Difficulties Installing Windows 10 on NUC10I5FNH

[Milton_Kuo]

I am having a terrible time installing Windows 10 (64-bit edition) from a DVD onto my recently purchased NUC10I5FNH with 32 GB of Crucial RAM (2, 16 GB SODIMMs) and a 512 GB Samsung 970 Pro SSD.

I boot from the Windows 10 DVD and begin the install process until I see the dialog box with the big "Install Now" button which I click. At this point, a check list of install steps that the Windows 10 installer goes through is shown.

1. Copying Windows files
2. Getting files ready for installation
3. Installing features
4. Installing updates
5. Finishing up

Every step passes until the final stage, "Finishing up." At this point, a message box is shown that says, "Windows could not update the computer's boot configuration. Installation cannot proceed."

From what I can gather, the SSD has been partitioned properly by the Windows installer and various Windows files have been copied to the partitions. What appears to have failed is copying over of the BCD information. Also, when I boot from the DVD and use the recovery tools to launch a Command Prompt, I can see that the Windows executable files are on X: drive but not on the C: drive.

I am fairly experienced with computers (software developer, have built computers since the MS-DOS days) and have successfully installed Windows 10 on a 7th generation NUC but this has really stumped me. Is there some not-so-obvious trick that I'm missing that's required to get Windows 10 to install on this latest generation of NUCs?

[AlHill]

Create a USB stick following the procedure here to create the install media.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

When installing, choose custom, and delete all partitions on the SSD, then install to the unallocated space.

Also, make sure your NUC is set for UEFI boot prior to the install.

Doc

[Milton_Kuo]

Thanks for your reply but is it really necessary for me to create a Windows 10 boot/install image on a USB drive instead of just booting from the DVD? I don't have a USB drive large enough to hold an image at the moment.... Why can't I just install from the DVD, which is what I had successfully done previously with a 7th generation NUC?

[AlHill]

Yes.

Doc

[Milton_Kuo]

Would it be possible for you to tell me why I must use a USB drive? 😀 Even Microsoft's own web site seems to indicate that it is perfectly fine to use the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool to make a DVD.

[AlHill]

Because it has always worked. You can probably get one at the local 7-11. They are cheap, and an easy solution.

If you do not want to try it, fine. Good luck with Microsoft support and your dvd.

Doc

[n_scott_pearson]

Provided that the DVD process properly boots up using UEFI, it should be ok. If it doesn't, however (and it didn't used to; that's why Al is suggesting staying away from the DVD process), best to go with USB flash drive.

...S

[Milton_Kuo]

Al and Scott:

Thank you both for your answers. I have created a bootable USB drive and got the same failure described in my initial message. I am certain that the DVD is good because the installion succeeds on an older generation NUC. I am going to use the Windows Media Creation Tool to download the newest Windows 10 binaries and see if that makes a difference.

If I ever manage to get an operating system installed on the NUC10 😀 , I'll update this thread with the details.

[AlHill]

" I have created a bootable USB drive and got the same failure described in my initial message. "

How did you create the usb drive - by using the Microsoft download site like I asked you to do?

Also, time for you to modernize. DVD are not of much value in todays world. To me, they are like floppy diskettes. Get a couple of USB sticks for yourself.

Doc

[n_scott_pearson]

I have to agree with Al. If all you did was move the image from a DVD to a USB flash stick, this wouldn't have changed anything (hence why your reinstall attempt failed). You really need to use the latest Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and have it suck down the latest image and set it up on the flash disk properly.

For the installation, remember two things:

1. Make sure you boot from the USB flash disk in UEFI mode.
2. When you get to the screen where you specify the partition to install to, delete *ALL* existing partitions, select the Unallocated space entry and then press Install..

Hope this helps,

...S

[Milton_Kuo]

The problem was the ISO image as I was using an Windows 10 Enterprise DVD I have from an old MSDN subscription. I was pig-headed about using that because I wanted the more restricted telemetry and reduced shovelware. Once I downloaded a newer ISO image, the install completed without a hitch.

As far as I can tell, my problems had nothing to do with my attempting to install from a DVD versus a USB memory token. It would have been far more helpful had I been told, "If you're using an older image, download the latest one from Microsoft because there are newer drivers on the latest ISO that are required for a successful install on a NUC10." It seems the whole DVD/USB flash drive thing was a red herring.

Al's preoccupation with USB flash drives is almost as bad as my preoccupation with DVDs. :) As it is, it looks like my ability to install things from DVDs will be viable for at least a few more years.

[AlHill]

"Al's preoccupation with USB flash drives is almost as bad as my preoccupation with DVDs. :)"

Remember, in the 1st and 8th response to you, I asked you to make the usb stick from the link I provided in the 1st response. You came here for assistance 11 days ago, and followed none of the suggestions, and decided to stick with your old media, on antiquated DVDs, and then deciding to use a 3rd party tool (rufus) when the Microsoft download site can easily create the current media on a usb stick.

