Is an update to Win 11 the same as Win 11 Fresh Install

[Caveman]

Always wondered about the subject question... In theory, when Windows does an update to a new OS, is there a bunch of old residue left over from the previous OS? Or... Does it wipe the previous OS clean?

 

[OlyAR15]

It's not the same.

 

[JackMDS]

In the past using previous version of Windows there was a Big Difference between Clean Install and Upgrade.

In case of Win 11 in most of the time the differnce is Minimal or it stay the same.

For me to do a clean install and build the system back with all the software that I use it can take a whole day of work.

So.. I always do first an Update that take less than an hour. If it does not work well, then I do clean install. It is better to lo waste an Hour then the whole day.

 

[A///]

In the past using previous version of Windows there was a Big Difference between Clean Install and Upgrade.

In case of Win 11 in most of the time the differnce is Minimal or it stay the same.

For me to do a clean install and build the system back with all the software that I use it can take a whole day of work.

So.. I always do first an Update that take less than an hour. If it does not work well, then I do clean install. It is better to lo waste an Hour then the whole day.

A method I've used for around 20 some odd years is creating an image of a perfectly good base install and then using that for several years until the update patch cycles get too long in the tooth for it to be usable. While the lines between the two have become less blurred over the years a clean install is always the best, and none of that refresh my install crap microsoft was or still is trying to push to consumers. Just isn't the same!