Error received when upgrading from 8.1 to 10

dbsoccer · 05 Sep 2022

I apologize for a repeat of the same problems that others have had but I feel my level of computer savvy is not in line with the others so I had trouble following the solution.

My HP desktop came with W8.1 installed. Some time ago I changed from spinning media to a SSD. I have tried following what seems to be that standard online guidance to upgrade from 8.1 to 10. Things proceed as expected until the install process nears completion and then I get a simple one liner 'Upgrade Failed'. I've read about doing a 'clean install' but, as I understand, when doing this, I'll loose some, if not all, of what is currently on my SSD, in the way of data files, programs, etc. Backing up these files are one obvious solution if this is truly what happens. Or is there a better way?

I'm up for learning how best to proceed so any help would be greatly appreciated.

idgat · 05 Sep 2022

From my observations, this appears to be a common problem with upgrades from Win8.x (compared to upgrades from Win 7).

In a lot of cases, it seem that although appearing to be running smoothly, there are underlying "problems" lurking in the current installation, Windows is "protecting" the new version (Win 10) from inheriting these

A clean install (unfortunately with all it's extra work in re-installing other programs) is the most viable option. And best way to do this might be swap out your current 8.x drive for a blank drive (this will keep your current system intact if you need to go back to it urgently), and do the clean install on the new blank drive.

You could also/instead, create an image (I'd be doing 2 images, one Macrium Reflect and one AOMEI Backupper ... very cautious is me) of the existing system, wipe the drive and do a clean install on the current drive.

Is there anyhing particular you're concerned about with having to re-install software (lost license keys, compliated settings, etc) ?

dbsoccer · 05 Sep 2022

Thanks idgat! It seems a second drive will be the safest method for me. What is the install process for a clean install for W10? The process I've been using is the 8.1 to 10 upgrade?

dalchina · 05 Sep 2022

Hi, from the excellent searchable Tutorial section (do have a look) I found this for you:

Clean Install Windows 10

Diagnosing upgrade failures requires repeated iterative analysis of log files and potentially days of exchanging posts- relying on someone with enough expertise willing to give their time for free.

As said above, provided you can readily reinstall programs and have a good backup of all data, the quickest option is to clean install. Ensure you have all relevant license keys.

Best to keep your Win 8 disk aside (so you can always run Win 8 again and retrieve anything you've forgotten) and install Win 10 on a new disk.

Basics of trying to solve the upgrade problem:
- perform basic integrity checks
- uninstall any 3rd party security software thoroughly
- run setupdiag.exe free from MS to attempt analysis of log files
- review the log files created

dbsoccer · 06 Sep 2022

Thank you dalchina!

You gave me several things to look at before I invest time and money in doing a clean install. For example, Norton is still fully installed running. And now I see where others may have gotten the diag info they have been sharing for this similar problem in other similar posts. I now know about the tutorial section that I will explore for other topics you mentioned such a setupdiag.exe and integrity checks. Learning about these things will help me better understand these other posts. So thanks.

But at the end of the day, doing a clean install may be best as it gets rid of a bunch of stuff that the vendor (HP) installed originally that is not adding any value plus gets rid of any garbage that has accumulated over the years.

As I have a clear direction forward now, I should mark this thread as solved but I'll leave it open for now Thanks again.

Megahertz · 06 Sep 2022

As your Win 8.x is a OEM and you don't have a key, I suggest you generate a activation file under Win 8.x to be used to activate a win 10 after a clean install.

Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

dbsoccer · 06 Sep 2022

I'll do some searching in the tutorial section to see how to generate an activation file. Thanks Megahertz!

Another, but related, question, I was about to buy a second SSD when I realized my current drive is only partially filled. I have 250GB of free space on C:. I have two recovery partitions (D: and G:) with ~18GB each but with a small amount free. And I also have an external storage device with ~1.5TB of free space.

Is it still advised to purchase a separate SSD or can I do something clever with what I already have?

Megahertz · 06 Sep 2022

I gave you the link for the activation file to be used to activate win 10 after a clean install.
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

This is what I would do.
- Generate the GenuineTicket.xml file to be used to activate Win 10 (tutorial above). Save it on the external drive
- Create a complete drive image of your current drive using Macrium Reflect or equivalent. Save it on the external drive
- Do a Win 10 clean install (deleting all partitions on the drive). Remember to detach all other drives leaving on only the target drive.
- Activate Win 10 using the GenuineTicket.xml file
- Recover your data from the Win 8 image created.
- Install your programs

You can tweak win 10
What programs / apps to use to tweak Win 10

SIW2 · 06 Sep 2022

dbsoccer said:

I'll do some searching in the tutorial section to see how to generate an activation file. Thanks Megahertz!

Another, but related, question, I was about to buy a second SSD when I realized my current drive is only partially filled. I have 250GB of free space on C:. I have two recovery partitions (D: and G:) with ~18GB each but with a small amount free. And I also have an external storage device with ~1.5TB of free space.

Is it still advised to purchase a separate SSD or can I do something clever with what I already have?

You could shrink C by 150gb to create unallocated space onto which you could install win10.

dbsoccer · 07 Sep 2022

I created a 150MB partition and followed the Clean Install tutorial to the letter. Things were going well until they weren't. I got error code 0xC0000005. Unexpected error. Verify Installation resources are available and restart the installation. And I have no way to click 'OK' as the mouse is dead and I have no cursor to move.

Thoughts? Thanks 😊