What is the quality of upgrade I can expect from an in place upgrade?

Thornton said:

I dont keep anything older than a few months at a time and even if I did, anything that old, I might as well just start from scratch. So much of my software configurations would be gone anyway, might as well just go by what I need as I need it and cough up the few hundred bucks and look for some new tools where my old ones are goners.

Yeah, none of my images are more than a couple of months old.

Yeah again.....when I clean install, I don't immediately re-install all apps. I reinstall on an "as-needed" basis and typically try to update to the most recent version. Many of my most used apps have not been updated in years.

Good luck.

Most of the steps combined in the prior post can be performed in < 1 hour.

These steps / tests can be performed overnight:
a) HD Tune full error scan
b) Sea Tools for Windows long generic test

Do you have read this guide? Windows 2020 have more than 10 problems, and more than 100 problems. Many more than ever.
There's an ostensible sense of obligation to install a clean version. Is in the air of the guide. But, seriously, this is the best way to present the star product of Microsoft? My PC declares paused for undefined time the upgrade. Sorry, there's will be another way to proceed. Microsoft has shoot at their own shoe.
Windows 10 May 2020 Update common problems — and the fixes | Windows Central

Thornton said:

... I am a firm believer that a fresh install is the best and cleanest way to go, and typically I like to do a clean install once a year... I’ve gone about 2 and a half years now without a clean install but my problem is, I have some apps that were discontinued ...

...do you feel an in place upgrade might make any difference at all...?

My System One in my specs below has some apps that cannot be reinstalled. It took the free upgrade from Win7 to Win10 in August 2015 and has had an in-place upgrade to each new version since then, it's now on 2004.

Each in-place upgrade seems to have done a good job of tidying up errant registry settings. In fact I once broke Windows Spotlight by over-enthusiastic editing of the registry. An in-place repair install of the same version fixed that for me.

No, I don't see any evidence that routinely doing a clean install has any benefit.

Bree said:

My System One in my specs below has some apps that cannot be reinstalled. It took the free upgrade from Win7 to Win10 in August 2015 and has had an in-place upgrade to each new version since then, it's now on 2004.

Each in-place upgrade seems to have done a good job of tidying up errant registry settings. In fact I once broke Windows Spotlight by over-enthusiastic editing of the registry. An in-place repair install of the same version fixed that for me.

No, I don't see any evidence that routinely doing a clean install has any benefit.

Thanks for the weigh in. I really appreciate it!

I have never done a clean install other than on a new build, everything that was working in Win7 on my oldest PC an old Phenom II 1090T setup works in TRS19 including 2004. I religiously backup my system drive on all three PCs on a weekly basis using Macrium and the only time I have ever need to restore was on boot drive replacements / upgrades to SSD. That said I may be lucky and I do clean out the crap regularly and bin most of the "new" stuff Microsoft seems to think I want! Of course one size doesn't necessarily fit all.
Having a re-storable image is a must, even if you never use it.