Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11

In this guide we will cover how to upgrade a Windows 10 machine to the latest version of Windows 11 using PDQ Connect. This same process may also be used to install OS Feature updates, such as updating Windows 11 21H2 to Windows 11 24H2. 

Overview

We will create a custom package that copies the Windows 11 installation files to a machine and then silently upgrades the OS using PowerShell. This is accomplished by performing the following steps:

1. Download the latest Windows 11 ISO using the Windows 11 media creation tool.
2. Zip the contents of the ISO and upload the zip file to a script step in a custom PDQ Connect package.
3. Upgrade the OS to Windows 11 using the installation files from the zip file. 

Prerequisites

Windows 11 has additional hardware requirements that are not present in previous versions of Windows. It's important before attempting an upgrade that you ensure the device is capable of running Windows 11. See the following guide on how to use PDQ Connect to identify if a machine is compatible or incompatible with Windows 11. 

Find Windows 11 Compatible Devices

Download the Windows 11 ISO

Start by downloading the latest copy of Windows 11 using the media creation tool. This utility always downloads the most recent version of Windows 11, complete with the latest cumulative updates. If you prefer to install an older version, you'll need to locate an older ISO file.

1. Download and run the Windows 11 media creation tool. 

2. Continue through the first two prompts and select "ISO file" on the third page titled "Choose which media to use."
3. Choose a location to save the ISO file to and give it a name (Windows is the default).
4. Hit Save, then Finish after the media creation is complete.

Note: Additional download options for Windows 11 can be found at the following location:
Download Windows 11

Zip the Windows 11 Installation Files

The next step is to zip the contents of the ISO file we just created. There are numerous ways to do this, including using archive utilities like 7-Zip to extract the ISO contents to a folder then zipping them separately. For this guide, we're just going to mount the ISO and then zip the contents directly.

1. Double click on the ISO. Windows will automatically mount it as a drive.
2. Highlight all the files in the mounted ISO and right-click on one of the items. On the context menu, select "Send to," then "Compressed (zipped) folder." 
   
   
   
   
3. Select "Yes" when you are prompted to place the Compressed Folder on the desktop. 
4. Windows will create a new Zip file on the desktop that contains all the files from the ISO. It's recommended to rename the zip file to something more identifiable like "Windows11Media." 

Create the Package

We will now create the custom package that will upgrade a device to Windows 11 using the zip file we just created.

1. In PDQ Connect, go to Packages > Create Package. 
2. On the Properties tab, give the package a name like "Windows 11 Upgrade."
3. In the Timeout field, set a generous duration like 180 minutes. 
4. Click the step selection error and click "Add Script Step"
5. Click "Upload files" and then upload the Zip file we created in the last section. This will take some time.
6. Once complete, copy and paste the command below into the script pane.

   .\setup.exe /auto Upgrade /migratedrivers all /ShowOOBE none /Telemetry Disable /dynamicupdate disable /eula accept /quiet /noreboot /compat ignorewarning /copylogs C:\Temp\Logs\WinSetup.log

7. Save the package.

You have now created a custom package that will upgrade a Windows 10 machine to the latest version of Windows 11. The completed package should look like the following: 

Package Explanation

• Once the package is deployed and the zip file attachment has finished downloading, PDQ Connect will automatically unzip the archive and run setup.exe with the specified parameters.
• The command above uses the recommended parameters suitable for most organizations, but we suggest reviewing each parameter and tailoring it as needed. 
• To learn about each parameter as well as others not included in the supplied command, see Microsoft's article Windows Setup Command-Line Options.

Handling Reboots

We have included the /noreboot switch to avoid rebooting the machine immediately after the deployment. This requires you to reboot the machine at a later time to complete the installation. Make sure not to reboot the machine until the deployment shows "Complete" for its status.

For after-hours deployments, we recommend removing the /noreboot parameter to allow the setup to immediately reboot and complete the upgrade. When using this method, be mindful that running this package on offline devices will queue the package to run the next time the machine is powered on. 

Additional Resources

If you prefer a video guide, we cover some alternative methods of using PDQ Connect to update your systems to Windows 11 on our PDQ Live! channel.

Upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 with PDQ Connect