Help! Windows 10 won't update to 1903

[Buddhaz_Priest]

So the title is pretty self--explanatory. I have kind of wanted to do some tinkering with that new Quake II RTX Demo on my GTX 1070 but I can't use any of the RTX features in my version of Windows from what I can find (I'm on 1803). So I tried checking for updates - no luck. That was a few weeks back, so I thought maybe it's not widely available yet, went to Windows' online service and downloaded the manual update files such as Windows 10 update assistant, etc. It recognized that I could update to 1903, downloaded everything and began the update. At such time it starts to do the Windows restarts for the installs etc I was getting a BSOD multiple times before Windows 10 would revert to my 1803 install due to failures. 

 

Cut to today: I learned that Windows 10 v1903 should be available to all users who click the "check for updates" button in their settings so I thought, maybe since it's now publicly available for all that it would work for me at last. No dice, it says there are no updates available, and I'm still stuck on 1803. Is there a compatibility issue I'm unaware of? Is my hardware too old or something? I'm lost here. I tried deleting my update files thinking maybe something was corrupt there and redownloading, nothing. I'm just looking for any help here, I really don't want to go back to a clean windows install (though it's really been long enough since my last I'm probably due - about 2 to 2 1/2 years.) Here's my specs:

 

ASROCK X79 Extreme 6/GB

Intel i7-3820 @ 4.2 GHz

16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws Z series @ 2133MHz

Gigabyte GTX 1070 G1 Gaming

Intel 730 SSD

2TB Seagate Barracuda 64MB/7200RPM

[DrMacintosh]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/software-download/windows10

[Guest]

I doubt your setup is too old.

My X79-Deluxe machine took 1903 w/ no issue while my 2950X machine fails at stage 3.

I plan on just doing a clean install in a couple of weeks. You may have to go that route as well.

 

You could also try upgrading from an ISO: Here is a link to one from Microsoft. The link will die in 24hrs.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

25 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

I doubt your setup is too old.

My X79-Deluxe machine took 1903 w/ no issue while my 2950X machine fails at stage 3.

I plan on just doing a clean install in a couple of weeks. You may have to go that route as well.

 

You could also try upgrading from an ISO: Here is a link to one from Microsoft. The link will die in 24hrs.

I've read about doing the upgrade from the ISO and from what I understand I wouldn't need to do a fresh install with that route? Do I run the risk of losing all my data if it fails? I've never actually done an in-place upgrade such as that.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Buddhaz_Priest said:

I've read about doing the upgrade from the ISO and from what I understand I wouldn't need to do a fresh install with that route? Do I run the risk of losing all my data if it fails? I've never actually done an in-place upgrade such as that.

It will just roll back changes if it fails in most cases. However, losing your data is ALWAYS a risk.

An in place upgrade does not take the place of properly backing up your data in case something goes wrong.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

41 minutes ago, Den-Fi said:

It will just roll back changes if it fails in most cases. However, losing your data is ALWAYS a risk.

An in place upgrade does not take the place of properly backing up your data in case something goes wrong.

I'm aware of all of that, I just really don't have time to do the re-install right now. And frankly I need to get a larger external drive for the backup for everything I need. All I have is 500GB right now and just in photos I need about 1TB. When I get a larger drive I'll do a thorough backup, right now I've backed up the necessities but not the things I'd like to keep like vacation photos etc.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Buddhaz_Priest said:

I'm aware of all of that, I just really don't have time to do the re-install right now. And frankly I need to get a larger external drive for the backup for everything I need. All I have is 500GB right now and just in photos I need about 1TB. When I get a larger drive I'll do a thorough backup, right now I've backed up the necessities but not the things I'd like to keep like vacation photos etc.

Idk that Quake II RTX is worth all that w/ a GTX. I know @givingtnt played it on his 1070 and it was not all that usable unless it was 800x600.

[givingtnt]

Hello !

Yes, I have played it on my 1070 and it's truely awefull.

Unless I was at min settings, min resolution, it was unplayable.

 

You could.. see the effects I guess of some light bounce.. but nothing remotely close to the demos.

 

Don't waste your time and don't risk your photos.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Yeah it's probably not worth the trouble but then once I started noticing issues with it to update at all it kind of became a quest in and of itself just to make it work you know? I kind of got myself into a "don't tell me what I can't do" kind of mood.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Buddhaz_Priest said:

Yeah it's probably not worth the trouble but then once I started noticing issues with it to update at all it kind of became a quest in and of itself just to make it work you know? I kind of got myself into a "don't tell me what I can't do" kind of mood.

Ah, yes. I've been there lol.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

I think we all have. I call it "enthusiasm," my wife calls me "obsessive" and "annoying" when I'm still jabbing away at my keyboard on a problem at 2am. Some people just don't understand.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

I guess what's most annoying in all of this is that I should be able to update, I'm on 1803 and when I hit "check for updates" it tells me I'm all up to date. Doesn't even give me the option to update to 1903. That's why I'm most confused.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Okay sorry to spam the post, but I have created media for an upgrade and I'm gonna give it a shot. Wish me luck everyone, I'm going in o7

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Okay! I think I have an answer here.... Sort of. I treid the Upgrade to Windows 10 and got an error "This PC can't be upgraded to Windows 10" I clicked the more information button and am being told that because of a drive reassignment issue with Windows 10 that I can't have any removable media connected to my machine. The only removable media I have is the USB containing the upgrade. But It won't install with any non-USB means either. The system says it could be an internal drive that is the problem as well. Do I need to disconnect one of my internal drives? I currently have 3 drives. My C drive on my 240GB SSD that is my windows install, my D drive which is a 2 TB Hard drive for mass storage, and then a small 60 GB SATA 2 SSD as drive H. Do I perhaps need to disconnect one or more of these drives? I'm thinking I disconnect the small H SSD drive first and see if that works?

