Windows 11 25H2 Won’t Install – Common Fixes 

Just when it seems you’re over the hurdle of installing Windows 11 24H2, along comes its successor a year later to make your life difficult all over again. If you’re struggling to install the latest major update from Microsoft, then we’ve got a few fixes for you to try.

Here’s what to do when Windows 11 25H2 won’t install.

Windows 11 25H2 Won’t Install – Fixes to Try

Let’s get straight into it. There could be any number of reasons the update isn’t working on your machine, so it’s worth trying all fixes until the issue is resolved:

Check Your Disk Space

Updates need space to download and install before they’re integrated with the OS. If your installation is running into trouble, maybe you don’t have enough space.

You can use Storage Sense to free up space. Find this in Settings, under “Storage.” Once there, you’ll see the overall disk space on your main hard drive. You can then clear individual areas.

Storage Sense automatically deletes unused files from your machine to keep space free. If you don’t mind this, then it’s a great way to keep room open.

Run a Disk Check and Scan

A major cause behind a failed update is some form of corruption in system files. A good one-two combo is to run a System File Checker (SFC) scan and follow it up with a DISM repair to detect and fix any issues. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Open the Run Dialog (Win + R) and type “cmd” before pressing (Ctrl + Shift + Enter) to run as Admin.

Step 2. In Command Prompt, type: “sfc /scannow” and press “Enter.” Let the process run.

Step 3. Once the process is done, restart your machine.

If the issue persists, go for the DISM:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt in the same way.

Step 2. Type “DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth” and hit “Enter.”

Step 3. Let the process run and restart your machine afterwards.

Clear Your Update Cache

If you can’t update to Windows 11 25H2, then another reason could be a corrupted or incomplete download of the update files. Clearing the update cache will let you start fresh. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open Command Prompt and Run as Admin.

Step 2. Type “net stop wuauserv” and hit “Enter” to stop the update process.

Step 3. Open an Explorer window (Win + E) and navigate to the following directory: “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.”

Step 4. Delete all the contents inside the folder. Restart your computer, and Windows will recreate all files again, giving you a fresh start.

Reinstall With System Recovery

You can also use Windows 11 system recovery to attempt a reinstall of the update. To do this:

Step 1. Open Settings (Win + I) and click “System” in the sidebar.

Step 2. Click “Recovery.”

Step 3. Then click “Fix problems using Windows Update,” and hit the “Reinstall Now” button.

Step 4. Let the process run.