How to avoid problems getting the Windows 10 Creators Update

After months of development the Windows 10 Creators Update is finally rolling out, but before you click the install button, you probably want to know a few details to be prepared to successfully upgrade without errors or other problems.

When it comes to new updates, you shouldn’t be asking whether to install or skip the Creators Update. Microsoft is offering it for free, and installing the latest version ensures that your device has the latest security enhancements against malware and hackers, and you’re taking advantage of the latest features. 

However, this is not your typical quality update that you get every month, the Creators Update is a big update. Technically, it’s a new version of Windows 10, and during the installation there are a lot things that can go wrong. At least initially, it’s expected that devices may come across errors and unknown bugs due to the fact that there are many different hardware configurations, and building a new OS is a not an easy task.

In this guide, you’ll learn a number of things you can do to avoid errors and other problems during the Windows 10 Creators Update installation. Whether you decide to use the Windows Update, Media Creation Tool, or Update Assistant to install the new version of the OS.

Create a full backup of your device

While installing a new version of Windows 10 should be a straightforward process, sometimes the installation may fail and the rollback process won’t work.

You should spend the extra time to create a full backup of your system to go back to the previous installation if something goes wrong.

Ensure enough storage space is available

Perhaps one of the most common problems is no enough space on the hard drive to complete an upgrade of Windows 10. Usually, you will see this problem on low-cost devices with limited storage capacity and older computers.

To prevent storage problems, make sure that your device has at least 20GB of free space available for the download and installation. If you don’t have enough space, it’s possible to use the Settings app to delete temporary and other unnecessary files. Alternatively, you can also connect an empty USB flash drive with at least 8GB to 16GB of space that Windows 10 will automatically use as secondary storage to successfully install the update. 

After the upgrade, you can use this Windows 10 guide to clean up the hard drive and reclaim disk space.

Remove security and non-essential apps

Sometimes security software could be the reason your device is failing to install the upgrade. If you’re running an antivirus, other than Windows Defender, or other security software, make sure to disable or temporarily uninstall the software before proceeding with the upgrade.

Older programs designed for previous versions can also cause compatibility problems, as such make sure to uninstall any software that make cause issues during the installation. You can always reinstall them after updating your device to the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Disconnect non-essential peripherals

Sometimes installation problems can be caused by a peripheral that is not compatible. To avoid any issues, you may want to disconnect all unnecessary peripherals, like printers, webcams, especially storage media (e.g., USB flash drive and external hard drive) connected to your computer — just use the essentials: network adapter to connect to the internet, monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Also, it’s a good idea to disable Bluetooth on your computer. Just go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth, and turn off the feature.

Export important settings

It’s been known that sometimes after an upgrade, Windows 10 reset some of your settings, including privacy and default apps settings. If you have a particular configuration, make sure to note them before installing the new version to avoid problems.

Dealing with error messages

There are countless errors that can appear during an installation. If you’re having issues during and after the upgrade process, note the error code or exact message, and use your favorite search engine to research the problem. Typically, errors on Windows 10 are sometimes common problems with easy fixes. You could also find out that it’s actually a problem with Windows 10 that Microsoft is working to fix.

For example, an error that begins with 0xC1900101 (e.g., 0xC1900101 – 0x20004, 0xC1900101 – 0x2000c, 0xC1900101 – 0x20017, 0xC1900101 – 0x30018, 0xC1900101 – 0x3000D, 0xC1900101 – 0x4000D, 0xC1900101 – 0x40017) is usually a driver error. If you see error 0xC1900208 – 0x4000C indicates that an incompatible app installed, and it’s blocking the upgrade process. And error 0x80070070 – 0x50011 (0x50012 or 0x60000) typically means that your PC doesn’t have enough space available to install the upgrade.

You can contact Microsoft on Twitter (@WindowsSupport) to get quick help, you can contact the company directly, or you can take your computer to a Microsoft Store to see if anyone can help you.

Stop blocking feature updates

If you’ve previously configured your PC to defer Windows 10 feature updates, the Creators Update won’t download and install on your device.

To resolve this issue go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options, and make sure to clear the Defer feature updates option.

In the case, you used the Group Policy editor to defer upgrades, you also want to make sure to undo these changes.

Disable network metered connection

Windows 10 has an option to set your network connection as metered. If you have your Wi-Fi settings configured to metered connection, updates won’t download. Make sure to go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, select the network you’re connected, and turn off the Set as metered connection toggle switch.

Reset Windows Update

Sometimes, you may not be able to download new updates because Windows Update isn’t working correctly. You can always try to reset the Windows Update components to fix stuck updates trying to download and install. If this doesn’t fix the problem, you can use the Update Assistant to install the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Install the Windows 10 Creators Update manually

You can use this guide to do a clean install of Windows 10 with the Creators Update.  However, if you prefer to do an in-place upgrade of the new version to keep your files, settings, and apps, you can use these steps:

1. Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.

2. Double-click the MediaCrationTool.exe file to launch the tool.

3. Select the Upgrade this PC now option.

4. Click Accept to agree to the licensing terms.

5. Select the option to keep your files and apps, and click Next. Alternatively, you can choose Nothing, which is a better option to avoid problems with the Creators Update. However, you’ll need to restore files from backup, re-configure your settings and reinstall apps.

6. Click Install to complete the process.

Once the setup wizard takes over, and it’ll proceed updating your PC. It should be noted that during this process, nothing will be erased, your computer will be kept intact with all your settings, apps, and files.

If you selected to keep Nothing, once the installation completes, you’ll need to go through the out-of-box experience (OOBE) to finish setting up your device.

This video will walk you through the upgrade process to get the Windows 10 Creators Update installed on your device:

If you’re not ready to deal with possible problems with the Windows 10 Creators Update, remember that you can defer feature updates until a later time, or you can use this guide to rollback to the previous version of the OS.