The installation of Windows 11 on a PC is stuck at 94%, leaving the computer unusable. The progress will not go forward, and the PC freezes on the restart, with a blank black screen.
This is most likely caused by low disk space or malware. It can be fixed by cleaning up disk space and removing malware before trying to install Windows 11 again.
You should also contact Microsoft for any technical support questions or issues before proceeding.
Windows 11 installation instructions are provided below.
Table of Contents
- How to Install Windows 11?
- How to delete a System Restore snapshot?
- Why Windows 11 Installation Is Stuck at 94?
- Final word
How to Install Windows 11?
System Restore application to enable automatic restart after installation:
System Restore is disabled, with no way to enable it. The PC will not restart automatically when you turn it off or reboot from the recovery menu. You have to do this manually.
To do this,
- Turn the computer on in the usual way – It may take several minutes for Windows to boot up. When it does, you should be able to select the View hidden files and folders option from the Start menu.
- “Windows can’t find some files” will appear. Click OK despite the message.
- You will see a file called Automatic Restart. Delete this file.
- Now you can reboot the PC from the recovery menu.
- Choose Restart and wait for Windows to restart.
How to delete a System Restore snapshot?
1) From inside Windows, open the Control Panel and click on System > System Protection > Configure > Select a protected drive.
2) Restore an earlier snapshot by clicking on the Restore button.
3) A summary of the snapshots will be presented to you. Choose and click OK.
The PC will restart and go back in time. Make sure to delete any snapshots older that you don’t need for troubleshooting first!
4) Restart again and check that the problem has gone away. If it has, continue following the instructions below.
How to delete Windows 10 Update files?
1) Search Disk Cleanup in Windows search bar.
2) In the Disk Cleanup window, select the drive where the installation is stuck > Select Drive > OK.
3) A prompt will appear asking to clean up system files. Choose Yes > Remove Files and Clean Up System Files > OK.
4) If you have too many critical updates, disable automatic updates. This could be troublesome if the update needs to be installed when Windows starts.
Why Windows 11 Installation Is Stuck at 94?
1. Low memory
Windows 11 requires at least 16GB of RAM, or your PC will freeze when the installation reaches 94% and won’t continue. If you have less than 8GB of RAM, consider upgrading the memory before installing Windows 11.
2. Low disk space
The Windows 11 installation may fail to proceed if there is not enough hard disk space on the C:\ drive or D:\ drive. The system requires at least 18GB of disk space. Delete unnecessary files and programs before reinstalling Windows 11. Alternatively, you can add a larger hard drive to the PC and use it instead.
3. Disk problem
If your PC has multiple hard drives, check the size of each drive, including external drives and USB flash drives. The installation of Windows 11 can only proceed if each drive has enough free space.
4. Virus
Windows may not be able to install Windows 11 if you have a virus on your computer. If you have a virus that is actively downloading files and applications, your PC will not let the installation of Windows 10 finish. Remove the virus first before proceeding.
5. Hardware problem
If Windows 10 blue screen whenever it reaches 94%, check this guide to troubleshoot error messages related to hardware components.
6. USB
The Windows 11 installation may fail if you have more than one bootable drive attached to the computer. Make sure that you only have one bootable drive connected to the PC. Alternatively, you can use a USB flash drive instead of an external hard drive to install Windows 11 on a computer with multiple drives.
7. Driver problem
Make sure that all drivers for your motherboard and other hardware components are up to date before proceeding with the installation.
8. Problem with files and programs
This could be caused by an incompatible program installed on your PC, or a faulty driver for one of your hardware components. If you have decided to re-install Windows 11, uninstall any programs that you don’t need before the installation.
Final word
This guide has covered the most common reasons why your PC cannot install Windows 10 and how to fix them. If you have tried all of the solutions above, but are still unable to install Windows 10, contact Microsoft for technical support. Other issues that require technical support help. This article is meant as a solution for common problems only.
