Secure: You can't keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps

Milano has been warm nigh PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take worry in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Read more

Updated:

Posted: July 2020

  • If you get the error: You can't keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps, that means you volition mislay your data when upgrading the Osmium.
  • This can be caused by a trivial trouble ilk the language settings of your system.
  • Debased or problematic drivers can also bring about this issue so form careful you update them.

What to do if you can't keep Windows settings personal files and apps

When upgrading to Windows 10, in most cases, you'll have the option to save your personal files and apps and impress them as well.

Unfortunately, some users reported the wrongdoing message: You stool't keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps while performing a Windows 10 upgrade.

This can forestall you from preserving your files while upgrading to a new version of Windows soh it's time to take up action.

What are the variations of this erroneousness?

This rear cost a big job, and our readers also reported the following variations:

  • Hold open personal files and apps colourless out – Many users said that the alternative to livelihood their personal files and apps is injured while upgrading to a other version of Windows 10. This can be a sobering inconvenience, but you should be able to pickle it using unity of our solutions.
  • You can't restrain Windows settings personal files and apps because your current translation, unbraced directory, different spoken communication – There are many reasons that hind end preclude you from upgrading to a new rendering of Windows. In most cases, they're related to your system language or locale.
  • You can't keep Windows settings registry – This error can appear if you interchange the location of your Program Files or user accounting directory. However, you can fix this problem by making a couple of changes in your register.

These can turn into a large problem, but there are some shipway to fix them. Check them out below.

How can I fix Windows settings, personal files, and apps error?

1. Check your system language

  1. Click the Start button, type cmd, and select Discharge as administrator to tend Command Prompt with full privileges.
  2. When Command Actuate starts, enter the shadowing command and closet Enter: DISM /online /get-intl
  3. You should see your operating system language in the Default on system UI linguistic process section.
  4. Insert Windows 10 DVD or a bootable USB force and boot your computer from it.
  5. Take the Reanimate option.
  6. Select Troubleshoot.
  7. Click connected Advanced options.
  8. Select Command Prompt.
  9. When Dictation Prompt starts, enter the chase and press Enter to run it: DISM /image:C: /set-uilang:nut-US
  10. This wish set your organization language to nut-US and you'll be healthy to keep your files when you acclivity to Windows 10. If en-US doesn't work, you might cause to set your language, so it matches the language from the Windows 10 ISO.

You might generate the You can't keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps message if your organisation language doesn't cope with the language on Windows 10 ISO. To change the system nomenclature, coiffe atomic number 3 described above.

If you're having trouble accessing Control Inspire A an admin, past you better study a closer view our guide how to fix Prompt.

2. Update your drivers

  1. Right-click theWindows release and qualityDevice Managing director from the list.
  2. Expand theExpose adapters section, then right-mouse click the driver and selectUpdate driver.
  3. ChooseSearch automatically for drivers.
  4. If the system detects a new one, information technology will install it and you will be prompted for a re-start. If it doesn't, click onSearch for updated drivers on Windows Update.
  5. You volition be redirected to Windows Update. Flick on theDeterrent for updates push button.
  6. If the system doesn't see spic-and-span updates, click onThough optional updates.
  7. Expand theDriver updates section and check if in that location are any updates related to your graphics circuit card, pawl their box, and hit theDownload and install button on a lower floor.

Drivers are a polar part of Windows, and without drivers, you won't be able-bodied to practice your ironware properly.

Public speaking of drivers, several users reported that the You rump't hold back Windows settings personal files and apps error was caused by obsolete drivers.

Accordant to them, their graphics card driver was kayoed of date, and that caused this trouble to appear. To fix the issue, update your graphics card driver to the latest version and check if this makes whatsoever difference.

If you find this answer excessively complex, be sure to check our guide how to update the art scorecard device driver.

Keep in mind that other drivers can also cause this trouble, so be sure that all your drivers are up up to now earlier you try to promote.

We strongly recommend using a dedicated driver updated tool like DriverFix to automatically download completely the superannuated drivers on your PC.

With this sort of tool, you will be safe from downloading and installing the wrong driver versions, which could seriously harm your organization.

Did you know that the majority of Windows 10 users consume outdated drivers? Be a step ahead and learn how to update your drivers.

3. Vary system locale from Contain Panel

  1. Open Control Panel and crack to Region.
  2. Go to the Administrative tab and click on Change system venue.
  3. Set Current organisation locale to English (Married States) and suction stop OK to save changes.
  4. Click Utilize and OK in the Region window.
  5. Re-start your computer and try to upgrade to Windows 10 once again.

You can't open Control Panel? Get a load at this step-by-step guide when Control Venire is not opening to find a solution.

4. Download the Windows 10 version that matches your arrangement language

You can't keep Windows settings, face-to-face files, and apps substance appears during Windows 10 setup when the language from your old operating system doesn't match the one on your Windows 10 ISO file.

We showed you how to commute your system language in order to install Windows 10, but what if you regard to restrain your current system linguistic process?

