it (avoids a common mis-step)
Run Windows-Update. Install any required drivers.
- Check ( Settings / Windows Update / Additional Options / Optional Updates / Drivers ).
The Device-Manager should be looking pretty good at this point.
- You can use the machine a bit, maybe Shut-Down and reboot a couple of times.

Check operation of Windows.
Check that the Device Manager is “clean” (all devices detected with appropriate drivers loaded … no Unknown devices)
Run Windows Update, and reboot until it says “Up to Date”

The idea is to try NOT to install any drivers from support.dell.com
- unless you must to correct an error-ed or unknown device.
Definitely, DO NOT install Dell Support-Assist, Dell-Update, or any other Dell programs.
- They all introduce various Processes and Services into the system.
- They are unnecessary for running Windows-11 properly, and some are even troublesome.
You will be getting all/most drivers from Microsoft and Windows-Update.
- Video-drivers from Microsoft or directly from AMD and Nvidia.
- You can still drop by support.dell.com once-a-year to check for any BIOS/Firmware updates.

If you have a discrete video card installed, you can likely just run the driver Windows tosses you for now
- if video-card is now properly identified in Device-Manager and the driver loaded.
- - Or, visit AMD.com or Nvidia.com and download/install an appropriate WHQL driver (like the latest WHQL-DCH Gaming-Driver).
Sometimes the Control Panel itself comes from Microsoft App Store.

Windows-11 should be Activated because the Windows License-Key is embedded in the motherboard.
Setup Microsoft Security (AntiVirus, Spyware protection, and software Firewall)
Setup Networking. You want computer on a "Private Network" for now.
Configure Edge browser. It's pretty nice now that it's (Google) Chromium-based.
Install required Programs and Apps (normally to C-Drive)
- Like Microsoft Office or Macrium Reflect.
Setup cloud Accounts (ie Google, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud)

OneDrive Setup (on a new machine)
On Windows-11, the OneDrive app should be be in the TaskTray, so open it.
Login with your credentials.
Accept the default location on local OS drive (ie C:\Users\Owner\OneDrive\ )

The next screen is "Backup Your Folders". This is the "problem option".
- UN-SELECT Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders, and then click SKIP button.
- - OneDrive should now work like a simple "DropBox" (what most people want).

When asked about Office-365, select Not-Now button.
Click-thru the tutorial.
Skip the Mobile-App for now.
Open your OneDrive folder to end setup.

The new option "Files On Demand" should be OFF. Then, all files/folders will always be downloaded locally to your computer (what most people want).

All the other OneDrive Default Settings should be fine, however, you probably want to set this one also:
OneDrive-Settings/Backup/ScreenShots: I enable this as it is handy (on various computers).

Reconnecting any Drives (3.5-inch HDD/or 2.5-inch SSD)
- If you are unfamiliar with this, I suggest you watch a YouTube video or get some help.
Shut-down computer, disconnect from AC-outlet, press power-button a few times (to dissipate flea-power).
- Reconnect any internal HDD/SSDs cables you disconnected earlier.
Plug computer back-in and boot up.
In Disk Management, if the drives are mostly empty anyway, I usually go ahead and re-partition and re-format
- as one large Simple Volume, and format as NTFS.

Restoring Data
Restore data-files (ie; Documents and Pictures) and similar media files and folders to proper locations
- From file-copy flash-drives or with the (locally installed) Macrium-Reflect for Windows and the previous backup.
- The idea is to only restore your important data-files (the docs, pics, etc.). You definitely DO NOT restore the whole C-Drive at once (like the whole imaged-drive).
Restore file-folders to D-Drive and any other Data drives (if they were erased also).
- Check any restored files with Windows Security Anti-Virus
Re-Integrated restored data into programs as required (ie Outlook-Folders.PST file, QuickBooks, etc.)

Documented the process (and keep a To-Do list).
I also save any required files (drivers, installers, etc.)
The installation of some misc. programs can wait until you need to use them the first time.
Use computer normally to test.

Create a new Backup-Image
If everything went fine to this point, this would be a good time to create a new Macrium-Reflect Full-Backup System Image to a File-Set.
If you haven't already, you should also create the Macrium Reflect Rescue flash-drive. It can easily be used to restore and Image and computer will return back to this exact point in time (saving all that work). It will even work if computer is completely erased (ie; in a “bare metal” condition).

Troubleshooting
If for some reason you saw some strangeness, crashing, or un-explained behavior … please don’t just ignore it. Clean-Installing Windows and doing the First-Time Setup is actually fairly demanding, so it might expose some potential weakness. Have the computer repaired and then START-OVER FROM THE BEGINNING for another try (it only takes 1-2 hours to complete anyway).

Along these same lines, if you have a flakey or unstable computer, and you are not sure if the problem is "Hardware or Software" ... clean-install Windows (aka Nuke and Pave) is one of the best ways I've found to narrow it down. Meaning. it will either start working properly or you will now know that you likely have a hardware problem. 

This guide is for people looking for written directions to follow.
I hope this helps.