Windows 11 Upgrade Not Working? Try My 4 Favorite Troubleshooting Tricks

1 month ago

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When Windows decides that it isn't willing successful completing an upgrade, it tin beryllium maddeningly unhelpful, spitting retired correction codes and cryptic messages that tin time off moreover experts scratching their heads.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - 2 free options

That tin hap pinch a regular Windows 11 characteristic update, but it's particularly frustrating erstwhile you're trying to instal Windows 11 connected an older PC.

Over nan years, I've had a batch of believe pinch this benignant of thing, including hundreds of email sessions pinch readers trying to fig retired why their upgrade isn't working. The troubleshooting process tin sometimes beryllium tedious, but there's usually an answer.

1. Check for missing updates, particularly firmware

I've heard from respective readers who encountered issues pinch upgrading that were resolved aft they tracked down immoderate important driver and firmware/BIOS updates.

Also: Microsoft said these 400 readers couldn't upgrade to Windows 11. They did it anyway

That's an particularly useful portion of proposal if you're moving pinch an older PC. Those firmware and BIOS updates tin often resoluteness each sorts of problems -- large and small.

2. Look up known issues

It's ever a bully thought to do this before you commencement nan upgrade. But if you forgot that step, nan second-best clip is erstwhile you tally into an correction connection while upgrading.

Microsoft keeps a database of known issues for each awesome update astatine its Windows merchandise accusation dashboard. Expand each introduction connected nan near to spot nan database of known and resolved issues for supported releases of Windows.

Also: Windows 10 PC can't beryllium upgraded? You person 5 options - and must enactment now

Known issues are astir apt to look successful nan first fewer months aft nan merchandise of a caller characteristic update. Incompatibilities pinch package and hardware tin lead Microsoft to enforce impermanent compatibility blocks (known arsenic "safeguard holds") for systems pinch those peculiar configurations.

You mightiness beryllium capable to bypass 1 of these blocks by updating aliases uninstalling an incompatible program, aliases you mightiness want to defer that update until nan blocking rumor is resolved. You'll find an fantabulous chat of nan issues progressive pinch safeguard holds on this page. Although it's nominally astir 1 circumstantial safeguard hold, nan 4 alternatives it describes are universal.

3. Try again!

This is dangerously adjacent to "Have you tried rebooting?" But this instrumentality has worked truthful galore times that it can't beryllium ignored.

First, cheque Windows Update for your presently installed type of Windows. If immoderate updates are pending, instal them and restart earlier continuing.

Also: How to get free Windows 10 information updates done October 2026: Two ways

Next, temporarily uninstall immoderate unneeded package that could beryllium getting successful nan way. Pay typical attraction to low-level strategy devices specified arsenic antivirus software, disk guidance tools, and truthful on. In nan lawsuit of antivirus software, you mightiness request to download a instrumentality from nan developer to wholly region nan program.

Disconnect each non-essential peripheral devices, particularly outer difficult drives and USB flash drives that you're not utilizing to tally Setup.

After doing each that, restart your PC and effort to upgrade again. On nan opening page, click "Change really Setup downloads updates,' past click "Not correct now."

If that doesn't get things moving, it's clip to break retired nan large guns.

4. Use nan SetupDiag instrumentality to way down an error

Windows creates elaborate log files each clip it attempts an upgrade. Those logs aren't designed to beryllium decoded by specified mortals, which is why Microsoft created a diagnostic inferior to do that occupation for you.

Also: Windows 10 support officially ends - and millions of PCs autumn disconnected nan 'security cliff'

SetupDiag locates and inspects those log files, past uses a group of rules to create a readable study flagging nan astir apt origin of nan failure. You'll request to tally a fewer commands from a terminal model to get that report, but nan process isn't difficult and nan results are worthy nan effort. Here's really to usage it.

Download nan programme from here: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=870142.
Create a files called C:\SetupDiag and transcript nan SetupDiag.exe programme you conscionable downloaded to that folder.
Next, unfastened an elevated bid punctual window. Click Start, type cmd, and past click Run As Administrator. In that bid punctual window, type cd c:\setupdiag and property Enter to move to nan files you conscionable created
Run nan command SetupDiag.exe /Output:C:\SetupDiag\Results.log. The output of that bid is simply a plain matter record that is saved successful nan aforesaid files arsenic nan programme file. As its last step, nan app opens nan results record successful Notepad, allowing you to analyse its output and fig retired what to do next.

Don't expect plain-English advice, but nan results, particularly immoderate correction codes, should beryllium useful input for immoderate searches to place others who've had nan aforesaid issue.

Here's a sample from a SetupDiag log a scholar precocious sent me.

The past point connected that page typically identifies nan error. In this case, it's an "abrupt down-level failure," which intends thing went incorrect successful nan root OS, earlier Setup moreover sewage to nan target OS. The correction code, 0xC1900209, is listed successful this elaborate support document: "The personification has chosen to cancel because nan strategy does not walk nan compat scan to instal nan update."

The hole was to show Setup not to download updates and drivers; aft making that change, nan upgrade completed without error. Once Windows 11 was installed, nan required updates installed without issue.

You'll find afloat instructions for utilizing SetupDiag on this page.