Windows 8 Windows 8.1 Installation Failed at 93%

[Marianna]

Hello there.

I bought my laptop with Windows 8 pre-installed and when the 8.1 was out, I successfully upgraded to it. Then I read about the Windows Technical Preview, I installed it and saw that it is a very very buggy version, so I tried to return back to Windows 8.1. I have attempted to install it through USB, or hard drive partitions making them both bootable etc., but it always stucks at 93%. I run it as administrator, change the compatibility settings, remove any external devices, try everything but still the same issue. What can I do? I even tried 2 different iso files for Windows 8.1 Pro x64, all to no avail. Still the same problem. Please help me out as to what to do to successfully resolve this. I have searched for this issue and tried most of the advice that was given, but nothing worked for me.

Thank you.

 

[kemical]

How long have you left it running at 93% or how long did you wait when you realised it was stuck?

 

[Marianna]

I am sorry, when I said stuck, I mean it pops up a windows where it says Windows 8.1 installation has failed and an OK button. No other options for me.

 

[kemical]

Marianna can you remember if it gives an error code? Also can you post the make and model of your machine please.

 

[Marianna]

http://i.imgur.com/qopnRoO.jpg

My laptop's information.

It doesn't give an error code, just it pops up this windows saying "Windows 8.1 Installation has failed." Nothing else.

And it does that with every method I tried that I've mentioned above.

And it's always at 93%.

I've always made sure to have every programme closed while I do this.

 

[kemical]

Sounds to me like your trying install it like an upgrade meaning your installing Windows by just clicking the install button.
You need to perform whats called a 'clean install'. You will have to boot into the Bios (usually that's F2 on laptops, press repeatedly as soon as you hear the start up or POST Beep.). Once in the bios you'll need to change the Boot order so that your machine will boot from the Windows 8.1 iso. Change the boot order so that CD/DVD is first and HDD second (unless you have 8.1 on a USB which in that case make USB first and then HDD). Save your settings, make sure your install disk is in the drive and reboot. When the machine first starts up it will check what to boot from see your changes and then ask if you want to install a new copy of windows or words to that effect and ask you to press any key to continue. Make sure you don't miss this.
Good luck!

Sorry I forgot to mention this will remove any music or pictures you may have so make sure you back up stuff you don't want to lose.

 

[Marianna]

I've already tried this, changed the boot order to my USB but still it won't load it; it will instead keep loading Windows. I've tried this 3-4 times, always with USB first in the boot priority.

 

[kemical]

Have you tried using a disk?

 

[kemical]

Can you also post what your laptop model is. I can see it's a Lenovo but thats all.

 

[Saltgrass]

Could you tell us how you installed the Technical Preview? Did you overwrite Windows 8.1 or create a new partition for it?

Any way to get us a Disk Management picture of your install?

Installing Windows 10 would have changed the Recovery Options so Windows 8 or 8.1 would not be recovered normally. Have you tried the OEM key sequence which might allow you to Reset your system back to Factory Specs, which means Windows 8 and no personal data?

Do you happen to have a System Image Backup?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Does your laptop still have it's recovery partition?

Where did you get your recovery media?

Whatever you do if you can still boot into Windows 10 back up any data that you don't want to lose, if it's on the Windows partition.

Alternately you can just wait it out, and keep using Windows 10, it should get much smoother next month when consumer preview goes live.

I'm using only Windows 10 and not having any issues that can be called major.

The worst is, what everybody is seeing, my keyboard lights don't work.

Other than that it is working pretty well.

Mike

 

[Marianna]

Hello guys and thank you for your suggestions.

I went into my BIOS and changed some settings, such as "Disable secure boot" and something about UEFI and Legacy thing (it was set to only UEFI and I selected both UEFI and Legacy). After that, it enabled to boot from the USB with the windows 8.1 installation so I performed a clean install of it (had to re-download all of my applications and thankfully I have an external HDD of 1 TB, so all of my personal documents were not lost). Lenovo for some reason does not allow to boot from USB even if you change the priority thing, so I had to perform these tasks first in the BIOS settings.

Windows 8.1 Pro yayyyyyyy:

http://i.imgur.com/HIuJB6I.png

To answer some of your questions, my laptop is Lenovo B590 ( Link Removed ), and no, I had no recovery partitions, when I installed Windows 10, it performed an upgrade from Windows 8.1, so that I would not have to install all over my programmes (I have a lot of programmes, some of them are 30GB each in size, so it does take a whole day to install everything).

Using Windows 10, I had sudden problems, like some Windows service would randomly stop and I would have no sound on my laptop while I was watching Netflix or something else, and I had to perform every time a fix to restart this service, which was annoying. I love beta testing, but not when it has such major problems. I would also experience USB problems, it would not recognise my external HDD (only sometimes) or my mobile phone when I tried to transfer photos/music/videos etc., which makes it a big waste of time.

