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What's the Reg Edit navigation to change these options?

Bit embarrassed I need to ask, I'm a computer enthusiast and just have a 15 year habit of installing clean windows on separate partition and re-install anytime I want for that new computer feeling. That's fine for my 4 family-use PC's.

My laptop however runs Windows 11 and I have a extensive software that I dont want to re-install, and so occasionally i re-install Windows and choose "keep personal files and apps" although this time that option is not selectable.

I have done this twice with this laptop with Windows 11. I have tried running from 'setup' and booting directly from a bootable drive.

Can someone help with the reg edit navigation so I can fix, or advise me what else I may need to do?

Cheers,

enter image description here

CaptainMacro
  • 61

3 Answers3

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The screen shot in the question contains the following text at the bottom:

Your files apps and settings can't be kept because you've chosen to install Windows 11 using a different language than you're currently using.

I initially had the same message appear when attempt to upgrade from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11.

It is down to the language used for the original Windows installation not matching that of the Windows 11 installer.

The first time ran the Windows 11 MediaCreationTool_Win11_23H2.exe selected Language : English (United Kingdom) as the language to download the installer ISO file for. That matched the local language.

On attempting to run the Windows 11 installer created for the English (United Kingdom) Language got the same issue in that the Keep personal files and apps option was grayed out.

The following in the Windows 10 Pro installation reports that the Default system UI language and System locale are both en-US which is English (United States):

C:\WINDOWS\system32>DISM /online /get-intl

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.3636


Image Version: 10.0.19045.4529


Reporting online international settings.


Default system UI language : en-US
System locale : en-US
Default time zone : GMT Standard Time
Active keyboard(s) : 0809:00000809, 0409:00000809
Keyboard layered driver : PC/AT Enhanced Keyboard (101/102-Key)


Installed language(s): en-GB
  Type : Partially localized language, MUI type.
  Fallback Languages en-US
Installed language(s): en-US
  Type : Fully localized language.


The operation completed successfully.

Re-ran the Windows 11 MediaCreationTool_Win11_23H2.exe and this time selected Language : English (United States). Running the Windows 11 installer created for the English (United States) Language. This time the Keep personal files and apps option was available:

enter image description here

Chester Gillon
  • 1,573
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"keep personal files and apps" although this time that option is not selectable.

It means that the Windows installation has changed enough from what is there the Windows cannot create Windows.old properly.

I have had this happen once or twice.

Version changes, original system damaged, things like that. Windows 10 /11 needs to be in good enough condition for "Keep Everything" to work.

You cannot do anything except back up first and then install as it is requiring.

Most of the time, just not all of the time Windows Reset will keep everything.

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Chester Gillon has already given the only answer, which is also seen in small letters in the screenshot.
There is no Registry Edit that can change the already used language in Full/Complete installation.
Use the command in Command Prompt "DISM /online /Get-Intl" - you see what is the language used for this current installation. If it is "Default system UI language : en-US" then you can use US .ISO "Win11_24H2_English_x64.iso" and all Settings and Apps will be preserved.
If the answer is "Default system UI language : en-UK" then you have got to use United Kingdom English, the Official .ISO name is "Win11_24H2_EnglishInternational_x64.iso"

Victor Ivanov
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