Win 10 Machines Stuck on old Builds that won't Update

Download Media Creation Tool and follow the instructions:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

1. Select Download tool, and select Run. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.
2. On the License terms page, if you accept the license terms, select Accept.
3. On the What do you want to do? page, select Upgrade this PC now, and then select Next.
4.  After downloading and installing, the tool will walk you through how to set up Windows 10 on your PC.
5. When Windows 10 is ready to install, you’ll see a recap of what you’ve chosen, and what will be kept through the upgrade. Select Change what to keep to set whether you would like to Keep personal files and apps, or Keep personal files only, or choose to keep Nothing during the upgrade.
6. Save and close any open apps and files you may be running, and when you’re ready, select Install.
7. It might take some time to install Windows 10, and your PC will restart a few times. Make sure you don’t turn off your PC.

If you already have Windows 10 on these machines, click on Update Now button.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Above post about the Media Creation Tool is the correct route. But in some cases, due to unknown reasons, the DIRECT step to the LATEST Win10 version will fail. Sometimes you need intermediate steps (like one PC I had, needed 1903 before 1909 would succeed).
The problem is, the MCT, only gives you the latest version. You need to find a reliable source of the OLD images (find a few backups of someone who downloaded the previous versions with MCT).

I have USB v1809 USB media (Created by the MCT).  I can send you one if you need.

Some of these suggestions I have tried, and, as always, the one that should work, using the installation tool, does not work.
I will try in with NOT keeping personal files and apps, I'd rather not as I have Fox Pro app that's pretty fussy about that, so I would have to manually uninstall that first to be able to install it again. Not sure a clean install would wipe the registry values where I could reinstall it. <sigh>

I'm a little surprised that Microsoft, who must be aware of the problem, does not allow you to visit an FTP location to grab the build you need.

I had also tried to update many builds back by waiting for the next build, and updating with the tool, but that didn't work, obviously.
Thank you for the suggestions, I will try them as time permits, and get back to you about resolution of this problem.

And now I recall the base problem.

I tried to run the downloaded installer instead of Windows Update, because WU still fails.
The installer LOOKS like it's going to take off, and then fails on a drive space error.
There is 876 GB of 931 GB available.

I have removed the machine from domain and am now working off the local administrative profile.
Of other interest, maybe not related, is the most used domain profile shows two instances in PC Properties/User profiles.
One is domain\user, no size, and the other is a mirror of that called Backup. Deleting either decimates the profile.
All other profiles I have removed as this is the only one that is used.
See original post about the Fox Pro app. I'd rather not remove the profile if I need not.

The good news is the back up image goes on slick, so I can now make mistakes with this, and have a reset option.

Your thoughts?

Just to make sure you have downloaded the latest media creation tool?  Even if the name is the same as an older copy, download it again.

Yes, 1903.
Actually, the drive space error has been in place since I tried to get past 1607.
I am thinking if I get past that, it all falls into place, but, I can't get past the drive space error.
Thank you.

I believe I've found the problem but not the cure.
Single drive, 931 GB, 876 available, so disk space isn't the problem.
Yes, it is.
Most of my machines are two partition set ups, the boot and the O/S.
This one has a 100 MB System, a 128 MB Reserved partition, and a 931 GB primary partition.
The Reserved partition is hidden from Windows Disk Management, but I can see it in DISKPART.
I wonder if the installer is seeing the Reserved partition as the O/S partition, and choking on it?

I think, since I have a sound image of this machine, I will delete the Reserved partition in DISKPART, and then try to apply the upgrade.
I'll wait a bit, to see if anyone thinks this is an, "Oh My God NO!" solution, but, nothing to lose, right?

Removal of the Reserved partition allows the machine to still boot and run.
The drive space problem persists.

Now I have the 100 MB Boot Partition, a 128 MB Unallocated space where the reserved partition was, and the Primary partition of 931 GB.
DISKPART removed the offending partition, but the unallocated space remains, "in the way."
Not sure how to fix that one.

I was able to restore the image without the 128 MB partition between the boot and the Primary, and it worked and boots and runs fine.
I now have a 100 MB boot and 931 GB Primary partition.
Windows Update still fails via the Settings/ Update module, as always with unspecified errors.
I will kill the Windows Update Assistant process, and try to do it again with the direct installer Monday.
Note to Mike Sun, I can't get far enough into the set up in Windows to even select the clean install option, when executing in Windows. I could boot to installation media, but I do not have volume licensing, so I'd rather upgrade than wipe it clean, and preserve the current operating system license.
Thank you.

Wiping clean and using the same key will still preserve your system license (both OEM and retail keys will keep working on THE SAME hardware, every time).   

OK, thanks, and this is what I struggle with, all the time.
This box came with a Windows 7 Pro CoA.
It was upgraded via "free" Windows 10, early on.

You are saying that this CoA on the machine WILL take that key as a viable activation code regardless of the installation media used?
I really struggle with Windows licensing. I have since Win 9X.
Thanks.

Proper official Win10 media WILL take the Win 7 Pro key yes.

Yes, Microsoft have streamlined the activating process since the early days. Only if there is a significant change to the hardware such as a change of motherboard would the activation fail. The whole process of activation is handled by the Microsoft activation servers on-line.

OK. I will give that a shot.

Still fails on disk space check, but can still boot back into the Windows installation.
Set up must still be looking at the current installation before anything else.

I looked at MSCONFIG compared to a working machine.
This one is stuck in Selective Start Up. If I change it to Normal, it doesn't allow me to Apply that setting.
Everything in the Boot window does not respond. I can't even select Safe Mode with options.
If I try and Apply Normal at the Start up, it appears to take it, prompts for a restart, and produces BSOD at that time. Win 10 BSOD with countdown screen, reboots, comes back into Windows fine. It reverts to Selective Start Up upon restart.

I am thinking of trying an entirely different drive now, and see what happens there, but I believe I have found the issue, but can't find resolution to it for some reason. The notebook (Dell) having the same issue is also stuck at Selective Start Up in MSCONFIG. The desktop we have been discussing here is HP hardware, so the common thread is the Selective Start Up state that I can't change. The notebook is not a domain member, the desktop is, though I have removed it from the domain to try and repair the problem.

I'll be out for a few days, so if I don't respond to suggestions right away, that's why. I'm finding this drive space issue common around the web, but not finding any resolution. Microsoft says that the MSCONFIG behavior is by design, but each machine I check that updates properly is in Normal Start Up mode.

Thank you.

You  mentioned media v1903.  You must get the media version v1909.

This appears to have no resolution, at least trying to resurrect this kernel.
I even tried both a fresh hard disk, creation of partition in diskpart, restore the image partition by partition, then recreating the boot files with bcdboot. Runs and boots just fine, still won't update, still won't take an installer, clean.

Of interest, before I close this, when booting to my backup / restore software disk, it shows some weird disk information related to disk size.
Now understand, this is with the live O/S on it that boots and runs, one 100 MB partition, one 930 GB partition.
It shows the hard disk at correct size, 931 GB, yet sees only one partition, and reports the size at 2097151 MB. When I execute the Wipe MBR command, that goes away, all normal until I copy back the boot files from the Windows directory via diskpart.

If you have anything else on this, let me know, but I think we've worn this out. There is a basic corruption here, at the boot level, that can't be resolved, at least not that I know of.