upgrade to upgrade to 2004 from 1909

dalchina said:

Upgrading using an iso/boot disk has some advantages.
a. Removes the problem of issues with Windows update.
b. You have the iso file for a 2nd/3rd/4th attempt should it fail - nothing more to download before retrying.
c. You can use it subsequently (esp. boot disk) for some repair/maintenance actions

If you haven't been offered 2004 by Windows Update and WU is working then you will still probably not be able to use the iso to upgrade- I believe it may be that if a block is applied by MS, that will apply equally to an attempt to upgrade using na iso file.

I've no personal evidence of this, just something I read. And I don't know it that depends on being on line at the time.

(With earlier builds, using an iso file bypassed such checks).

* there is no data loss in any case.

Thanks. 2004 has been available to me through Windows Update for quite a while now but because of all the previously known problems Ive stuck with 1909. The reasons you stated are exactly the reasons why Im considering doing all future Feature Upgrades with the in place upgrade method instead of Windows Updates. Having two internal drives on my PC and the possibility that because of this there might be potential problems with the in place upgrade method such as having to do reinstallations of APPs on other drive if links to the Apps/Games are broken after an in place upgrade/repair has always been a bit of a concern for me

because of APPs on other drive being affected has always been a bit of a concern for me

That's an unknown to me where UWP apps have been relocated.

If you choose when installing a tradition 'desktop' program (exe/dll) to install that to e.g. D: then that is not affected by upgrades.

I don't know exactly what you have installed on another drive or how you did it. A basic difference is the two paradigms used by MS- UWP apps (like Groove, Photos etc from the Store) and older style desktop programs- downloaded and installed from all manner of places.

If you mean the former, as you say apps, have you perhaps used this?
Move Apps to another Drive in Windows 10

Perhaps you could explain what you've done?

dalchina said:

I don't know exactly what you have installed on another drive or how you did it. A basic difference is the two paradigms used by MS- UWP apps (like Groove, Photos etc from the Store) and older style desktop programs- downloaded and installed from all manner of places.

If you mean the former, as you say apps, have you perhaps used this?
Move Apps to another Drive in Windows 10

Perhaps you could explain what you've done?

Hi mate. I try to keep things simple to avoid problems so I leave things as Windows sets them up. All my Windows store Apps are where Windows installs them. I haven't moved anything that Windows installs.
The Apps Im referring too that I install to my D: drive are desktop type programmes, games etc. A few examples for you..I sometimes put Malwarebytes (free version) on drive D:, Libreoffice and Steam for games installations.

Ive noticed on the Microsoft support website that they show what appears to be the exact same method as shown in the Repair install Windows 10 with an in place upgrade tutorial on Tenforums.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4000735
Its listed on there as Reinstall Windows 10 using installation media. It has a column "What happens to data stored in other folders or drives" and it says its Preserved.
Strangely it says....We recommend that you first try to "Reset Windows 10," then, if needed, "Reinstall Windows 10 using installation media," and then, if needed, try a "Clean install of Windows 10 using installation media." If someone was having a problem with their PC though I dont really know why they recommend doing things in that order?
I would have thought you would first try the Reinstall Windows 10 using installation media method, followed by Reset Windows 10 and finally Clean install of Windows 10 using installation media.

Agreed, order seems strange.

The only benefits I can think of of installing (non-portable) programs to a different drive or partition (given many related folders, registry keys etc are likely to be created on C: ) is if you know the prog will use a lot of space on C: and for whatever reason you are short of that, and that the architecture of the particular program is such that a large part of it will end up on (say) D: rather than C:

This is completely program dependent and a matter of experiment.

I confirmed way back there's no ill effect in doing that.