Robert wanted to know what would happen if he switched from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1. He writes. “If I upgrade to Windows 8.1 from Windows 7, will I lose any file folders or desktop icons.”
If you go from Windows 7 to 8.1, you’re going to lose anything that you haven’t backed up. Switching to Windows 8.1 would be a clean install, that means that it would wipe out everything on your PC. So you’d need to have any files you wanted save backed up externally and you’d have to reinstall any programs that aren’t a part of the Windows operating system. So, you’ll need those discs and product keys handy.
If you decided to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10 instead of installing Windows 8.1, your files should remain undisturbed and even your desktop icons should stay in place. At least my desktop icons were unaffected when I upgraded. Although some people report that they do move.
I think I’d go with the free upgrade to Windows 10. If you switch to 8.1, it’s going to cost you around $100 for the program. Plus there’s a bit of learning curve with 8.1 and the transition from 7 to 10 will probably be easier.
~ Cynthia
Excellent tip – a must know! Thanks much!
It’s a “learning curve”, not “learning curb”
I migrated a laptop running 8.1 to 10 with only minor problems. Apparently the Nvidia driver isn’t quite compatible. Thanks for your tips, they really help.