I'm trying to upgrade my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but I'm really nervous about my files. The upgrade assistant keeps giving me a weird error code: 0xC1900101. I've heard some people lose data during this process. What's the absolute safest way to back up everything before I try again? I have external drives, but I want to be sure I'm not missing any important system settings or app data.
Not 100% sure, but I had this issue last year. The error code usually means a driver conflict, but backing up is smart. I used Windows' built-in File History for my documents and also made a full system image to an external drive using Backup and Restore—that saved all my settings and app data when I needed it.
+1 I had the same problem with that exact error. What finally worked for me was creating a system image backup to an external drive, and then I also manually copied my important documents to a separate USB stick just for extra peace of mind.
Agreed. Yeah, that's solid advice. One extra tip: double-check that your external drive has enough free space before starting the backup—it needs more than you might think. Good luck!