[Screen]

3 minutes ago, Buddhaz_Priest said:

Okay! I think I have an answer here.... Sort of. I treid the Upgrade to Windows 10 and got an error "This PC can't be upgraded to Windows 10" I clicked the more information button and am being told that because of a drive reassignment issue with Windows 10 that I can't have any removable media connected to my machine. The only removable media I have is the USB containing the upgrade. But It won't install with any non-USB means either. The system says it could be an internal drive that is the problem as well. Do I need to disconnect one of my internal drives? I currently have 3 drives. My C drive on my 240GB SSD that is my windows install, my D drive which is a 2 TB Hard drive for mass storage, and then a small 60 GB SATA 2 SSD as drive H. Do I perhaps need to disconnect one or more of these drives? I'm thinking I disconnect the small H SSD drive first and see if that works?

I Did recently upgraded from 1803 to 1903 using the ISO file downloaded from MS. 
You can boot from the ISO and Use Upgrade option to install it. I did the upgrade option. Running it on a USB while inside windows will throw the error as you mentioned due to it being on a USB. You won't have to remove any thing if you boot from the usb and upgrade it that way. Or Try mounting the ISO on windows and upgrade it from within.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

3 minutes ago, Screen said:

I Did recently upgraded from 1803 to 1903 using the ISO file downloaded from MS. 
You can boot from the ISO and Use Upgrade option to install it. I did the upgrade option. Running it on a USB while inside windows will throw the error as you mentioned due to it being on a USB. You won't have to remove any thing if you boot from the usb and upgrade it that way. Or Try mounting the ISO on windows and upgrade it from within.

I tried booting from the USB and upgrading from there and it told me that was not possible, it had to be done from within Windows. I'll try mounting the ISO next.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Well I'm back with another failure. Upon windows rolling back after BSODs again I received this:

 

"We couldn't install Windows 10

We've set your PC back to the way it was before you started installing Windows 10

 

0xC1900101 - 0x30017

The installation failed in the FIRST_BOOT phase with an error during BOOT operation"

It then gives me a "Troubleshooting tips" link that points to here.

 

I suspect this is due to a driver issue with something, but for all my searching, Windows can't seem to clue me in to what the heck the conflicting hardware is.

 

As I was typing this I thought of one potential conflict. I have my Oculus Rift and its sensors plugged in right now. Could it simply be that Windows 10 isn't recognizing that hardware? Outside of basic mouse, keyboard, monitor and internal storage, that is the only thing connected right now.

 

I think that my next try will be to unhook all of that and give it another stab. But it's 2300hrs right now and my wife is trying to sleep so I'll probably save that attempt for morning. Thank you everyone for your help, and if you have any ideas in the meantime, please feel free to throw them my way, I'll be sure to check back here before I try again.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

19 hours ago, Den-Fi said:

My X79-Deluxe machine took 1903 w/ no issue

My Phenom X4 runs 1903 without issues.... i did clean install it but it will definetily run on OP's system.

[Buddhaz_Priest]

New update:

I unhooked literally everything except my internal storage devices, keyboard, mouse, and monitor.... Still won't update. Next I'm going to unhook my additional 60TB SSD and only leave my mass storage and windows drive, and try again. Has anyone got any ideas or clues here? I could do a clean wipe i suppose. I just don't want to buy another external drive or something to backup all my extra goodies, etc.

[1pezza]

My motherboard is Asrock x79 extreme9, cpu intel core i7-3820 3.60ghz. I have the exact same issue. I had to clean install 1803 as i couldn't upgrade to it, I have since tried to update to 1809 and get the blue screen with the same error message. I suspect i will need to clean install (staying away from 1903 as some group policy settings do not seem to work on another tested machine). I don't want to clean install again as i have licensed software all over the place and customised settings. I tried upgrading from USB, locally and tried uninstalling my graphics driver, I have tried to upgrade multiple times with different variations. Can't pin down the driver issue. 

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Well new update, I've now unhooked everything except my C drive, so as to avoid that issue with drive allocation etc, no dice. Still won't update. And now that Xbox live ultimate is here and Xbox game pass for PC is a thing it's even MORE important I get this updated. PC Xbox game pass requires version 1903 to work.

 

Blue screen stop code: RLQS not less or equal

[TheDelphiDude]

If Windows update doesn't offer the 1903, it might be because there is something on your system that is not compatble with newer builds of Windows. Since it's unlikely that the hardware is at fault, there might be a piece software that doesn't play nice with 1903.

 

Having said that, was 1809 ever offered through Windows update? Even though you should be able to go from 1803 to 1903 without problems, the fact that an earlier major update is also missing is somewhat telling.

 

At this point I recommend trying to go to 1809 first, using the 1809 media creation tool below:

Windows 10 media creation tool for 1809

[Buddhaz_Priest]

Ill try that tomorrow when I get off work, and let you know how it goes. 

[Buddhaz_Priest]

I'm only just now getting some free time to try this. I'm gonna see what happens with 1809, but if I recall correctly it was never offered to me and failed in a similar manner. Can't clearly remember though, so might as well try again. Next step I take is just next paycheck to pick up a 2 tb external drive or something and dump everything I need onto it and then wipe it and start fresh. It's been way longer since a fresh install than I really should given how much tinkering I do on various things (like 3-4 years or so?) so honestly it's probably best anyway.

[1pezza]

Well... after clean installing windows 1903 on a new hard drive i did some testing on my old windows install. I uninstalled 5 batches of software at a time until i found what was causing the issue. Drivecrypt. My hard drive isn't encrypted, it was simply the software being installed which was blocking the build updates.