Windows 10 1709 (Fall Creators Update) failed update

Anonymous
2017-10-18T21:43:39+00:00

I checked for updates on my HP x2 612 laptop today and it started downloading the Fall Creators Update - Windows 10 1709.

It got through the download and finished the install and prompted me to reboot the computer.

The computer rebooted and is now stuck in an endless loop with the message "Windows could not complete the installation.  To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation" and an OK button.  Clicking the OK button just restarts the computer and brings back the message.

I am unable to boot into Safe Mode as I get a message that Windows cannot install in Safe Mode with an OK button that brings up the original message after a reboot.

The 2 year old laptop came with Windows 7 and was updated to Windows 10 1703.  The laptop does not have a restore partition.  There is no data on the laptop that needs to be recovered.  Clean machine without anti-virus software ever except Windows Defender and no HP software. 

Windows does not load, so it is limited what programs I can run.

I am able to get to a cmd prompt from the Troubleshooting area of the BIOS, but do not know how to roll back to the previous Windows build from there or if it is even possible.

Unless somebody has a workaround to either install the upgrade or roll it back to the previous build it looks as if this Windows update has bricked my laptop.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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Anonymous
2017-11-01T14:16:59+00:00

In my case there was insufficient space in the system partition and I had to delete language folders from the system partition to free up space.

I used the following fix from Microsoft (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3086249/-we-couldn-t-update-system-reserved-partition-error-installing-windows)

The description is for fixing issues with installing Windows 10 on a Windows 7 or 8 computer but the worked for me installing the Fall Creators Update on a Windows 10 computer.

NOTE:

In my case I have a GPT partition.  The fix has you mount the system partition and give it a drive letter of "Y" and then open File Explorer to delete the language folders. 

I was unable to find the "Y" drive in File Explorer so I had to navigate to each language folder through the command prompt, delete the files in the language folder (del *.*) and then delete the folder (rd <folder name>)

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-11-01T12:49:49+00:00

    I am having the same problem. I using Asus n56vj, and I did try to install 1709 twice, but always failed. Are there is no way to me to install this update? I tried to install it using media creator tool, but it didn't work either.

    HI THERE,

    I DID RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH WIN 10 1709 INSTALL. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS,ALL FAILED, I FINALLY RAN THE TROUBLE SHOOT CHECK FROM MICROSOFT AND IT HAD A PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. I ALSO HAD TO RE REGISTER MICROSOFT ACCOUNT AND I TRIED IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME IT WENT TO A FULL COMPLETION,IT DOES TAKE ALONG TIME,ABOUT 5 HOURS OR SO,BUT IT DID COMPLETE AND ALL IS FINE NOW. I HOPE THIS WAS A HELP TO YOU AND GOOD LUCK WITH 1709.

    JOHN

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-11-02T14:07:22+00:00

    Just to share my experience ... I have upgraded to Windows 10 Pro ver. 1709 a couple of days ago (I had all the latest updates installed prior to the Fall Creators Update) and after the update the computer would end up in a boot loop -  a message popped up (before login screen) saying "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation" and after clicking "OK" the computer would reboot and the same thing happened.

    I have traced it back to a problem with the GeForce driver for my GTX 760 (I actually have double GTX 760 in SLI setup) which ships with Windows 10 ver 1709 and which is also available via Windows Update.

    I created a Windows 10 ver. 1709 installation USB stick ( by downloading from Microsoft) but the computer would not even finish booting from the USB - thus I could not use any Recovery/Troubleshooting options.

    Eventually I ended up installing previous Windows version from the scratch (Windows 7 with GTX driver installed by Windows Update) and then ran upgrade to Windows 10. For some reason this time the upgrade to Windows 10 ver 1709 was okay with the only exception

    • GTX driver was not loaded, instead a standard Microsoft VGA driver was used. I had to install manually GeForce driver 388.13 which by the way mentions in the Release Notes that it does support Fall Creators Update (the previous versions of the driver did not have this) and everything was fine. Watch out: allowing Windows Update itself to pick and download the GTX driver ends up in disaster - the same as booting up from the Windows 10 ver 1709 installation media - blank screen = dead comp.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-02T21:25:05+00:00

    Wow. That's a lot of work to install an update.  Glad it worked out for you. Unfortunately, that sort of process is beyond my expertise. I don't know how to pinpoint what is causing the problem, or revert to a prior Windows version (which I'd have to buy), and then upgrade to W 10.  And yet, I can't stop the update from trying to load repeatedly.

    This is the 2nd or third update that's done this. What I did last time was go back to a prior restore point, so that my pc would work. I guess I can keep doing that for a while.

    I have an old laptop that has a prior version of windows installed. This sort of thing never happened to that one, although the laptop has other issues so that it is really slow and the wireless doesn't work. I suppose I can use that one, and then look to getting a Mac around the holidays. They're very expensive, but these sorts of things don't happen to them, I think.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-11-01T07:49:56+00:00

    I am having the same problem. I using Asus n56vj, and I did try to install 1709 twice, but always failed. Are there is no way to me to install this update? I tried to install it using media creator tool, but it didn't work either.

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    1 person found this answer helpful.
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