If you don't desire to switch your system language to US English, you seat simply download the Windows 10 ISO that uses the one language as your current OS.

To do that, scarce download the Media Creation Creature and pick out the desired lyric from the list of languages.

Having problems with the Windows Media Creation Tool? Don't concern, we've got you covered with this quick guide what to do if the Media Creation Tool is not working.

5. Remove problematical applications

If you pot't upgrade to the latest adaptation of Windows 10, the problem might glucinium a one-third-political party applications programme that is installed along your PC.

It seems that this job was caused by Java installation. To resolve it, it's advised to uninstall Coffee and try to perform the acclivity again.

It's worth mentioning that lawful uninstall might non live able to remove Java completely.

Sometimes certain leftover files and registry entries can still interfere with Windows causing this and many other problems to appear.

Expert Tip: Some PC issues are hard to fishing rig, especially when it comes to imperfect repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be part broken. We recommend instalmen Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and nam what the fault is.
Get through here to download and start repairing.

To restore the issue, information technology's advised to completely remove the hard application. There are several shipway to do that, but the simplest 1 is to apply a consecrated uninstaller.

These applications are especially studied to completely remove some diligence from your Microcomputer, so we encourage you to assay them retired.

That's why is strongly recommended to use a professional joyride like IObit Uninstaller that can too remove programs and clean their leftovers thoroughly it's highly recommended.

Once you remove the problematic application, the issue should be resolved. Donjon in mind that new applications can also cause this problem, so you'll ask to find these applications happening your own and remove them.

If you don't be intimate how to complete this procedure in Windows 10, take a look at this dedicated guide happening how to uninstall programs.

6. Polish of any extra not-English languages

If you can't hold up your files from the previous version of Windows, perchance you should try removing any other installed languages.

Subsequently you've removed all additional languages besides English, try installing Windows 10 again. This might not be the best result, just it works according to users, so you power wishing to try it out.

7. Remove your antivirus

Sometimes the principal cause for You can't keep Windows settings in the flesh files and apps error is your antivirus.

Straight though antivirus software is important, sometimes it can interfere with Windows and cause this job to appear.

To unsex the job, it's advised that you disable your antivirus completely. If the issue persists, you might exist able to solve it simply away uninstalling your antivirus software.

For the Norton users, we've got a dedicated guide on how to completely remove it from your PC . In that location's also a reclaimable guide for McAfee users .

If you're using whatever antivirus solution and you want to get rid of it, be sure to check out this amazing listing with the Best uninstaller software you potty use right at once.

If removing the antivirus solves the job, you power want to consider switching to a different antivirus in the subsequent. There are umteen nifty antivirus solutions that are offering advanced surety features and are too compatible with all versions of Windows 10.

8. Check your register

  1. Wardrobe Windows key + R and enter regedit. Press Enter or click Okey.
  2. In the left panel, navigate to the following key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
  3. In the the right way panel, locate ProgramFilesDir, Program FilesDir (x86), ProgramFilesPath, and ProgramW6432Dir. Check the information values for these string section. If you changed the position of the Program Files directory, the values should look like X:\Program Files. To fix that, open each of these string section and change the get letter to C.

According to users, you can sometimes encounter You can't keep Windows settings personalised files and apps message due to your registry settings.

Single users according that they changed the location of the Program Files directory, and that caused this military issue to appear. However, you can fix the problem by doing as delineated above.

Later on devising changes to your registry, try to upgrade your Windows again and bridle if the problem reappears.

Scan this handy draw if you can't edit Windows 10's Registry and find the fastest solutions to the issue.

9. Check the location of exploiter account directory

If you'rhenium trying to install a modern version of Windows, you power encounter the computer error: You can't hold out Windows settings individualized files and apps. This can appear if your user account directory is moved.

Spell installation a new version of Windows, your user account directory is needful ready to create a backup of your files.

If this directory is touched or missing, you won't glucinium able to upgrade and you'll encounter this problem.

However, you can fix the make out simply by flowing your user account directory to the C: Users folder on your PC. Afterward doing that, you should be healthy to upgrade without any problems.

10. Change your production key fruit or edition

  1. Open the Settings app. You can do that quickly past imperative Windows key + I.
  2. When the Settings app opens, go to the Arrangement incision.
  3. Navigate to About section in the carte du jour on the left. Now select Change product headstone or upgrade your edition of Windows.
  4. Click on Change product key.
  5. Today recruit the production key for the version of Windows you're upgrading to.

Sometimes, the error saying You can't keep Windows settings personal files and apps stool appear if you'Re difficult to switch to a different version of Windows.

Many users reported this problem while trying to shift from Home to Pro interlingual rendition of Windows. Since you lavatory't keep personal files and apps as they are greyed out, things shouldn't remain this way for too long.

Personal files and folders are rather probative, and if you're getting this error during installation, make sure that you try some of our solutions. Even more, run down this guide if Windows 10 doesn't let you accession your files.

As always, for extra questions and suggestions, do not hesitate to usance the comments subdivision below.