Create Windows Installation media on a USB
On a working machine.
Download a copy of Windows 11 that you have installed.
Make sure and select the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices.
Then grab a USB with at least 8 gigabyte capacity. (One that you are willing to format and wipe the data for the windows .iso)
Use
Media Creation tool or
Rufus copy the iso to the USB
Boot into the bios and add USB device as first boot order:
As soon as the computer starts to boot, repeatedly press the BIOS entry key.
This key varies by manufacturer but is often one of the following:
F2 (common for Dell, Lenovo, Asus)
F10 (common for HP)
F1 (common for Lenovo)
DEL (common for custom-built PCs)
ESC (some laptops)
Once in the BIOS, use the arrow keys to navigate. Look for a tab or section labeled "Boot," "Boot Order," or "Boot Priority."
In the Boot section, look for an option to change the boot order or boot priority.
Select the boot order option and press Enter.
In the boot priority list, locate the USB device option. It might be labeled as "USB Drive," "Removable Devices," or something similar.
Use the designated keys (often + or - keys, or F5/F6) to move the USB device to the top of the boot order list.
After setting USB as the first boot option, look for an option to save and exit. This is often done by pressing F10, but it may vary.
Install Windows 11
Install windows 11 but do not format the drive, leave the file system intact so that windows will save to Windows.old
On the newly installed windows....
Use
PC Data Back once you are into the new installation, then
Restore From Custom Location.
Select restore from windows.old Hopefully you will be able to keep everything if it works out.
You may have to
reinstall applications, but the data from them in theory should be available via this tool.
You can Also use the
Everything Search Engine, and a lot of your files you will be able to find by searching
*.old or
.old from within the Everything User Interface.