Windows 10: Unable to Install Anniversary Update - Keeps failing

I am unable to install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, keeps failing after second restart (at around 75%).

Machine is a relatively recent custom build, a little over 12 months old: Gigabyte B85M-HD3 (rev 2) mobo, i5-4460 CPU, Geforce GT 740 2GB GPU, 8GB RAM, Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SSD. Been running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (1511) with no problems. sfc /scannow gives a clean bill of health. No apparent issues with drivers, Device Manager shows all good.

Tried installing via Windows Update and also via the downloaded Windows 10 Upgrade executable... same result. Everything goes well up until the second restart and then the start screen just hangs with the little circle of dots twiddling around indefinitely - up to 8 hours - and no hard drive activity whatsoever.

The only USB devices connected are my keyboard and mouse. I've tried installing in Clean Boot mode with all startup items and non-Microsoft services disabled... no difference. Tried increasing the size of the System Reserved partition from 350MB to 500MB... no difference. Tried installing while disconnected from the internet... no difference.

Downloaded the Windows 10 1607 ISO (which includes the Anniversary Update) and tried an upgrade install in Clean Boot mode, both with and without internet connection - installation froze at exactly the same place, after the second restart. Received the following error message upon recovering to previous version:






No idea where to go from here. Clean install is definitely a last resort. I have 5 or 6 paid for programs installed that I don't want to lose and which may or may not re-activate. Any assistance would be most welcome.

:)

 

Unable to Install Anniversary Update - Keeps Failing

So what you are essentially saying is... it's just too difficult, stick it in the too hard basket and start over?

Thanks Greg but, as per my original post... "Clean install is definitely a last resort. I have 5 or 6 paid for programs installed that I don't want to lose and which may or may not re-activate."

If I wanted to clean install, I could have easily done that by now.

 

Unable to Install Anniversary Update - Keeps Failing

Perfect time to do a
Clean Install Windows 10.

Stick with the steps in the link and you'll have the best install possible.

All modern software should provide you with a way to reinstall as these are not disposable but expected to be reinstalled repeatedly, or people would not buy them.

Otherwise try optimizing the install with these same steps for
Overcoming Windows 10 Upgrade Failures which worked for everyone who completed them all for the original Upgrade.

 

I had the same problem and contacted Microsoft support with error code. Even though my machine has run Win 10 for months with no problem they now tell me the error code is one they will not address and is machine dependent. They said if I purchased Win 10 they would refund my purchase as my machine will never be able to run Win 10. Glad I had an image of my Win 7 install. Rolled it back and all is OK now.

It seems starnge that a machine that has had no problems running Win 10 suddenly becomes unsupported on a new update. Great job Microsoft!

 

Use this one, if it says no component store corruption, you can move on:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

Have you tried any of those (in this order)?

fsutil usn deletejournal /d /n c:
chkdsk /scan
net stop winmgmt /y
winmgmt /salvagerepository
taskkill /im TiWorker.exe /f
net stop wuauserv /y
rmdir "%systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download" /s /q
del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr0.dat"
del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr1.dat"
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
cleanmgr /sageset:65535 & cleanmgr /sagerun:65535

 

Precisely! I also contacted MS support and allowed them remote access. The MS tech support guy ran a batch file, after which he informed me that the BITS service was not working properly. He attacked the problem like a bull at a gate, downloaded a Windows 10 (1511) ISO and proceeded to perform a repair install. Only problem was, he didn't perform the repair install in Clean Boot mode, which meant all of my security software was still enabled and running. As a result, I ended up with a completely hosed operating system and had to restore an image backup.

More of a hindrance than a help!

 

The Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth command doesn't work with a system that has been upgraded via Windows Updates.. This one was upgraded from Windows 8.1 to 10.

Not sure what all those other commands do but I have deleted the contents of the "Software Distribution" folder plus disabled the Windows Update service. Can you please clarify what each of those commands does.

TIA.