Now, this issue is not only limited to Windows 8.1 users. Rather, in some cases, the issue can be even triggered when you are trying to update your current Windows 10 installation from an old version to a newer one. Nonetheless, the point is the issue can be very tedious, and solving it can be a bit problematic. Often users go with a clean install without trying the possible solutions beforehand to see if that solves the problem for them. But before we get into that, let us go through the different causes of the issue. Now that we have gone through the possible causes of the error message, we will go through the various methods that you can use to fix the issue. However, before we begin, the first thing that you should do is to perform an SFC scan on your computer to check if there are any corrupt files. This happened to because of the issue for one of the users and it might very well be for you. Once you have done that and you still face the error message, proceed with the solutions given down below.
Method 1: Unplug External Peripheral Devices
One of the things that you can do to resolve the issue is to remove any external devices that are connected with your system. As it turns out, one of the reasons why the error message may occur is due to external peripheral devices that you have connected. This happens when the device that is connected to your PC interferes with the installation process and as a result, it is not able to proceed. This happened with one of the users and it may be the case with you as well. Therefore, if you have any USB adapters or anything unnecessary connected to the PC, unplug them and then try performing the upgrade. See if that fixes the issue.
Method 2: Run the Update Troubleshooter
Windows has an official tool that you can use to troubleshoot any issues that you may face while updating your system. While this tool comes built-in in Windows 10, if you are using Windows 8.1, you will have to download it from the website through the link that we will provide down below. The troubleshooter will look for any issues that it may find and then try to resolve them. Follow the instructions down below to fix this issue:
Method 3: Rename Old Migration Files
Another way that you can fix the issue is by renaming the old migration files that are stored in the System32 directory inside your Windows folder. In some cases, you will have to rename these files so that the installer can create new migration files and to prevent these from interfering with the process. This can be done very easily via a few commands, so just follow through.
Method 4: Remove Developer Mode Package
As it turns out, the developer mode package from Microsoft can also cause the issue at times. In such a case, what you have to do is simply remove the package via the DISM tool and that should resolve the issue for you. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
Method 5: Perform an In-Place Upgrade by Mouting the Current Version of Windows
If the above solutions do not work out for you, do not worry, because all hope is not lost yet. What you can do is use the installer to install the current version of the Windows again while choosing the keep files and apps option. This will ensure that your files are not lost and you will still have the data. Once you have done that, you can try performing an in-place upgrade to the latest version of the Windows available. This will require you to have the ISO of the Windows that you have currently installed. If you do not have it, please skip this method. To do this, follow the instructions down below: In the worst-case scenario, if even that does not work for you, then sadly, you have no other option but to perform a clean install of Windows 10. We have a detailed guide on this present here that takes you through the whole process. However, before you proceed with performing a clean install, make sure that you have backed up your important data as you will be formatting your hard disk.
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