14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 was launched more than a month ago, and unfortunately, the upgrade process from a previous version of Windows didn't go exactly as planned and many users encountered errors that blocked the deployment process from being completed.
One of the most common errors that interrupted the setup process is 80040020, which makes it impossible to install Windows 10 due to what Microsoft called corrupt files.
There are two ways to address this problem, and we discussed both here and here, but for a number of users, nothing seems to work. With only 11 months left to perform the free upgrade, it's not surprise that people are getting frustrated and everyone impacted by this issue is calling for the company to address the problem once and for all.
“Tried all of these instructions. They do what they say they do, but they are useless I still get error 80240020. this is a complete waste of time. Ill stick to my Mac and leave the PC on Windows 7,” one disappointed user wrote in a Microsoft Community thread that counts 67 pages.
Use the Media Creation Tool
Those who cannot perform the direct upgrade to Windows 10 can always turn to the Media Creation Tool, which helps them install the operating system without waiting in queue to receive the upgrade from Microsoft's servers.
Additionally, you can try several other workarounds that basically involve getting rid of the corrupt files that the Windows 10 installer can't deal with.
To do this, navigate to the following path and delete everything found in the folder:
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
After that, run a Command Prompt window with administrator privileges (right-click the Start menu and hit Command Prompt Admin) and type the following command:
wuauclt.exe /updatenow
The next time you check for Windows updates, the free upgrade to Windows 10 should be there. Some claim that error code 80040020 could still show up despite this, so the Media Creation Tool might be the only option.