Not long ago, user X (ex-Twitter) @NTDEV_ released tiny10 version 23H2, which gives users a clean and lightweight makeover of Windows 10. tiny11 23H2 followed shortly after. While there’s no shame in using Windows 10, most users will upgrade to Windows 11, or whatever comes after, sooner or later.

What if you want to try tiny11 but don’t want to do a clean install? The good news is that you can upgrade from tiny10 to tiny11 without losing your apps, settings, and files, even if your computer’s hardware isn’t eligible to officially run Windows 11. Here’s how.

@NTDEV_ posted a short YouTube video detailing the upgrade process. Although it’s a bit more technical and complicated than how you upgrade “vanilla” Windows 10, it’s not rocket science and doesn’t require too many skills or knowledge. After all, you have to be prepared to do some tinkering when using modified Windows images. If it’s not for you, go for a clean install or Windows 11 unchanged.

The most unusual part of the upgrade is changing some registry entries to resolve a SKU conflict. tiny10 is based on Windows 10 LTSC, while tiny11 is Windows 11 Pro. Note, however, that changing SKU-related registry entries will result in Windows 11 will ask you to activate it with a matching SKU key. tiny10 and tiny11 are not activated, meaning you must provide your activation keys elsewhere. As a reminder, Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 keys can still run a corresponding Windows 11 edition (Pro – Pro and Home – Home).

As a reminder, you should always consider potential risks and privacy issues when modifying Windows images or using prebuilt configurations. Also, backup important data and files before proceeding. If you don’t trust third-party enthusiasts and their creations, stick with the original Windows 10 and 11 images, but also be prepared to blow them up manually or deal with their stock configurations.