What you call preoccupation is what is called experience, and I have 48 years of it.

Doc

[Anonymous]

I got the same error message "Windows could not update the computer's boot configuration. Installation cannot proceed." when I tried to install Windows 10 version 1703 x64 and older by a USB flash drive on my NUC10I3FNH. But Windows 10 version 1709 x64 and later have no problem.

I checked setupact.txt, and found another error message "Failed to create a new system store. Status = [c0000001]", which means BCD store does not exist.

Besides, Thunderbolt conflicts with Windows 10 version 1607 x64 and 1507 x64. If I enable Thunderbolt in BIOS, installation stops almost every time after NUC logo appears.

The problems mentioned above occur in UEFI mode with modern standby enabled.

[Milton_Kuo]

Thank you for your reply. Indeed, it appears that older versions of the Windows 10 ISO are missing drivers or something that causes the problem I saw. Once I used the latest image from Microsoft's web site, the install went without a hitch.

[Anonymous]

Another workaround is to enable LEGACY mode and choose MBR instead of GPT during installation. LTSB users have to disable Thunderbolt all the time.

[ETO-Dytan]

I am having the same issue as the original poster. Same model of NUC. The issue at hand is my supplier shipped me a NUC with Windows 10 Home on it. We need to have Windows Pro in order for our machines to function properly in our domain environment as well as conform to company IT policy.

The issue with using Microsofts Media Creation tool is that one can only create a Windows 10 Home installation USB, there is no option for Windows Pro. I've already wiped Windows 10 Home from the NUC, and now with ISO images from my archives I cannot install Windows Pro (using rufus to create install USB's). Any suggestions on how to create a Windows 10 Pro installation USB which will not return the error "Windows Could not update the Computers Boot Configuration. Installation cannot proceed."

[n_scott_pearson]

That is absolute rubbish!

The image made by the Windows Media Creation utility contains support for installing both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro. What makes it install Windows 10 Pro vs Windows 10 Home is typically the license key that you input. If you input a license key for Windows 10 Pro (or Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 8 Pro or Windows 7 Pro or Windows 7 Ultimate, for that matter), it will install Windows 10 Pro.

When you have a system-level product that has a Windows 10 Home OEM key built into the BIOS, it is going to install Windows 10 Home. Once you are online, you can go to the Settings | Update & Security | Activation scene and enter a new license key. If this key is for Windows 10 Pro, the configuration - across the board - will be modified to that necessary for Windows 10 Pro.

...S

[ETO-Dytan]

"That is absolute rubbish!" n_scott_pearson

Well that's a very polite opening line!

Sorry to burst your bubble friend, but it is most definitely not rubbish, nor is it absolute rubbish. Using the Windows Media creation tool I could not create a an installation drive for Windows 10 professional, and during the creation process it does not ask for a license key. It offers only one OS option and that is for Windows 10. I've created the media on three separate PC's same result. 

After a receiving a response like that. I'm definitely departing from these boards never to return.  No need to reply Mr. Pearson. Wishing you all the best in your abrasive and crude posts going forward.

[n_scott_pearson]

I am an expert; I know what I am talking about; I have done this many hundreds of times. Full support is there and can be used.

Your issue (it not asking for license key) is caused by the fact that an OEM key is present in the BIOS. As I said, in this case, you need to put in the Windows 10 Pro license key once the Windows 10 Home installation is complete. It will then upgrade the installation from Home to Pro.

...S

[AlHill]

My guess is he failed to pay attention to the check box before he made the install stick.

Doc

[Milton_Kuo]

I have finally managed to install Windows 10 on my NUC. I do not believe that the problem was caused by the fact that I was attempting to install from a DVD so much as the DVD image I had was an older one and was likely missing some drivers or something. I have not ascertained the exact cause of why my install was initially failing.

What I ended up doing was using the Windows Media Creation Tool to download what I presume is the latest image of Windows 10 from Microsoft's web site, which I then burned to a DVD. I then used Rufus to create a bootable USB memory token. I was able to start the install process from both the DVD and the USB memory token. I didn't bother trying to complete an install using the DVD and chose to complete the install using the USB memory token.

One thing of interest, though, is that when booting from the DVD, the install appeared to be doing so through what I believe is the legacy BIOS mode. I had tried installing my older DVD image multiple times, altering various BIOS settings and noticed that when configuring the NUC to use legacy BIOS mode, the Windows installer user interface ran in a noticeably lower resolution than when using UEFI. Oddly, when I didn't force legacy BIOS mode, the older Windows installer appeared in the higher resolution regardless of whether I booted from a DVD or from a USB token. The newer Windows installer seems to go into legacy BIOS mode when booting from the DVD.

I suppose some day, when I have more time and the willingness to spend money to buy a throwaday SSD I will try completing the install using the DVD of the Windows 10 image I downloaded above to verify that it, too, will successfully complete as the USB memory token did.