"setup has failed to initialize the working directory"

[RichardBurt]

Trying to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to the latest Windows 10 TP.

Installing via Windows Update fails with a useless error message.

Downloaded ISO and created bootable USB drive. Running setup.exe brings up the error message "setup has failed to initialize the working directory"

Has anyone else come across this? Any suggestions / fixes?

 

[RichardBurt]

Resetting the registry permissions / ACL's solved the problem.

 

[dunnster]

Hi same issue
how exactly did you fix it, sorry im not very tech savy!!
Thanks for any help

 

[Stealth777]

Yes please tell how this was done

 

[Stealth777]

hey is it a table or laptop ?

 

[IgorVysoky]

Hello sir. Could you please help us to solve this issue? I am running Asus Transformer and I'm having this issue. Would love to have W10 on it already but it's slowing me down.

 

[LordHellFire]

Check available space on C-drive.
Mine had only 1.78 GB and also displayed the error.
Deleted stuff so I had 20+ GB available and then setup ran fine

 

[Stealth777]

Lordhellfire is correct delete junk , uninstall programs you don't use. backup your data on thumb drives.

 

[swensdogg]

The quickest, easiest fixes, in order:
1. Check your free space. One MS poster recommended 10-13 GB (I only had 4.5 and mine worked).
2. Make sure all Time & Language settings are in English/US.
3. As noted above, reset some registry permissions.
-right click Windows Start, click run. Type "regedit", click "ok". Click Edit and choose Permissions. What I did was "Allow" "Full Control" to SYSTEM, Administrators and Users. Clicked Apply then Ok. (Mine downloaded and worked fine after this. It worked on a friends too.)

Good luck!