Windows 10/11 keeps failing to upgrade, to users’ chagrin

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Key notes

  • Windows 10 keeps failing to update for some users.
  • Hardware incompatibility, corrupt system files, and bad registry entries are potential causes of Windows update failure.
  • What's preventing your PC from updating to the latest version of Windows 10? Visit the Windows Update Errors section to get a proper diagnosis. 
  • If you'd like to stay up-to-date on fresh Windows 10 news, applications, guides, and more, check out our dedicated Windows 10 hub.
Windows 10 upgrade failure

As successful Windows 10 upgrade comes with the promise of better features, improved system security, and sometimes, new apps.

But lately, due to a broad array of issues, many users are unable to successfully install their favorite version of the Windows 10 operating system. They’re instead reporting all manner of update error codes, from 0x80242016 to 0x0000005.

Why Windows 10 installation keeps failing

Most of the update bugs that users are reporting, such as, error 0x80242016, have something to do with corrupt system files, registry problems, and other similar issues.

For example, one user reported the following error message on the Microsoft Answers forum:

Windows Update

Feature update to Windows 10, version 2004

We couldn’t install this update, but you can try again (0x0000005)

Much to their dismay, the user got no definitive diagnosis even after running the Windows Update Troubleshooter.

On Reddit, another user says that they’re getting the 0x80242016 error code each time they try to update. Interestingly, the user claims that the upgrade goes smoothly until the system reboot phase.

The windows update suddenly reboots and throws me back to version 1903 with error “0x80242016” in my error logs.

It appears that these issues are also affecting users that try to do it the ISO way using the Microsoft Media Creation tool.

This particular user, for instance, was told to wait until Windows starts supporting their current system configurations.

Windows 10 won’t let me upgrade to the 1909 version using media creation tool and I keep getting this error every time I try to update, any idea on how to fix it please?

There are different ways to fix Windows 10 upgrade bugs. For starters, users of non-supported machines can wait until Microsoft delivers a compatible update via Windows Update.

But if you’re getting errors like 0x80242016, troubleshooting is necessary to determine the root cause of the problem. Sometimes, a clean boot and checking/fixing corrupt system files before reattempting to upgrade does help.

If you’re experiencing any Windows 10 upgrade issues, drop us a message in the comments section below.

More about the topics: Windows Update, windows upgrades