Windows 11, version 24H2 won't install

I think it's utterly ridiculous and totally irresponsible to dish out a 10 GB update. Why is it necessary to do this? Mine has downloaded, but won't install. Even so, it's taken up my storage space where now I'm left with 2.3 GB. I'm no technician and don't have a clue how to put it right. The only remedy I have is to buy a Chromebook. You can shove Microsoft where the sun don't shine. The laptop I've had for the last 3 years is the worst pc imaginable. My pc backs up absolutely every single thing I do. I play a lot of poker and it backs up every game I play. It's mental. As a result I have to delete restore points probably 6 or 8 times day. Once deleted you have to wait for the animation to restore itself. Definitely the last Microsoft pc I ever own.

similar problem Windows 11 Pro with 500 GB disc space available 1GB fiber internet 24H2 takes forever to download, the gets less then 50% and install FAILS Tried to install 24H2 over and over and keeps FAILING

Hey Bubba,

Hopefully, you already got your update figured out, but for me it took 7 months to get a resolution, and I had to figure that out on my own by doing the last thing anyone wants to do, which is formatting your hard drive and starting over.

I am far from an expert and gave up on my attempts to resolve my issues many times over that period of 7 months because I followed the troubleshooting steps offered by Microsoft (agents on these boards, reddit, MS phone support, and more), which were all essentially the same steps. Those steps have been posted throughout this thread several times. None of that worked for me (or many, many other people).

I tried clearing the update cash, stopping/restarting update services, the PC Health Tool, the system scans using the command prompt, the inline/offline update, resetting my PC, restoring my PC, and a clean install. I did all of this more than once each. The clean install instructions from MS (Windows 11 Clean Installation Process) specifically state that you don't need to format and can use the existing partition. When Windows Support couldn't find a resolution for me, even when on my system via remote desktop, the final solution they could offer me was the clean install. They instructed me to follow the directions I linked above.
"You do not need to format the drive or delete existing partitions. Choose the Primary partition where the Windows OS is installed and setup will proceed as expected, including the re-use of previously existing additional partitions (i.e., Recovery partition, etc.)"

Unfortunately, I paid attention to that note and wasted many hours and more months of frustration with the failed update.

If you end up needing to do a clean install, delete all of your partitions so you are left with only unallocated space, run a quick format, and install windows. This should take care of the problem, but it requires that you reisntall and reconfigure all of your apps, reconfigure Windows the way you want it, and restore all of your data. I tried so hard to avoid doing this that I wasted WAY more time on those efforts. If I could go back and do it all over, I would have simply formatted the drives and started over the 2nd time the update failed.

Had I understood the setuperr.log file, knew how to indentify what was important, and then fix those errors easily... that would have been a great route to learn about early on, but with the time I see people spend on troubleshooting and then working through their error logs, they could have done a clean install faster and with less effort and stress.

Without starting over, it seems like there are two broad categories of things you need to do:

1. Run through the basic update troubleshooting steps mentioned at the start of this thread by the MS agent (Bob). You will see these steps in all threads about this update failing.
2. Bring up your update error log (setuperr.log) and work your way through that. Posting the log here (or starting a new thread) may lead you to getting some help from someone generous enough to volunteer their time to help you identify the errors you should focus on, explain what they mean, and point you in a direction to resolve the error.

Helpful links:

1. Help with Windows 11 upgrade and installation errors - this goes through the basic troubleshooting steps which are the list of steps under the "0xC1900101 Errors" heading: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-help-with-windows-upgrade-and-installation-errors-ea144c24-513d-a60e-40df-31ff78b3158a#windowsversion=windows_11
2. Windows Clean Installation Process:
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsinsider/cleaninstall
3. Walkthrough video for doing a clean install - and deleting the partitions:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwdPZMAiaN4
4. Understanding Windows upgrade log files:
   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/log-files

My uneducated understanding of the problem is that with this 24H2 update, there are major security changes and this seems to make it incompatible with a lot of hardware drivers that don't have the same security standards. If you are opposed to doing a formatted clean install, I'd recommend seeing if your update attempt found specific issues or drivers that are not compatible. This seems to be the only way most people are solving this problem.

