Cumulative updates - February 11th 2020

Although by no means an expert, I think you have done the right thing. MS are pretty hopeless as getting things right first time. None of what has happened is your own fault. We should not need to be experts in such depth as they often seem to expect us to be. We can drive a car without the need to know how everything works. I just want an Operating System that is quiet and unobtrusive going about its business without grandstanding at every opportunity the way Widows does. That, it would appear, is just too much to expect.

ATB and good luck. BjG

I can't install. I get " 2020-02 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems (KB4532693) -Error 0x800f081f " . I've tried a lot of things but nothing works.

I'm not quite sure why your question has come to me. I can only empathize with your experience as it is very similar to my own. I would ask if your machine spec is similar to mine. Small 32Gb SSD Hard drive C:\ with another 32Gb SSD card for drive D:\ {HP Stream13}.

This, it turns out, is woefully insufficient for updates. I am asked to clear space on drive C:\  of 4 to 6Gb depending on which attempt to upgrade.

This is not because I have installed a lot of Apps. All but one is on Drive D:\ It is because, my friend, of two things. Windows OS itself takes up at least 20Gb of the available space. {Which total space by the way is less than the claimed 32Gb because of the way Microsoft measure it. It's posted as 29Gb}. The next problem is that windows wants to keep a shadow copy of your existing set-up which includes your personal settings so that the new configuration might more closely resemble your existing one. Windows also keeps RESTORE information and RECOVERY data. All taking up your space. The plain fact is that my little disk is inadequate for the way Windows wants to work. A new better plan is urgently needed. One wonders who to blame most for this. HP the machine maker or MS for letting it happen.

There is another way in which this can be done BUT it won't necessarily restore your personal settings. That is to send down the line a "PRINT" (called an ISO file) of the disk drive pattern of the new Operating system. If Windows could design into that the recovery of your personal settings, all the duplication's and therefore space requirements would not be so great.

Since MS also offer us 5Gb of free (One Disk) cloud space I do wonder why it is that cannot be used? Anyway when I offer more space by fitting a USB memory with at least around the 12Gb of extra space they ask for, that is still not sufficient because more C:\ drive space is needed. I have therefore reduced the so called "virtual memory" to the lowest possible amount which is 200Mb as a temporary measure. In my case that releases around 2.5Gb of C:\ disk space. I now have about 6Gb free. Is that enough? No! Even as we speak I am told the latest attempt has failed and I should restart the device and they will start again. Meantime I have lost days of access. There really should be compensation due either from HP or MS. The whole package is a fiasco. They deserve to lose their business and they will do so probably to Chinese or Indian software.

One final word. If past experience is anything to go by we will suddenly hit an update breakthrough without actually knowing why. When we check what use has been made of our extra space it will be paltry. Nothing like the area provided.

I wish you and everyone else the very best of luck with these upgrades. I would also suggest that Windows of any description is not the best answer. Please research the use of UBUNTU on your machine and consider using that - maybe in a dual boot configuration (if you have the space for it). I think you would be very surprised.

Of later machines with a later BIOS the Activation number for your WINdows license is in there and this can facilitate the re-installation of Windows from a download at any time if you change your mind. That said one wonders why such machines don't just do that for every upgrade. It would be at the cost of your personal settings which you would then have to re-enter.

I hope at least some of that is clear. Berry

I have the same problem. I've tried numerous times, contacted Microsoft numerous times - just think about my wasted(!!!) time - but nothing helped; therefore, I've just put on hold my updates. 

In short. 

At this age of technology, it's a shame that highly-paid MS engineers would offer an update that has ISSUES and blame it on the USERS!!!

At this age of technology, it's a shame that the "smartest" OS cannot provide an answer - Hey, you are missing this/that file, hey, you have some app that prevents our update from being installed, etc...

It should be easy to pinpoint the problem for a "smart" OS program. 

This thread answered nothing about our issue!

I understand it's about volunteering by some good volunteers. 

To me, it's about my precious time wasted(!), my nerves wasted(!) for the service I've purchased(!) - Windows 10PRO. 

Anyway, shame on you Microsoft.