Windows 10: Win 10 build 10240 to Threshold 2 update problem on 16G tablet

I have a tablet with a 16G C drive. It is running Win 10 build 10240. Attempting to install the November Threshold 2 update. The update fails due to lack of space on the C drive. Even if I uninstall all programs on the C drive and delete everything possible, there still isn't enough space to do the install. I've attached an external drive and that's fine, but the update still says I need 5G of available space on drive C. The problem is that the Windows folder is about 11G in size. I have used Disk Cleanup and all the DISM commands, etc to reduce the size of the WinSxS folder...all to no avail! I'm a pretty cognoscente user and have tried to shrink and delete as much space as possible but it appears that the size of the Windows folder in build 10240 along with the ever expanding WinSxS folder prevents these small tablets to ever be updated in the future. Anyone know what to do? Am I stuck on build 10240 forever? Thanks

:)

 

10565 Activate older key

Build 10565 can be activated with the Product key for Windows 8 as long as it matches the edition of Windows 10 Build 10565 that you install. The current stable insider build is 10240. Slow ring insiders are still on 10240. Only fast ring insiders are
on 10565.

I suggest that you wait a couple of weeks before installing the SSD. Threshold 2 is expected to release to the general public in early November (Nov. 2 is the rumor). Threshold 2 is the next stable build and an .iso should immediately be available upon
public release. Threshold 2 will be the first stable build that includes the update to the activation procedures you are asking about.

 

Moving a Windows 10 virtualbox guest pc to a new host. Any issues?

If this is build 10240 it will see this as a new computer and not activate. If this is build 10586 (threshold 2) you will simply be able to put your previous win 7 key in to activate.

Download Windows 10

 

You will need a secondary drive - USB or SD Card attached...

because when you update windows - windows needs a place to put the 11GB windows.old folder...

But being a 16GB SSD - I would also assume that your OS is running in Compact Mode (WimBoot)

 

That's not the issue. I have a drive (E) attached for the .old folder, etc. The update still needs 5G on drive C as well, to work, and there is no way that I have found to shrink the Windows folder any further......and the operative words are..."I have found no way"

 

I had a similar problem (but I have 22GB C drive so not so critical). Connecting an external drive did not help. It was recognized but Windows still said I needed 7.8GB.

You could try these if you haven't already:

• uninstall all modern apps (this is 800mb). You need to uninstall for all users so they are deleted from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps. Alternatively you could just clear this directory as they are added back after upgrade but uninstall first to clear out their data from %localappdata%
• disable page file
• disable hibernation
• run compact /compactos:always
• run compact /c /s /a /f /q /i /exe:lzx in "C:\Program Files", "C:\Program Files (x86)", Assembly, Installer and InfusedApps directories under C:\Windows
• uninstall any duplicate drivers (I had 2 Intel HD4000 drivers at 300MB+ each, removed both with pnputil)
• delete all your user files.
• run ccleaner and temp file cleaner
• clear C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Downloads
• run defrag /c /h /o
• Run windirstat to see if there is anything large remaining. Treesize is useless if you use non NTFS compression.

It did allow the upgrade in the end (and I hadn't deleted the 7.8GB it initially wanted I'm sure).

 

Thanks, that is a very comprehensive list of suggestions. However, I have done almost all of the steps you've listed...except uninstalling the apps. Even if I deleted virtually all my installed apps (most were installed on the D drive anyway, except for the ones that would only install on C), it may leave just barely enough room to get to the 5G needed for the install...but then where would I be.....an operating system running on a tablet, with hardly any apps on it....an anchor! The problem with apparently no answer is WinSxS!

It seems that even though Win 10 will install and run on the small little 16G tablets, they can not be updated over a period of time as the Windows and WinSxS folder continue to grow out of bounds. Thus leaving a 16G C drive device fairly useless for any useful purpose. The only option (it appears), is to do a fresh reformat and install, with every new Win 10 upgrade down the line, thus starting with a small WinSxS each time, instead of one that balloons with every program install and software upgrade.

Any other ideas, greatly accepted....thanks all!

 

I must admit I thought that if you did manage to get it to upgrade your WinSxS will be the same size as if you had done a clean install. i.e. it is replaced by the version in the 10586 .wim and the old one goes to Windows.old which you then delete.

That was my understanding of the process anyway - I could be wrong.

You've already mentioned fresh install which was my only other thought. Perhaps someone else will think of something.

 

try to run the update from the ISO image written to USB by running setup.exe..
thus also removing the installer files off the drive as well..

 

When I upgraded from Win8.1 to Win10 on my Dell Venue 8 Tablet I got a warning about disk space which also included something about a different drive so I added a 32GB MicroSD card. Worked fine, then I got a deal on a 64GB MicroSD card and it works. Got my eye out for a deal on a 128GB card to upgrade again, like maybe half price. Who knows, that may not be far off so will have to watch the holiday sales.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. The WinSxS is not replaced during an upgrade, it is always added to and expands with every OS patch, upgrade or software upgrade....it is ever expanding (to my understanding anyway???)! That just gave me a thought, which I haven't looked at yet....so don't think me lame....is it possible to boot off an SD card in a tablet....format it, load the OS and using partition magic or computer management, change the embedded C: to D: and thus D: to C: and have the tablet boot? I doubt it....but does anyone know if that could possibly work...or is the boot drive always fixed in a tablet?

 

Most SD Cards are not bootable

 

And too slow for the OS to run from. BUT.... this is interesting. Most of the time there is a partition (usually 100mb to 500mb in size) that is "reserved" for the boot files. Then there is the partition for the operating system. Most SD Cards in computers/tablets require operating system drivers in order to be recognized so even if you copy the OS to the SD Card, it probably could not be run from the SD Card because it would not be recognized until the OS loaded.

BUT, if you wanted to try. Copy the OS partition only to the SD Card. Do not copy the system reserved partition. Then add a second boot entry to the BCD store located on the small reserved partition pointing to the OS copied to the SD Card. (I would recommend EasyBCD for that). Basically, you will have dual boot setup with first option to the OS on the "hard drive" of the tablet, and second option to the OS on the SD Card.

 

That's what I figured...just thought I'd inquire.....shucks, would have been a nice thing to engineer....

 

Right. Never given a choice to inssall the OS to it. But certainly great for the purpose of storage as required.