Re-Installing Windows 10

[Prudie]

Had a young techie family member looking at my laptop over the weekend because it's become slow and always seems to have the fan on. It appears there was big Win 10 update from last year that failed installation and keeps retrying. My update history shows several failed installations. The laptop is about 2 1/2 years old.

Anyway his advice was to back-up what I needed (??) and re-install windows. That seems very drastic and worries me, is that the solution and what might I lose?

[Tuvok]

The latest version is 21H1

It took me days to update a relatives computer - and a friend just emailed me yesterday with the same problem!!!!!

Here is what I sent him

"Don't try to do it through Windows update - instead get the Windows Update Assistant.

Don't shut down and assume that it will start from where it left off - it won't!!! Put the computer to sleep if you have to.

Keep it plugged in - or else you will get "reverting changes" if the battery runs out!!!!!!!

Take a look at

https://www.windowslatest.com/2021/05/19/how-to-download-and-install-the-windows-10-may-2021-update/

I never got the "optional updates" option - but scroll down to

How to download and install the Windows 10 May 2021 Update using Update Assistant - try that option. It will download the update (and store it in a folder - if it fails search for a folder called MEDIA - you can save the download by copying that folder). As it downloads you'll get a progress % and it will then change to a preparing % - this is where it stuck at 99%:"

Good luck!

[bhg481]

What he is suggesting will result in your computer being like it was the day you bought it. You will have to copy back onto it (from your backups) any photos, documents etc and then re-install any software that you use that are not part of the Microsoft Windows package and any drivers for eg, printers that you use.

[ToraToraTora]

copy your files off and do a factory reset, it will then update itself and hopefully get over the hurdle that stopped it:
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/factory-reset-windows-10
It will preserve your files if you select that option but I'd back them up too if I was you.

[LochNessMonster]

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/recovery-options-in-windows-31ce2444-7de3-818c-d626-e3b5a3024da5#:~:text=For%20a%20limited%20time%20after,previous%20version%20of%20Windows%2010.

Hi Purdie. Copy and paste this link tuis will take you to microsoft page you require. If you are running 20h2 and trying to get latest version 21h1 don't do it as new version is on beta version and has flaws. To see what you are running do this START/SETTINGS/SYSTEM/ABOUT Under Windows Speciscations you see version numbers.