Windows 10 stuck on preparing for the upgrade. How long should this take?

[Windows Central Question]

Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Its been like an hour and its still "preparing for the upgrade"

 

[Patrick Springer]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

4 hours for me.

 

[Patrick Springer]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Did a reboot and it started doing its thing. I'll update if it actually worked.

 

[sibeans]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

there were moments during the upgrade where the PC seemed to hang or I got the message to restart the PC, I just let the software runs its course. in the end, the whole process took about 4 hours for me last night/this morning.

 

[prabu d]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

I downloaded the update., it finished preparing for installation. Then asked me to restart. I did restart.. But nothing happened.. My machine just rebooted.. it didnt install the update..
WHat am i doing wrong?

 

[Joseph Guillory]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

OK folks, so I too got stuck on the preparing for installation screen. Here is what I have done so far. I took the install.esd file locate in a hidden folder on the “C” drive in C:$Windows\Sources and converted it to an iso. You can search the web for esd conversion tool. I then mount that iso image and was able to do an upgrade with no problems. On another system I use the media creation tool from Microsoft to download the iso and then burned the iso to a usb key using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool. I was able to do the upgrade with no problems on my Surface Pro 3. I have not done a clean installation using either iso yet but will be doing that later. This file will no longer be there after you have complete the upgrade so copy it to another location before completing the upgrade. Using the media creation tool the file is located in C:\OneDrive\documents and is called “windows.iso”. In addition, both method activated Windows 10. Hopefully this information helps. I will post the outcome of a clean installation once I get to it.

OK folks here is an update to the above instructions. Also to answer some of the questions that has been asked. First and most importantly I would recommend that most of you should do the second method. It is the easier of the 2 methods I mentioned above. Be advised that it will ask you if you need to download the home or pro version. If you download the pro version and then try to use it to upgrade from a home version it will ask you for a key in order to continue, there will be no skip option. If you upgrade pro to pro or home to home it may ask you for a key but it will give you to option to skip that part. Being able to skip over the key, once the upgrade is complete it will then activate on its own without a key. If you are stuck in a loop because you have already tried to upgrade you can stop/cancel the upgrade. Just look for the stop/cancel option in the upgrade window. I have not gotten any error while using the 2nd method above.
As far as not being able to find the .esd file, use the second method. The esd file will only be there if you are stuck with the preparing to install issue. And you must copy that file before rebooting or doing anything else. That is why the 2nd method will work for most people. Just search the internet for windows media creation tool. Now depending upon the speed of your internet connection will depend on how long it will take to download the windows.iso. Not wanting to leave the laptop plugged in overnight if that is how long it takes is a personal choice and there is nothing more I can offer on that point.
As far as doing a clean installation, once you have completed the upgrade and it has activated, you can use the same iso to do a clean installation. Search for (microsoft-quietly-rewrites-its-activation-rules-for-windows-10) for more information. Now everything I have explained here works with genuine versions of windows 7 and 8.1. I found out about the home to pro the hard way and had to download the home version to get passed the key issue. Also because the upgrade process checks for windows updates I think you must be connected to the internet during the upgrade process. At least I was. I did not try to upgrade not connected to the internet and will not try that method. So I cannot and will not have an answer for that. Hopefully this addresses some of the issue that have been asked here. This is also my last response to this issue.

 

[aatali_2001]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Hi Prabhu,

You did nothing wrong. having long patience is the key.

I did 3 download and forth time gave system plenty of time for installation. and noticed progress bar move forwards very slowly.

so start upgrade again and then forget that you had started windows 10 upgrade for say 15 to 18 hours

Happy Computing.

 

[manus31]

I wouldn't waste my time upgrading through windows update. You don't have to.(there is no rule) Download the ISO from windows and mount it to a virtual drive,much quicker

 

[Neo-007]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

same thing happened to me.I click stop download & restarted my PC.I though it will start the installation procedure again.But it again started downloading the upgrade file from 0%

 

[Kedi Agbogre]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

OK folks, so I too got stuck on the preparing for installation screen. Here is what I have done so far. I took the install.esd file locate in a hidden folder on the “C” drive in C:$Windows\Sources and converted it to an iso. You can search the web for esd conversion tool. I then mount that iso image and was able to do an upgrade with no problems. On another system I use the media creation tool from Microsoft to download the iso and then burned the iso to a usb key using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool. I was able to do the upgrade with no problems on my Surface Pro 3. I have not done a clean installation using either iso yet but will be doing that later. This file will no longer be there after you have complete the upgrade so copy it to another location before completing the upgrade. Using the media creation tool the file is located in C:\OneDrive\documents and is called “windows.iso”. In addition, both method activated Windows 10. Hopefully this information helps. I will post the outcome of a clean installation once I get to it.

I can confirm this method works. Follow this link for a full tutorial: news . softpedia . com /news/How-To-Convert-Windows-ESD-Files-to-ISO-479187.shtml. This tool will create the ISO for you and you will be able to mount and install it.

 

[hernanitalledo016]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Sir, may I know if you got hard times (errors) on activating windows 10 after clean installation? Because when I do that I can't activate windows 10 for 2 days and I needed to go back to windows 8.1. I used the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and install Windows 10 without upgrading first. Now as I got back to Windows 8.1 it says that my device is ready to upgrade to Windows 10 but then I'm stuck on "Preparing for the upgrade". So I'm planning to do what you did but I wan't to make if I will be not facing again what I've experience before (activating windows 10). Your response will be much appreciated.

