Feature update to Windows 10, version 1903 cannot be installed on machines with 32G drives

Hi John, you would be amazed how many users with 32GB of internal storage ask the exact same question on Community each day . . .

Honestly, there is only one answer, backup your data and perform a clean install of the 32Bit version of Windows 10 - that will give you 10GB more internal storage space - I know this is not the answer you are looking for, but it is the only and best Answer. You will then have enough space for the next year of Windows 10 updates and your system will be faster . ..

Any device with a 32 GB SSD is not good enough to run Windows 10, regardless of the system specs put out by Microsoft.

I honestly don't know why the manufacturers produced these devices.

The Windows 10 folder with a couple of updates will very quickly eat up 20 - 25GB of your hard drive, mine is currently 23GB

You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time and it will not cost you anything, however you will not have enough space to create the bootable Windows 10 media, you will need to do that on another working PC

Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Home, Pro . . . etc.) you previously had installed to avoid Activation issues

Click this link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...
to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

If you have problems booting from a boot disc, you may have UEFI BIOS:
Insert the Bootable Installation Media, then go into your BIOS and make the following changes:
1. Disable Secure Boot
2. Enable Legacy Boot
3. If Available enable CSM
4. If Required enable USB Boot
5. Move the device with the bootable disc to the top of the boot order
6. Save BIOS changes, restart your System and it should boot from the Installation Media

Thank you. 

Before I do this can I check something? - the link you provide leads to the 'Windows 10 May 2019 Update.' Does this already include Windows 10, version 1903 update? I am worried that after installing 10 May 2019 Update I will simply be faced with the same problem. 

Thanks again.

Hi Johne

Yes, the Windows 10 ISO/Installation media will contains version 1903 of Windows 10, make sure to install the 32bit version of that to preserve as much space as possible . .

I have followed the steps and successfully booted from the USB. Sadly the new version of Windows cannot write over the old version. It cannot make use of the current partitions. 

I remember having a similar problem with a small hard disc in the past- it was possible to remove that disc and reformat it  - this disc is soldered in and cannot be removed and put in a caddy.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

Hi Johne

At the start of the installation process, there will be a window with 2 buttons, choose the bottom button (Custom Install Windows Only)

Then on the next window, select each partition and click Delete until you have only 1 unallocated space remaining

Select that unallocated space and click Next to install Windows . . .

I have a very popular model of laptop with a 32 GB eMMC and I am and experienced user and IT teacher.

After many attempts including removing all software except for the operating system I have come to the conclusion that this update cannot be installed on machines with this specification as the internal memory is too small. Attaching external memory does not solve the problem.

Can you confirm that this is true and suggest a solution. For example do windows plan to release / split this update into two smaller updates.

I think many users will be asking this question at this time.

Thank You.

my window 10 also can not install the update

I followed the instructions suggested by DaveM121 above and have succeeded in updating my machine.

It is a little worrying that you must delete all but one partition and so I guess you are deleting the previous recovery options but it all went well for me and my machine does seem to be running faster - though I think that is in part due to the fact that it was forever trying to update and failing.

 

You still must do update 1903 AFTER the reinstall which is annoying but there is sufficient room to do that this way.

I did not need to re-enter the product ID for Windows and luckily still had a copy of the product id for MS Office - which I did have to re-enter. I suggest you record any product id's before doing this. 

 

It no longer has the Lenovo software that came with the machine but I'm not going to miss that - I hope!

As DaveM121 says I do not think it is possible to update any other way. I stripped Windows down to the minimum  - even removing fonts  - but still did not have sufficient room to update. It is a pretty poor show that so many machines have been sold with 32G drives when 64G would have added very little to the price tag.

I can confirm that this works. 

If this happens again next year I think I'll install Ubuntu. 

Thank you DaveM121.