Help! Windows 10 Won’t Install

I’ve heard from a some of you that your Windows 10 upgrade downloaded and then disappeared and you just couldn’t get it to install. Some of you reported an installation error, the most common being an 80240020 error.

The same thing happened to me while I was updating my Surface. The update was without a hitch on my larger laptop, but stubbornly refused to install on my Surface. Here’s how I fixed it.

Go to File Explorer on your PC. Click the icon that looks like a file.

file-explorer

Then choose the local disc where your operating system is installed (most likely C ) in the left column, and Windows in the right column.

local-program-explorer-windows

Go To Software Distribution.

software-distribution

Then choose download.

software-distribution-download

Highlight everything in that folder and hit Delete.

software-distribution-download-delete

Snow search for Command Prompt and right-click on the result.

command-prompt

Choose run as admin from the menu that opens.

command-prompt-run-admin

You may get a warning asking if you want to allow the program to make changes to the computer, which, of course, you do. So, click Yes. Then the Command Prompt window will open.

command-prompt-update

Type in wuauclt.exe /updatenow exactly as written. Notice that there is a space after exe and before the slash. That space has to be there for it to work.  Hit enter.

Windows 10 should immediately start downloading again. Hopefully your installation will go better the second time around.

~ Cynthia

 

0 thoughts on “Help! Windows 10 Won’t Install

  1. You no doubt covered this topic elsewhere so please point me to the info on the WS site. This is what I need to know.
    Windows 10 is ready to install on my pc, however I have delayed for this reason. Once installed, I won’t have access to Media Center any longer, and I am in the process of ripping music CDs. I’m told I can download iTunes, however wouldn’t that mean I would then have 2 different formats for playing music? I assume that would be a problem. Does it matter? Will ripping CDs with iTunes or other app be as easy as with Media Center?

    I will be transferring this music to a device such as an iPod as well as a future smart phone. Plus I anticipate storing music on flash drives.

    Appreciate your help.

    What

    1. Media Center is missing. However, you will still have media player – Media player allows you to rip music. Media center allowed you to watch Live TV and play DVDs.

  2. I tried this and it still doesn’t work. I have 17 times that it try to install. I get all kind of errors here is the last three 80240020,80244024,80246007 is there anyway that I can delete this as I only have 500mg a day? All the trouble I have had I don’t need it to keep trying to install it

  3. Thank you a million times over! I was trying just about everything, and was almost at the point of giving up. This worked perfectly!

  4. One problem I had with updating was that my laptop didn’t have enough HD space to do the upgrade…it needed at least 9GB free (I believe to make a backup). When I tried to use the internal flash drive (32GB), it would not work, I had to use a USB external hard drive, and then it worked. If you have little HD space and it asks for another drive, make sure it is not the flash memory, but a USB HD.

  5. I followed your instructions exactly on my wife’s Surface. I typed
    wuauclt.exe /updatenow
    just as you wrote. My command window looked identical to yours. But when I hit the enter key, nothing happened. I then clicked the windows button on the dock, which is supposed to download and install Windows 10. Again, nothing happened. Any suggestions?

    1. Make sure you get that space in there after exe. Do make sure you have all of your updates in place first. You may need to turn off your security before attempting an update. If none of that works, consider calling Microsoft support.

      1. I was very careful to include the space. My wife’s computer has AVG security and the JAWS screen reader. We’re uninstalling JAWS, just in case that is the problem. Then we’ll turn off AVG and try again. MS Support will be the next option after that.

  6. Ok after my last post , that was the simple issue for me , the installer was blocking the download status screen , now it restarted and it says preparing for windows 10 .

  7. My issue is that the download got stuck at 68%. I left it run all night hoping that it would finish by morning but no luck. Do you have any suggestions?

    Thank you.

  8. Didn’t work for me either… Starting to think I’m going to have to format the hard drive and start over…. 🙁

  9. It is giving the error: You will need to activate Windows before upgrading.
    How can i solve that coz i dnt have the activation key for my win 7.

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