As a side note, I copied my error log from the last failed update attempt before formatting, so I reviewed that after learning support gave me the wrong answer about the log being helpful. It might have only been two things I needed to fix. I had a duplicate user name and my processor driver was incompatible with the update. Can't know since I can't fix them and try the update again. All I can tell you is that the clean install with new partitions fixed it for sure.

Good luck in your efforts and I hope one of these two routes gets you to the finish line.

-Mark

If you do update any of the drivers you should always take a copy of the original. Updating drivers to a known defective one that doesn't migrate isn't a very good idea. So you might end up with a system where a fresh install won't work either. Alluded to that in one of my posts but since I knew what I'd update I could go back.

The memory integrity test in the final stage stumbles on non compliant drivers there you need

hvciscan_amd64.exe

then use the following command to find out their inf

pnputil /enum-drivers

As posted up. Issue appeared in the Insider program but never fixed. You have to fix it yourself by removal of problematic drivers. Just run the check to see whether you have any non compliant drivers.

I did all the tests and fixes posted up and you get use to reading all the old stuff that isn't your issue. The update drive one, willy nilly, as advised isn't good if you don't have the original ones that work. Memory integrity was the issue for me and a few others. You do need to ditch non Microsoft virus programmes which some people try to resist.

similar problem Windows 11 Pro with 500 GB disc space available 1GB fiber internet 24H2 takes forever to download, the gets less then 50% and install FAILS Tried to install 24H2 over and over and keeps FAILING

Hey Bubba,

Hopefully, you already got your update figured out, but for me it took 7 months to get a resolution, and I had to figure that out on my own by doing the last thing anyone wants to do, which is formatting your hard drive and starting over.

I am far from an expert and gave up on my attempts to resolve my issues many times over that period of 7 months because I followed the troubleshooting steps offered by Microsoft (agents on these boards, reddit, MS phone support, and more), which were all essentially the same steps. Those steps have been posted throughout this thread several times. None of that worked for me (or many, many other people).

I tried clearing the update cash, stopping/restarting update services, the PC Health Tool, the system scans using the command prompt, the inline/offline update, resetting my PC, restoring my PC, and a clean install. I did all of this more than once each. The clean install instructions from MS (Windows 11 Clean Installation Process) specifically state that you don't need to format and can use the existing partition. When Windows Support couldn't find a resolution for me, even when on my system via remote desktop, the final solution they could offer me was the clean install. They instructed me to follow the directions I linked above.
"You do not need to format the drive or delete existing partitions. Choose the Primary partition where the Windows OS is installed and setup will proceed as expected, including the re-use of previously existing additional partitions (i.e., Recovery partition, etc.)"

Unfortunately, I paid attention to that note and wasted many hours and more months of frustration with the failed update.

If you end up needing to do a clean install, delete all of your partitions so you are left with only unallocated space, run a quick format, and install windows. This should take care of the problem, but it requires that you reisntall and reconfigure all of your apps, reconfigure Windows the way you want it, and restore all of your data. I tried so hard to avoid doing this that I wasted WAY more time on those efforts. If I could go back and do it all over, I would have simply formatted the drives and started over the 2nd time the update failed.

Had I understood the setuperr.log file, knew how to indentify what was important, and then fix those errors easily... that would have been a great route to learn about early on, but with the time I see people spend on troubleshooting and then working through their error logs, they could have done a clean install faster and with less effort and stress.

Without starting over, it seems like there are two broad categories of things you need to do:

1. Run through the basic update troubleshooting steps mentioned at the start of this thread by the MS agent (Bob). You will see these steps in all threads about this update failing.
2. Bring up your update error log (setuperr.log) and work your way through that. Posting the log here (or starting a new thread) may lead you to getting some help from someone generous enough to volunteer their time to help you identify the errors you should focus on, explain what they mean, and point you in a direction to resolve the error.

