Failed to start the windows installation process. Unable to complete the windows installation process. Windows Setup was unable to configure Windows to work with hardware

About a month ago, a friend brought a laptop with a broken operating system. I didn’t ask unnecessary questions about what exactly happened to the laptop, but it didn’t want to boot. Unfortunately, I can't remember the error now. Since she did not need the data on the hard disk, "and to be honest, there was nothing there except the operating system," I connected a usb flash drive and proceeded to install the operating system.

The installation of the Windows 7 operating system took place in a calm and normal mode, but at the very last stage (at 100% installation) an error suddenly popped up: The Windows setup program was unable to configure Windows to work with the hardware of this computer (Unfortunately, I did not take a photo)


I did not attach much importance to this error, and the computer rebooted. As it turned out a little later, Windows 7 refused to boot.

Once again I had to reinstall the system, but alas, just before completion, I get the same error "Windows Setup was unable to configure Windows to work with the hardware on this computer.".

First solution

During the installation of Windows, as soon as this error popped up, do not click the "Continue" button. Press the SHIFT + F10 key combination on the keyboard. You will be presented with a command prompt window.


We need to go to the folder C: / Windows / System32 / oobe / and run the application msoobe.exe... To navigate between folders, use the command CD... Just follow all the steps as in the picture, and you will start the Windows setup.

Cd /
- cd Windows / System32 / oobe / (Use backslash instead of /)
- msoobe.exe

We fill in the fields, and we can complete the Windows installation in the usual way.

Second solution

At that time, I still did not know that the error could be related to the BIOS settings, but not so long ago I just ran into a similar problem. Before booting Windows, I have

One of the common problems for Windows 10 users is the message “We were unable to configure Windows updates. Undoing changes in progress "or" We were unable to complete the updates. Cancellation of changes. Do not turn off your computer "after restarting your computer to finish installing updates.

Windows 10 has built-in diagnostics for fixing update problems. Just as in the previous case, two situations may arise: the system boots, or Windows 10 constantly reboots, all the time reporting that it was not possible to complete the update configuration.

In the first case, follow these steps:


In the second situation, it is more difficult:

  1. Follow steps 1-3 from the section on clearing the update cache (get to the command line in the recovery environment launched from a bootable USB flash drive or disk).
  2. bcdedit / set (default) safeboot minimal
  3. Reboot your computer from the hard drive. Safe mode should open.
  4. In Safe Mode, at the command prompt, enter the following commands in order (each will run the troubleshooter, go through one first, then go the second).
  5. msdt / id BitsDiagnostic
  6. msdt / id WindowsUpdateDiagnostic
  7. Disable safe mode with the command: bcdedit / deletevalue (default) safeboot
  8. Reboot your computer.

It might work. But, if the second scenario (cyclic restart) has not been able to fix the problem by now, then you may have to use Windows 10 reset (this can be done while saving data by booting from a bootable USB flash drive or disk). More details - (see the last of the described methods).

Windows 10 updates failed to complete due to duplicate user profiles

One more, little where described cause of the problem "Failed to complete updates. Cancellation of changes. Do not turn off your computer "in Windows 10 - problems with user profiles. How to fix it (important: what is below is on your own responsibility, you can potentially spoil something):


When the procedure is complete, restart your computer and try installing Windows 10 updates again.

Additional ways to fix the error

If all the proposed solutions to the problem of canceling changes due to the fact that it was not possible to configure or complete the Windows 10 updates were not successful, there are not many options left:

  1. Try it now, delete content SoftwareDistribution \ Download, re-download the updates and start installing them.
  2. Remove third-party antivirus, restart your computer (required for the uninstallation to complete), install updates.
  3. Perhaps useful information can be found in a separate article:.
  4. Try the long way to restore the original state of Windows Update components, described on the official Microsoft website

And finally, in the case when all else fails, it may be the best option.

author Lizaveta asked a question in the section Software

unable to complete the Windows 7 setup process on the laptop. and got the best answer

Answer from Nik Good [active]
The preinstalled operating system can be restored from a hidden partition. Recovery is activated by simultaneously pressing the Alt and F10 keys when the computer boots up (at the moment the logo appears). hold down the Alt key and press F10 repeatedly. It doesn't always work the first time, so try it a few times. Next, in the menu that appears, click "start restore to factory default settings" or "restore system to factory defaults". The recovery process will begin. Attention! Data on drive c: will be erased. That is, it is necessary to knowingly copy important information.

Answer from Zaykos[guru]
Take another image!


Answer from Dmitry Getzman[guru]
If something constantly hangs or breaks during installation, first of all, the RAM should be checked for errors. Since it is through it that the entire unpacking process passes, respectively, if it works with errors, then the result will be an installation error. Especially if it hangs in different places or issues errors - then it's probably the case. You can read in detail and step by step how and how to check the RAM here
if not she - see the hard drive. But, that's all, provided that you are sure of the distribution itself.


Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: I can't complete the Windows 7 installation process on my laptop.

You are trying to install an update in Windows 10, but a notification is displayed that it cannot be completed, after the system starts to undo the changes. Let's learn more about how to fix this error.

Errors that cannot complete the installation are not new to users. Many have encountered an error in Windows 7, in which the system notifies that the updates could not be completed, and then starts the process of undoing the changes. Since some time, more and more users have seen this problem in Windows 10.

The system downloads the updates correctly and displays the information that they are ready to be installed. If you ignore the installation, then after a while the OS itself will "throw out" a notification that it is necessary to update Windows, offering to restart the computer to complete the operation.

And this is where the problem begins. The update is theoretically installed, but at some point there is a warning about a possible failure. A notification "We were unable to complete the updates" appears, and below the screen displays "Canceling changes" - Windows 10 begins the uninstall procedure and rolls back the system to the state before it was installed. And so over and over again, every time you try to update the OS. How to fix?

Method number 1. Windows Update Troubleshooter

To get started, you can use the Windows 10 Automated Troubleshooter. It's an official downloadable tool from Microsoft. The utility diagnoses the system area for the presence of faults in it, and then tries to solve them using basic methods. The effectiveness may be less or more, depending on the problem, but it is always worth giving this program a chance when we start solving problems.

Download troubleshooting tool

Once downloaded, launch the utility and follow the instructions on the screen. The program will automatically search for problems and then try to fix them.

If a notification appears that "" has been restored, you can try updating the system.

Method number 2. Clearing the SoftwareDistribution folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder contains update installers. The problem could be due to the fact that they are damaged or a compatibility error. Therefore, it is worth deleting the contents of this folder and restarting the service.

To be able to do this, you must temporarily stop the service, otherwise file deletion will be blocked.

Press the Win + R keyboard shortcut and enter the command:

Find the service in the list, right-click on it and select "Stop". The service will be suspended.

Press the Win + R keys again at the same time, enter the path to the directory below and press Enter:

C: \ Windows \ SoftwareDistribution

All contents of the SoftwareDistribution directory must be deleted - it must remain empty.

After deleting all files from the folder, open the list of services again (enter the command "services.msc" in the run window), find, right-click on it and select "Run".

Now try updating your system.