I was quite devastated when I saw that I have to re-install everything, but thankfully, now it's all good. I am not going to install Windows 10 again until its official release is out and after I've seen some feedback that in its official release, no major bugs like the ones I had exist any more.

However, thanks everybody for trying to help me out. At least I now know have a Windows 8.1 installation on my USB ready and I know what settings to change in the BIOS to make it possible to do it all over again, if I have to.

Some things I noticed however, after the Windows 8.1 format, my boot logo screen is the Windows 8.1 instead of the Lenovo. Can I change it back to the Lenovo one?

Furthermore, I now have a System Reserved Partition, which is 350 MB. Should I delete it using the command prompt or is it essential for my Windows 8.1 working? I don't mind it, I simply want to know what it is and if I should have it.

A print-screen of it:

http://i.imgur.com/v9XlxXM.png

 

[kemical]

Hi Marianna,
glad to hear your back up and running..

Some things I noticed however, after the Windows 8.1 format, my boot logo screen is the Windows 8.1 instead of the Lenovo. Can I change it back to the Lenovo one?

Sometimes these 'splash' or 'logo' screen are enabled in the Bios. I'd check there first of all but personally I'd leave it as it's only making your boot times longer but as I said that's just a personal observation.

Furthermore, I now have a System Reserved Partition, which is 350 MB. Should I delete it using the command prompt or is it essential for my Windows 8.1 working? I don't mind it, I simply want to know what it is and if I should have it.

Yes you need it.. Windows uses it for hidden system files and the like. Apparently if one formats the HDD first using a third party app then this partition is hidden but in any case yes you need it..

 

[Marianna]

Ahhh okay, then I will leave these both matters as they are.

I also did a BIOS update after my format, so I think it's even better now!!

One last question (I am so sorry that I am wasting your time, but since this thread is open, I would like to ask you something if it is okay with you!!): You know, sometimes, you just copy and paste a program to your Program Files folder - in this instance I did this with my World of Warcraft , since it is almost 30 GB and I didn't want to waste hours to download it again. So I just copied and pasted it and using Battle.net, I located it and repaired the game, so it is now fully functional. But in the Control Panel -> Uninstall Programmes, it's not in the Add/Remove list.... Do you know how I can add this? Only if it is not a big bother to you!

Again, thank you for everything!

 

[kemical]

I do something similar with my STEAM games but what I do is save the folder that carries the games (a folder called Steam Apps) but not the whole STEAM folder. That way I can re-install STEAM as per normal but just add the games as and when. When I start up STEAM it then see's the games and adds them back to the account. I'm not sure if you could do this with WoW as I've never played it. You could always ask in the WoW forum I guess unless someone here has any ideas....

 

[Marianna]

Haha, I have done the same with Dota 2, but since it's only 6GB, I re-downloaded it yesterday.

However, I had read in a random forum once that you can add the key in the Registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall), the folder and its details, but it seemed a bit too complicated and I didn't understand exactly what to do.

Anyway, I will try and ask in the Battle.net support service and see what I can do. It is not of a big problem either way!!!!!

Thank you for your help!

 

[kemical]

Hi Marianna,
your very welcome and regarding adding the key. You were right to er on caution as unless you really know what your doing the Registry is best left well alone. It doesn't even need cleaning even though there are many Registry cleaners about they are simply not needed. Best of luck in your search..

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Many games can be just copied and pasted to wherever you want them.

I have all my games running in Windows 10.

I.e. The Elder Scrolls Online, Skyrim, Tomb Raider, The Secret World, Guild Wars 2, Age of Conan, etc. all of which work from their original installs in Windows 10.

I even have a copy of Wow on an external drive that I could copy back if I wanted to.

None of them show up in the Uninstall list because none of them are installed. If you want to get rid of them all you need to do is delete them.

The only game I actually have installed it Dragon Age Inquisition, which came out after I installed Windows 10, it's still installed on my Games Drive though not in the Programs Files folder.

I don't want anything that big on my C:\ drive.

Mike

 

[Marianna]

Hello Mike!

My problem is not this, I know I can delete it any time. I just wish it would appear in the control panel list (in the Add/Remove programs). Since it is in the Program Files folder, I would prefer if there is a way to add it also in the control panel. That was all I'm saying.

Also, I do acknowledge Windows 10 is compatible with most things, but it's still a lot buggy to have it as my main working environment - I'm in University so I need to make sure it is quite stable - don't get me wrong, I love testing beta versions as long as they are not that problematic as Windows 10 appeared to be. I'm more than willing to install it once its official release is out, after making sure people are happy with the stable version of it.

By the way, I love Skyrim! I have it on my Xbox 360 though, as my laptop has a CPU of 2,20 GHz and only 4GB RAM, which would not be sufficient to play Skyrim.

 

[KSR]

Hello guys!

My pc is fujitsu company and i am facing the same problem of windows 8.1 installation as marianna did, so any suggestions for me guys?