Helpful links:

1. Help with Windows 11 upgrade and installation errors - this goes through the basic troubleshooting steps which are the list of steps under the "0xC1900101 Errors" heading: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/get-help-with-windows-upgrade-and-installation-errors-ea144c24-513d-a60e-40df-31ff78b3158a#windowsversion=windows_11
2. Windows Clean Installation Process:
   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsinsider/cleaninstall
3. Walkthrough video for doing a clean install - and deleting the partitions:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwdPZMAiaN4
4. Understanding Windows upgrade log files:
   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/log-files

My uneducated understanding of the problem is that with this 24H2 update, there are major security changes and this seems to make it incompatible with a lot of hardware drivers that don't have the same security standards. If you are opposed to doing a formatted clean install, I'd recommend seeing if your update attempt found specific issues or drivers that are not compatible. This seems to be the only way most people are solving this problem.

As a side note, I copied my error log from the last failed update attempt before formatting, so I reviewed that after learning support gave me the wrong answer about the log being helpful. It might have only been two things I needed to fix. I had a duplicate user name and my processor driver was incompatible with the update. Can't know since I can't fix them and try the update again. All I can tell you is that the clean install with new partitions fixed it for sure.

Good luck in your efforts and I hope one of these two routes gets you to the finish line.

-Mark

I have a similar issue. Windows Update has tried and failed to install the 24H2 update every day since mid November. Today, I tried to follow your 3 steps above to the letter and then finally resorted to an in-place install of W11 24H2 from the ISO file. All failed to install 24H2, with the in-place install from ISO failing with the error message:

"0x80070002 - 0x20007

The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during INSTALL_DRIVERS operation"

Please note that as far as I know all my drivers are up to date and I verified that with the update tools of both Windows and HP (the manufacturer).

Also, the failed in-place install of 24H2 from ISO left me with 2 W11 boot which I had to resolve using sysconfig.

This seems to be a broader issue on the Microsoft side with 24H2. Please escalate and advise as soon as possible. Delaying the update involves exposure to security vulnerabilities. Thank you.

My system details:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Manufacturer HP

System Model HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 inch G3 Notebook PC

System Type x64-based PC

System SKU 4J032AV

Processor 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1235U, 1300 Mhz, 10 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date HP U90 Ver. 01.12.01, 7/30/2024

SMBIOS Version 3.4

Embedded Controller Version 8.111

BIOS Mode UEFI

BaseBoard Manufacturer HP

BaseBoard Product 897F

BaseBoard Version KBC Version 08.6F.00

Platform Role Mobile

Secure Boot State On

PCR7 Configuration Elevation Required to View

Windows Directory C:\windows

System Directory C:\windows\system32

Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1

Locale United States

Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "10.0.22621.2506"

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 16.0 GB

Total Physical Memory 15.6 GB

Available Physical Memory 5.46 GB

Total Virtual Memory 24.1 GB

Available Virtual Memory 10.0 GB

Page File Space 8.50 GB

That one is when it's loaded up an incompatible driver as an update. Been there, done that. You have to find that driver and wind back if it's that. It's a shambles. The duplicate boot areas are also due to that. Drivers in catalogues which cause issues aren't good for anyone.

One of my laptops updated fine using the assistant, the other one won't. Tried every method covered on the net, let's hope Microsoft can sort out the issues they have unleashed with 24h2 update.

Currently stuck on the final boot. It seems some crypto handshaking takes place, and I've not got it. That's two months in of trying to sort it out.

Edit.

On the 9th week of trying found it was "memory integrity" of a rogue driver. There is a Microsoft memory integrity tool that you can Google. It runs a check and you list off using a DOS command whats it's found. This issue can occur on the final lap of the update, at circa 70%. You look at the memory integrity output. Just one it found for me, an Adobe DVD driver then you surgically remove it from the driver store. Another Google on how to do that. Then repeat the update and it worked.

It is an issue that Microsoft put in by tightening up the backend security of Windows in 24h2. If you have a driver that fails memory integrity it blows a raspberry and undoes the update. I have given more details on here... some people moaned at the time. Well it depends whether you want to fix it yourself or not. You could wait a long time for Microsoft since it's now a design feature.

