[SOLVED] Windows 10 update constantly crashing (since 2017)

[Jlanglang]

(Experience with PCs: intermediate)
(Specs: Windows 10 Home 64-bit; i5-6600k 3.5 GHz (overclocked); ASUS mobo Z170-AR {LGA 1151}; MSI AMD Radeon R9 380 4G Gaming; Crucial Ballistix 24GB DDR-2400; Kingston 120GB SSD(C drive, 58GB of free space); SP 240GB (D:, 48GB free space); Peripherals: wireless Logitech Keyboard, Lenovo Y Gaming mouse, ASUS VP278 (1080p) monitor.)
So I've been using the same PC for around four and a half years now, and within the past two years I've had the same problem Windows 10 Update: it crashes 80% into the update/screen goes black with pointer(unmovable) in center of screen. Then it reverts back to a previous Windows setting.

Solutions I've tried:
-Updating drivers
-installing new RAM (was only 8GB)
-Formatted C: and reinstalled Windows 10

To no avail . . .

Currently, I've gone into Windows Services and disabled Windows Update, because every time it auto-updates it cycles through the same crash and revert process. I don't have a ton of money to buy and swap devices to experiment with what hardware is incompatible(?) with Windows 10's circa 2017 update. However, I do understand that there were security updates that I will need to have on my PC, so updating Windows 10 to the latest version would be best.
I'm struggling with this issue and I've exhausted most search results on the matter.

 

[jojesa]

Which version(s) of Windows 10 have you installed so far?
Does it happen with different versions (1803, 1809, 1903, etc)?
Have you try a clean installation with only one disk drive connected (you could add more disks after installation)?

 

[Jlanglang]

i could give reinstall with one drive connected, see if that works.
I believe it started with version 1703.

 

[Colif]

120gb ssd is getting too small for windows 10. We generally recommend 250 or more now.

have you tried downloading the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB
ONce installer is made, and while win 10 is running, put USB into drive and open file explorer, find the USB in list and run setup.exe

have you tried using a wired keyboard? it is possible its the driver for a device attached that is causing it to not update. try unplugging any unessential devices. Try updating without internet connection

 

[Jlanglang]

thanks again for the suggestions. Will give the least obtrusive suggestions a try (i.e.- unplugging wireless keyboard, turning off internet connection).
I might add I pulled an old PCI NIC from an older computer and installed it when I built this one.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

have you ever installed windows 10 clean and fresh since the problems occurred or have you just been trying to update, because that isn't going to work. never mind you formatted and reinstalled. that ssd is pretty small as suggested above

 

[Jlanglang]

have you ever installed windows 10 clean and fresh since the problems occurred or have you just been trying to update, because that isn't going to work. never mind you formatted and reinstalled. that ssd is pretty small as suggested above

Sorry to seem thick about this, but I was under the impression that formatting was wiping the drive "clean." I'm not sure what "clean and fresh" refers to in computer terminology.

Installed Windows 10 in this newly built rig in 2015. After several failed attempts to update, I reformatted back in September 2019.

I've ordered a new SSD (480GB). Once I can get that installed, I will update.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

read the rest of that paragraph, i had noticed you did format and reinstall, so i said never mind. the 480gb is a great idea. hope it works out

 

[Jlanglang]

Okay, I misread. The way I read it: "never mind (that) you formatted and reinstalled." When it was intended to negate the opening statement. 😉

 

[Jlanglang]

(currently typing from my phone)
I hope I am not getting ahead of myself by saying the situation is resolved.

So after getting the new drive (480GB SanDisk SSD) installed, I booted the PC from Win10 installation stick and started a new boot drive on the SSD (I decided to unplug all SATA cables from my other two drives). After installing the new OS, I began with the update process, and again it froze the first time on black screen with cursor and after a hard boot, it froze at around 80% complete.

So I went to war... By that, I mean I took out my GPU, plugged in a wired keyboard, and ran my monitor through the Mobo. After about three hours of downloading and installing the new/old updates (and removing the wireless NIC after shutdown) I managed to update to Windows 10 version 1805.

I am currently working on update 1909. So I'm guessing either it was my GPU hanging up on the updates, my wireless NIC, or my wireless keyboard.

Anyone having the same issues I had should remove components until the updates can install. The drive space, while important for the newer updates, was not the answer to this problem. This frustrating 3 year albatross was the result of other components mysteriously butting heads with maniacal programmers working for Microsoft.

[mod edit: spaces added for easier reading]

 

[Colif]

I would blame the Wifi card.

Although costing you money for a new ssd, you would have needed that sooner or later anyway... I am glad you can move on and maybe buy a newer WiFI card as many of the old ones just have drivers that might say they win 10 but are actually win 7 or 8, just relabelled.

 

[SkyNetRising]

After about three hours of downloading and installing the new/old updates (and removing the wireless NIC after shutdown) I managed to update to Windows 10 version 1805. I am currently working on update 1909.

Just one question -
Why didn't you download and install latest version of windows 10,
but stubbornly chose to install old version and do multiple major OS updates?
Total waste of time BTW.
Well .. at least you found, why updates were failing.

 

[Jlanglang]

I would blame the Wifi card.

Although costing you money for a new ssd, you would have needed that sooner or later anyway... I am glad you can move on and maybe buy a newer WiFI card as many of the old ones just have drivers that might say they win 10 but are actually win 7 or 8, just relabelled.

So, yes, after doing the 1909 update, the update was hanging at the pinwheel. Forgot that I left the old NIC in, then, just now, took it out and attempted update to success. I might add, I shot myself in the foot on this. I gutted parts from an older PC (2011) to use in this build (2015). So I've technically been using old parts in a newish machine. So that was the issue. FML.

I did order a new wireless NIC.

Thanks for the help, everyone, especially Colif.

Just one question -
Why didn't you download and install latest version of windows 10,
but stubbornly chose to install old version and do multiple major OS updates?
Total waste of time BTW.
Well .. at least you found, why updates were failing.

Scroll back up to the original post. I didn't have the basic updates (since 2016) completed to get to the latest updates.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Essentially, what you did with those updates, you:
downloaded 1709, updated to it,
downloaded 1803, updated to it,
downloaded 1809, updated to it,
downloaded 1903, updated to it,
downloaded 1909, updated to it.

When you had to only download 1909 and perform clean install by using windows media creation tool.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

[Jlanglang]

Essentially, what you did with those updates, you:
downloaded 1709, updated to it,
downloaded 1803, updated to it,
downloaded 1809, updated to it,
downloaded 1903, updated to it,
downloaded 1909, updated to it.

When you had to only download 1909 and perform clean install by using windows media creation tool.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

I was actually updating to 1511 when I ran into the problem.

Sometimes the simplest explanation is the hardest for me to grasp.

Thanks for the help, it is appreciated.

As far as the "waste of time", I had a day off and nothing but time to waste.

 

[Colif]

Version 1909 of Win 10 includes all the previous changes, you don't need to start from 1507 and install all the old ones, you can start from the latest version.

Updating from older versions to latest is a problem as Microsoft have changed how updates work in many ways since the original.

For a long time you would have to download every cumulative update even if there was no changes in it for you. now windows only downloads things that match your PC.

Even how Version updates work has changed on 1909.

Installing win 10 should only take 20 minutes on an ssd now. Not all day

 

[Jlanglang]

I stand corrected.

The main issue that took most of the day was troubleshooting the hardware that was causing my PC to freeze upon update. Then I had subsequent issues that sent everything into a tailspin. However, I should have followed your original advice on DLing the media creator tool to by-pass the unnecessary steps in the repair.

I humbly thank everyone that assisted me.