SOVLED! “The Installation Failed In The FIRST_BOOT Phase With An Error During SYSPREP Operation”

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Once it comes to “The installation failed in the FIRST_BOOT phase with an error during SYSPREP operation”, disk space is the number one suspect and you should check it out. Aside from that, you should consider editing Windows Registry, turning off antivirus programs and firewalls, performing a clean boot, renaming SoftwareDistribution folder, running SFC and DISM scan, etc. You don’t know how to carry out the solutions on your own? Then this article could help you out. 

The Root Of The Problem

Overall, people could come across many issues during the upgrade to Windows 10. Still, regarding “The installation failed in the FIRST_BOOT phase with an error during SYSPREP operation”, you must remember the following possibilities. 

  • Lack of disk space 
  • Windows Registry 
  • Third-party apps
  • Corruption

A List Of Solutions

Check Out The Disk Space

On Windows, OS upgrade requires a lot of space so you should determine whether your C: drive features at least 32 GB of free space. If the amount of space is inadequate, use Disk Cleanup:

  • Step 1: Type ‘Disk Cleanup’ in the search bar then press Enter. 
  • Step 2: Select the C: Drive, hit OK and choose Clean up system files
  • Step 3: Pick files you wish to delete then click OK.
  • Step 4: Restart your PC 

Edit Windows Registry

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type Regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor. 

Note: If you mess up while using Registry Editor, your PC would go haywire. Thus, it’s strongly recommended that you create a backup. All you have to do is to click File, pick Export and save the backup in a secured location.

  • Step 2: Navigate to the directory: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate
  • Step 3: If you don’t see OSUpgrade on the right side, right-click WindowsUpdate, hover your mouse over New and click Key.
  • Step 4: Name the new key OSUpgrade, hit Enter and exit Registry Editor. Last but not least, restart your PC.

Turn Off Antivirus Programs And Firewalls

  • Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings, select Update & Security and choose Virus & threat protection in Windows Security.
  • Step 2: Hit Manage Settings.
  • Step 3: Toggle the switch under Real-time protection to “off”.
  • Step 4: Go to the Search bar, type Control Panel and press Enter. 
  • Step 5: Change View by to Category, select System Security and choose Windows Defender Firewall. Click Turn Windows Firewall on or off, tick Turn off Windows Firewall for Private network settings and Public network settings then pick OK. After you finish, restart your computer and upgrade Windows one more time.

Clean Boot 

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type msconfig and press Enter. 
  • Step 2: In System Configuration, navigate to Services Tab, select Hide all Microsoft services and choose Disable all.
  • Step 3: Navigate to the Startup tab, hit Open Task Manager and disable everything you see.
  • Step 4: Close Task Manager, return to System Configuration and hit OK to save the changes.  
  • Step 5: Restart your computer, upgrade Windows and see how things turn out. 

Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type cmd and hit Run as administrator.
  • Step 2: In Command Prompt (Admin), run each of the commands down below:
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net stop cryptSvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver
  • Step 3: Proceed to run the following commands in Command Prompt (Admin) to rename SoftwareDistribution folder:
    • ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
  • Step 4: Run these commands in Command Prompt (Admin) to restart Windows update components. 
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start cryptSvc
    • net start bits
    • net start msiserver
  • Step 5: Restart your computer. 

Run SFC And DISM Scan

  • Step 1: Go to Search bar, type cmd and hit Run as administrator.
  • Step 2: In Command Prompt (Admin), run the command sfc /scannow to perform the SFC scan. 
  • Step 3: As soon as the SFC scan concludes, run each of the following commands in Command Prompt (Admin) to perform the DISM scan.
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
    • DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  • Step 4: Close Command Prompt, restart your computer and upgrade Windows again. 

Additional Questions Regarding Windows

What Should I Do When My Computer Freezes During Windows Update?

  • Wait
  • Unplug non-essential hardware.
  • Restart 
  • Run Windows Update troubleshooter. 

How Do I Keep Windows Up-To-Date? 

To get the most out of Windows, you should keep an eye out for updates. By going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates, you could tell if an update is available. Besides that, you could enable Automatic Updates as well. 

Do I Need A License To Use Windows?

In layman’s terms, you need a license to install Windows on your computer. While unlicensed Windows exist, remember that running unlicensed Windows versions exposes your PC to a wide range of risks. 

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