Upgrade from 7 to 10 sticking on “Making sure you’re ready to install"

After many search’s concerning this problem, things I’ve tried with no help.
1. Disabled anti-virus and firewall. (MSE)
2. Disk cleanup including System Restore and Shadow Copies.
3. System scan (sfc /scannow) and check disk (chkdsk c: /f), no problems found with either.
4. Deleted original MCT app and downloaded it again, to make sure no problem with first download.

Now in 5th attempt (I think – lost count) and at ~ 2 hrs stuck in “Making sure you’re ready to install”, fairly sure stuck again as I’ve been as high as 3 hrs before aborting. When aborting (canceling) upgrade, seems to also get stuck in “Cleaning up before canceling” up to 1 hr in this step which requires stopping with task manager.

Only see occasional blip and short burst of activity on drive indicator during perceived sticking.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

I suggest that you either use MCT to create a bootable USB installation drive, or to create an .ISO.

Personally, I'd prefer the .ISO. In Win8, you could mount it directly and run the upgrade from that. In Win7, you can do the same, using a third party utility: How to Install a Software Program from an ISO File | PCMag.com

This may not solve your problem, but at least you wouldn't need to download gigabytes of data on every attempt.

Run through this check list before the next upgrade attempt:

Code:

1) remove nonessential hardware
docks
USB devices
printers
headset
speakers
joysticks
projectors
scanners
plotters
portable optical drives (CD, DVD)
microphones
cameras
webcams
smartphones
bluetooth devices
USB drives (other than a windows 10 iso if used for the upgrade)
USB Wireless Mouse or Keyboard Receiver, USB Wireless Network Card
secondary monitors


2) These should be the only attached devices:
wired mouse
wired keyboard
monitor

Any of these that have been done in the past week are not necessary to repeat:


3) open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste: (repair file system)
chkdsk /r /v 
This may take many hours so plan to run overnight
Find the chkdsk report in the event viewer using the information in this link and post into the thread:
Read Chkdsk Log in Event Viewer in Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/40822-read-chkdsk-log-event-viewer-windows-10-a.html 

4) open administrative command prompt and copy and paste: (repair operating system)
sfc /scannow 
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth 
When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread

5) update windows (have all recommended updates installed) and reboot after updates

6) List and uninstall all non-Microsoft antivirus software
(This includes always on and manual software.)
(This includes running the applicable antivirus uninstall tools for any AV that could have been incompletely uninstalled)

7) List and uninstall all non-Microsoft firewall software

8) List all Microsoft and non-Microsoft drive encryption software. 
Uninstall all non-Microsoft disk encryption software

9) Run disk cleanup to clean temporary and system files

10) Verify that the drive has > 30 GB free space (At least 25 GB is needed for creating dumps)

11) Place the computer in clean boot:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows
How to perform a Clean Boot in Windows 10 - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/29876.how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-10.aspx
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/41804-perform-clean-boot-windows-10-troubleshoot-software-conflicts.html


12) Detach all SATA devices other than the disk drive that has the Windows operating system
(Make sure that the only disk drive that is attached to the computer at the time of the upgrade attempt is the disk drive containing Windows)
(Other disk drives may be able to be detached by disconnecting cables or if necessary to remove the drive from the computer)

13) Make sure that there is no metered connection:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17452/windows-metered-internet-connections-faq

bobkn said:

I suggest that you either use MCT to create a bootable USB installation drive, or to create an .ISO.

Personally, I'd prefer the .ISO. I.........

Thanks for suggestion. Being somewhat of a novice, would that process also maintain files and programs that exists now on my win 7 like the MCT does.

Links to create a bootable windows 10 iso:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10
Download Windows 10 ISO File
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10


Run through the checklist.


Perform an in place upgrade repair:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

zbook said:

Run through this check list before the next upgrade attempt:

Thanks zbook, I’m going to let it run for couple more hours (now at ~ 3hrs) then will attempt bobkn and you’re suggestions. At least to best of my ability, will have to use Win 7 event viewer and clean boot since unit is still on win 7.

This is a tutorial for clean boot or clean startup Windows 7:

Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup - Windows 7 Help Forums

zbook said:

Links to create a bootable windows 10 iso:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/soft...load/windows10
Download Windows 10 ISO File
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10


Run through the checklist.


Perform an in place upgrade repair:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Would this be clean install or would it maintain all my now existing Win 7 files and programs compatible with win 10?

There is no clean install.
All files should remain for a successful upgrade or the upgrade should fail.

Before performing the upgrade make a backup image and save the image to another disk drive or the cloud:

Macrium Software | Your Image is Everything
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

bobkn said:

I suggest that you either use MCT to create a bootable USB installation drive, or to create an .ISO.
.......... but at least you wouldn't need to download gigabytes of data on every attempt.

Thanks bobkn, ended up doing just you suggested and like you said didn’t “need to download gigabytes of data on every attempt” . Thanks to you and zbook I was able to complete upgrade.