If you are installing your Windows operating system, and you get an error telling you “Windows could not complete the installation“, you are not alone. Many users are reporting it.
This is an annoying issue — and quite scary. Your computer is totally unusable if you can’t install the operating system. Perhaps you are anxiously thinking how you should do to get rid of this error.
But don’t worry. It is possible to fix this error. Here are four fixes you can try:
- Continue installation using advanced recovery
- Run the Windows account creation wizard
- Reinstall your system without activating it
- Find another source of installation media
Method 1: Continue installation using Automatic Repair
When your Windows installation process is stopped by the “could not complete” error, one effective method is to continue the process with the help of Advanced Recovery.
This method comes from a comment below left by I1t9t8o8. It is verified by a lot of users as truly useful for fixing the problem.
1) Turn on your computer, and then when your Windows starts to load, turn it off immediately. Do it two to three times until you see a message that says “Preparing Automatic Repair“.
2) Click Advanced options.
3) Select Troubleshoot.
4) Select Reset this PC.
5) Select Keep my files.
6) Click Cancel. (No, you don’t need to reset your computer. Just click Cancel.)
7) Select Continue.
8) If this method works for you, it’ll continue the installation process and you won’t get the error again.
If you have fixed your error, remember to create a system restore point and update all your device drivers in order to prevent more problems. To update device drivers, you can do it manually, but it can be very troublesome and time-consuming. To save your time and energy, we recommend using Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to be troubled by the wrong driver you would be downloading, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can download and install your drivers by using either Free or Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes only 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
1) Download and Install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to each of your devices to download the latest and correct driver for this device. You can also click the Update All button at the bottom right to automatically update all outdated or missing drivers on your computer (this requires the Pro version — you will be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
4) Restart your computer, then you have already had the latest drivers installed on your computer.
Method 2: Run the Windows account creation wizard
This error may also occur because the Windows account is not created normally. You can run the account creation wizard to see if this fixes the problem. To do so:
1) On the screen with the error, press the Shift key and F10 at the same time on your keyboard to bring up Command Prompt.
2) Type “cd %windir%/system32/oobe/” and press Enter on your keyboard.
3) Type “msoobe” and press Enter on your keyboard.
4) Set up an account and password there on the user account creation wizard that appears.
5) Restart your computer and see if this fixes the error.
Method 3: Reinstall your system without activating it
Sometimes the error occurs when you are trying to install a specific version of Windows (such as Windows 10 Education). In this case, you can try reinstalling your system. But this time you should choose to install the Home version and don’t activate it during the installation. After the installation completes, use the product key to activate your system. It should run fine at this time.
Method 4: Find another source of installation media
The error may result from the system installer you use — maybe it’s corrupted or incorrect. You should make sure that your installation media is from a valid source. If it isn’t, try getting another reliable installation media from Microsoft and running it on your computer. Then check to see if the error disappears.