Windows 10 Feature Update 2004 taking too long to install

I say unorthodox because one shouldn't have/need to perform any of that, especially the introduction and use of 3rd party freeware to prepare their computer (I.e., rid the system of "unneeded" files), just to update Windows 10 to the latest "build". Heck, I might suggest if #4 resulted in the finding and removal of infections, that may have played a role in your success (along with the use of the wushowhide tool). Moving files to another drive, emptying your RB and defragging would have little to no benefit unless your installation delay was due to the lack of drive space.

My system is clean from disease and runs on a solid state drive (defragging is rather pointless), so much of what you performed doesn't apply to my situation. I would imagine that, due to the numerous 3rd party development and hypervisor tools I have on this system, one of them has "altered" some part of Windows 10 to the point that the build fails (should the update be successful, the culprit would become non-functional), so I'll continue trying until I uncover the truth.

Why do you call it unorthodox?

It really wasn't much effort. In fact, most of it didn't take much time...Except defragging.

What's orthodox-ed about having to do that to get an update installed? Windows 10 has, supposedly, advanced to the most user friendly Windows to date. Yet, you have a 7 or 8 steps to get it to install in an 8 hour period! That is the definition of "unorthodoxed", while there is no actual spelling for that. It is beyond normal for us to accept this as "normal".

Please see the process I followed on page 8. You don't necessarily have to use CCleaner and Defraggler, but it's easier with them than using the native Windows tools.

Please see the process I followed on page 8. You don't necessarily have to use CCleaner and Defraggler, but it's easier with them than using the native Windows tools.

Indeed, if you have an SSD, you don't need to defrag your drive because it won't make any difference (unless, I suppose, the fragmentation is very severe).

If your theory is correct, will you try to uninstall the 3rd-party software?

I am not convinced that the listed amount of drive space for 2004 is accurate.

I don't think of it as unorthodox because I do not believe that Microsoft has the ability to guarantee no problems with updates being incompatible at this time. Perhaps in the future, when they have devised an AI that will oversee the installation, it might be different, but with the vast array of hardware and software out there now, as you know, it's so easy for something to be broken. How many times do Windows updates cause the drivers for your network printers to stop working? I was taking care of a small network and, at first, I thought that HP's printers were **** until I found out that the problem was Windows updates messing up the drivers from HP. It was quite frustrating until I was able to get help from HP.

I hope you'll figure it out! I'd try to advise you but you doubtlessly know more about Windows than I do. Success!