220-1102 Question 71
Single answerIn-place upgradeA small business has several PCs running Windows 10 Pro that need to be moved to Windows 11 Pro without wiping user profiles, installed applications, or domain membership. One of the PCs is a supported model with a TPM 2.0 chip, Secure Boot enabled, and enough free disk space. The technician wants the least disruptive method that preserves the existing environment. Which action should the technician take?
- A
Perform an in-place upgrade by launching Windows 11 Setup from within the existing Windows 10 installation
- B
Boot from Windows 11 installation media and delete the system partition before installing
- C
Use a clean installation and then restore only the users' documents from backup
- D
Install Windows 11 in a separate partition and migrate user profiles manually afterward
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to perform an in-place upgrade from within the running Windows 10 installation. In A+ Core 2 terms, an in-place upgrade is used when the technician wants to retain applications, user settings, and data while moving to a newer supported version of Windows. This differs from a clean installation, which removes the existing OS environment and requires reinstallation or migration steps afterward. Microsoft deployment guidance for supported upgrade paths emphasizes running Setup from the existing Windows environment for feature upgrades and edition/version transitions that support keeping files and apps. Before starting, best practice is to confirm hardware compatibility for Windows 11, verify backup status, ensure sufficient free storage, and check requirements such as TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.
- A. Correct.
Correct. An in-place upgrade is specifically designed to move from a supported existing Windows installation to a newer version while keeping user accounts, installed applications, settings, and domain membership intact. Launching Setup from within the current Windows session is the standard approach when the goal is minimal disruption and preservation of the current environment.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Booting from installation media and deleting the system partition results in a clean installation, not an in-place upgrade. This removes applications, user profiles, and configuration unless they are restored separately. Someone might choose this option because bootable media is commonly used for OS deployment, but it does not meet the requirement to preserve the existing environment.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A clean installation followed by restoring documents preserves data files only, not installed applications, most settings, or the joined-state to a domain in the same seamless way as an in-place upgrade. This is a common misconception when technicians focus only on file preservation rather than full environment preservation.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Installing to a separate partition creates a side-by-side installation rather than an in-place upgrade. This adds complexity and requires manual migration of profiles and applications. A technician might consider this to avoid altering the current installation immediately, but it does not provide the least disruptive path and does not preserve the existing environment automatically.