I tried many times with different things. but this actually worked for me. thanks

Basically, used that tool to get drivers that are flagged,

hvciscan_amd64.exe

then used the following command to find out their inf

pnputil /enum-drivers

then after carefully looking up those drivers, I uninstalled them. and I cleaned Windows bt folder and tried setup again and it worked

Great. Glad it worked for you.

This one Microsoft sneaked into 24h2 by tightening up the security spec. Unless you delete the drivers manually as you did after running the check using the hvciscan tool, I can't see Microsoft automating it as part of the install. They could, they would have to run the scan, delete the suspect drivers, try for an install, then tell you what they did. I can't see them doing that. That's not a loop in the upgrade process.

Basically changing the rules of the game mid way in the Windows 11 system by tightening up driver security is a bit ill throughout... in my view without some process to automate the removal of suspect drivers.

See what 25h2 brings :). I made copious notes.

I have a similar issue. Windows Update has tried and failed to install the 24H2 update every day since mid November. Today, I tried to follow your 3 steps above to the letter and then finally resorted to an in-place install of W11 24H2 from the ISO file. All failed to install 24H2, with the in-place install from ISO failing with the error message:

"0x80070002 - 0x20007

The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during INSTALL_DRIVERS operation"

Please note that as far as I know all my drivers are up to date and I verified that with the update tools of both Windows and HP (the manufacturer).

Also, the failed in-place install of 24H2 from ISO left me with 2 W11 boot which I had to resolve using sysconfig.

This seems to be a broader issue on the Microsoft side with 24H2. Please escalate and advise as soon as possible. Delaying the update involves exposure to security vulnerabilities. Thank you.

My system details:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Manufacturer HP

System Model HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 inch G3 Notebook PC

System Type x64-based PC

System SKU 4J032AV

Processor 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1235U, 1300 Mhz, 10 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date HP U90 Ver. 01.12.01, 7/30/2024

SMBIOS Version 3.4

Embedded Controller Version 8.111

BIOS Mode UEFI

BaseBoard Manufacturer HP

BaseBoard Product 897F

BaseBoard Version KBC Version 08.6F.00

Platform Role Mobile

Secure Boot State On

PCR7 Configuration Elevation Required to View

Windows Directory C:\windows

System Directory C:\windows\system32

Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1

Locale United States

Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "10.0.22621.2506"

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 16.0 GB

Total Physical Memory 15.6 GB

Available Physical Memory 5.46 GB

Total Virtual Memory 24.1 GB

Available Virtual Memory 10.0 GB

Page File Space 8.50 GB

That one is when it's loaded up an incompatible driver as an update. Been there, done that. You have to find that driver and wind back if it's that. It's a shambles. The duplicate boot areas are also due to that. Drivers in catalogues which cause issues aren't good for anyone.

One of my laptops updated fine using the assistant, the other one won't. Tried every method covered on the net, let's hope Microsoft can sort out the issues they have unleashed with 24h2 update.

Currently stuck on the final boot. It seems some crypto handshaking takes place, and I've not got it. That's two months in of trying to sort it out.

Edit.

On the 9th week of trying found it was "memory integrity" of a rogue driver. There is a Microsoft memory integrity tool that you can Google. It runs a check and you list off using a DOS command whats it's found. This issue can occur on the final lap of the update, at circa 70%. You look at the memory integrity output. Just one it found for me, an Adobe DVD driver then you surgically remove it from the driver store. Another Google on how to do that. Then repeat the update and it worked.

It is an issue that Microsoft put in by tightening up the backend security of Windows in 24h2. If you have a driver that fails memory integrity it blows a raspberry and undoes the update. I have given more details on here... some people moaned at the time. Well it depends whether you want to fix it yourself or not. You could wait a long time for Microsoft since it's now a design feature.

I tried many times with different things. but this actually worked for me. thanks

Basically, used that tool to get drivers that are flagged,

hvciscan_amd64.exe

then used the following command to find out their inf

pnputil /enum-drivers

then after carefully looking up those drivers, I uninstalled them. and I cleaned Windows bt folder and tried setup again and it worked