 

[Protour]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Yea, update using iso is much more reliable.
Update via Windows Update will cause a lot of problems as reported and many are solved via ISO update.

 

[Paul French2]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

After all the press and the prep MS put into this upgrade and you have to experience on a two month old 8.1 version this problem of being stuck ? !!!!!!!
Tiem to give up on MS and time to sell my stock. MS will never get it right !

 

[Alan Jones2]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Thanks for the information and I am glad it is not just me with a problem. This solution may be ok, but way too complicated for a non-tech person like myself. Trying to find hidden files and folders sounds like a recipe for disaster in my case, I would be likely to make a complete hash and corrupt the whole system. Without an IT dept to sort this I would not even try. Is this the simplest option, other than waiting for hours? The only problem with waiting up to eighteen hours as one person recommended is that the laptop battery does about 4 to 5 hours max. and I do not like leaving things like this charging over night when not around to keep a check because of potential fire risk. Looks like suck it and see and keep fingers crossed for an early end to the process.

 

[Prakhar Srivastava]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

Do we have to be online even during the preparing to install and upgrading stages?

 

[Johnette Moore]

Mine had been preparing for the upgrade for 13 hours so far. I need to sleep

 

[Ganesh Sahane]

Joseph Guillory, can you please tell step by step how to convert esd to iso using the tool you used and install win 10.I have a very slow internet connection so it took me more than 14hrs to download the update,and now i read in many articles that i should restart the update which i just cannot do.I read your comment and i think theres some hope.I have copied the$windows bt folder to another location just in case it gets deleted if i resart my laptop.Please reply

 

[Ganesh Sahane]

Re: Windows 10 stuck on "preparing for the upgrade"

OK folks, so I too got stuck on the preparing for installation screen. Here is what I have done so far. I took the install.esd file locate in a hidden folder on the ?C? drive in C:$Windows\Sources and converted it to an iso. You can search the web for esd conversion tool. I then mount that iso image and was able to do an upgrade with no problems. On another system I use the media creation tool from Microsoft to download the iso and then burned the iso to a usb key using the Windows 7 USB DVD download tool. I was able to do the upgrade with no problems on my Surface Pro 3. I have not done a clean installation using either iso yet but will be doing that later. This file will no longer be there after you have complete the upgrade so copy it to another location before completing the upgrade. Using the media creation tool the file is located in C:\OneDrive\documents and is called ?windows.iso?. In addition, both method activated Windows 10. Hopefully this information helps. I will post the outcome of a clean installation once I get to it.

OK folks here is an update to the above instructions. Also to answer some of the questions that has been asked. First and most importantly I would recommend that most of you should do the second method. It is the easier of the 2 methods I mentioned above. Be advised that it will ask you if you need to download the home or pro version. If you download the pro version and then try to use it to upgrade from a home version it will ask you for a key in order to continue, there will be no skip option. If you upgrade pro to pro or home to home it may ask you for a key but it will give you to option to skip that part. Being able to skip over the key, once the upgrade is complete it will then activate on its own without a key. If you are stuck in a loop because you have already tried to upgrade you can stop/cancel the upgrade. Just look for the stop/cancel option in the upgrade window. I have not gotten any error while using the 2nd method above.
As far as not being able to find the .esd file, use the second method. The esd file will only be there if you are stuck with the preparing to install issue. And you must copy that file before rebooting or doing anything else. That is why the 2nd method will work for most people. Just search the internet for windows media creation tool. Now depending upon the speed of your internet connection will depend on how long it will take to download the windows.iso. Not wanting to leave the laptop plugged in overnight if that is how long it takes is a personal choice and there is nothing more I can offer on that point.
As far as doing a clean installation, once you have completed the upgrade and it has activated, you can use the same iso to do a clean installation. Search for (microsoft-quietly-rewrites-its-activation-rules-for-windows-10) for more information. Now everything I have explained here works with genuine versions of windows 7 and 8.1. I found out about the home to pro the hard way and had to download the home version to get passed the key issue. Also because the upgrade process checks for windows updates I think you must be connected to the internet during the upgrade process. At least I was. I did not try to upgrade not connected to the internet and will not try that method. So I cannot and will not have an answer for that. Hopefully this addresses some of the issue that have been asked here. This is also my last response to this issue.

Joseph Guillory, can you please tell step by step how to convert esd to iso using the tool you used and install win 10.I have a very slow internet connection so it took me more than 14hrs to download the update,and now i read in many articles that i should restart the update which i just cannot do.I read your comment and i think theres some hope.I have copied the$windows bt folder to another location just in case it gets deleted if i resart my laptop.Please reply

 

[Rachelle Gabrang]

I did Windows 10 upgrade from a Windows 8 system, took me little to no time. I'm doing the upgrade now on an older laptop with Windows 7. It's been 2 hours. I passed the download stage on my second attempt (not sure what went wrong the first time), and now the installation stage is taking most of the 2 hours that have passed and still counting. There is no indication that it is progressing or just stuck. The ISO method mentioned above seems really complicated for something that should just be a download, but if this doesn't work in the next 24 hours I'll resort to that.

 

[jmac_101]

1. stop the upgrade method through win 7.x
2. go to the windows 10 upgrade site (MS) and use the media creation tool to build a windows 10 USB key ( You need a 4 gig key to do this.)
3. reboot your win 7 PC with the USB key installed and it SHOULD boot into windows 10 installation setup.
4. pick the option to upgrade from there.