tried to upgrade my Windows 10 Pro installation to Windows 11 Pro

On Friday Feb 2nd, 2024 I tried to upgrade my Windows 10 Pro installation to Windows 11 Pro and received an error on KB5034203 - 0x80070643 and went to the Microsoft Support pages. I tried the suggested workaround and had no luck. Thinking that it was me and that due to tiredness I had messed the steps up, I decided to try again today.

Overnight, a Microsoft update went through, but I received an error on KB5034441 - 0x80070643. After I received this error message and tried the suggested workaround; once again, unsuccessfully. This time I thought I'd try to upgrade my Windows 10 Pro installation via an earlier Windows 11 build.

I cloned my C: drive as a precaution and then tried to install "Win11_English_x64v1.iso".  I found Win11_English_x64v1.iso in my "Windows 11 Files" directory and decide to unzip it to "Win11_English_x64v1" subdirectory and run "Setup.exe" from there. Furthermore, I Googled the file name and found it at Internet Archive (archive.org). I understand it is the June 17, 2021 version.

My rationale was that being a much older build, it would be unlikely to suffer from the present errors.

I was right, and this build installed and updated my Windows 10 Pro to Windows 11 Pro with only two alerts. The first was that my Start-is-back application would not install, and the second was that during the upgrade I would not be able to use my computer.

A quick look at "Start\Settings\System\About" shows that Windows is reporting my installation as Version 21H2 OS build 22000.318.

This upgrade took place at 6:00pm and by 6:26pm Windows 11 Pro had been installed and was reporting ready for use. It's now 9:00pm, so the upgrade is very recent, but so far everything I've tried works very well. I had no problems with the installation. All of my programs and settings, including Fences-5, seem to have remained intact and functioning. I have installed Open Start as I do not like the Windows 11 Start menu. With Open-Start I can choose 3 Start Menu styles and revert to standard Windows 11 Start with one or two mouse clicks. I hope that my Windows 11 Pro will eventually update to the latest version in due course of time.

Have I made a monumental blunder here, or does this seem to be an effective workaround while Microsoft blunders its way to a solution?

Cheers, ianken51

Hi, next time would suggest go here : https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 as 21H whatever was too old that you got, this is current.

Follow install Instructions only.

Flawed Install and possibly worse............

What you did is what we suggest when having issues. It is called a Repair Upgrade Install but needs to work with the same Windows build that you are  on as per :

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/repair-install-windows-11-with-an-in-place-upgrade.418/

 

My rationale was that being a much older build, it would be unlikely to suffer from the present errors.

Above is Flawed Thinking.

As per your Start Menu it means only that the current version is not compatible I would think.   Note : there is no such thing as : Open-Start

If you mean below and are using a older version suggest you update through the below link.

(I use Open Shell Menu and have at times got errors such as yours but after stuck it in.)

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/open-shell-brings-back-the-glory-days-of-the-windows-start-menu/

I just wish i had Win 10 on my new bought laptop as with all new non Apple laptops, come with Win 11 installed.

It's just not what i like in an OS not implying Win 10 was great, but it's a better OS then 11 IMHO am sure other forum members will differ with me about this.