I'm trying to upgrade my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but I'm really nervous abo?

[jnDLOGMLcf7e]

I'm trying to upgrade my Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, but I'm really nervous about my files. The upgrade assistant says my drive is compatible, but I keep getting error code 0xC1900101 right before it starts. My main worry is losing years of family photos and documents. What's the absolute safest way to do a full backup before I try this again? I don't trust just the built-in tool.

[LaptopFan67]

For absolute safety, I'd grab a big external hard drive and manually copy your entire Users folder over, especially the Documents and Pictures folders. That way you have a direct copy you can see and restore from if anything goes sideways.

[idz754]

Just tried this - works great!

[OSfsCzCxeBer]

Yeah, that method is definitely the safest route. One extra tip: before you start, temporarily disconnect any external drives to avoid potential confusion during the upgrade.

[yowi57]

Can confirm. This happened to me. I ended up using the Media Creation Tool to make a fresh install USB, and that finally pushed the upgrade through without a hitch.

[88fpuwtw]

Yeah, You could also try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter first, as it can sometimes clear up that specific error. Hope that helps.

[512opyu]

I had the same problem with that error. I backed everything up to an external drive first, which let me try the upgrade without that sick feeling about losing photos.

[jnDLOGMLcf7e]

Thanks! I copied everything over, but now my external drive is saying it's full and I'm not sure if it got all my photos.

[OEfrJU]

Following these steps fixed my issue as well.

[Mq2Q105rw]

Agreed. Yeah, that's the way to go. One extra tip: if you have a spare external drive, a quick manual backup of that photos folder right before starting adds a nice peace of mind.