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Help switching windows installation to new SSD or help diagnosing windows update issues.

Stephen Little 0 Reputation points
2026-05-12T05:44:15.4533333+00:00

For well over a year my laptop has had issues with windows updates, getting to 7% specifically, not going further, and then undoing changes, at one point it successfully updated with a repair version of an update and I thought the problems were over, but then they resumed, and now even the repair version seems to fail.

I'm getting a new ssd which should arrive soon (I bought it to use as a secondary drive for a storage upgrade, but now I'm thinking it could also be a solution to my updating problem).

I'd like to reinstall windows fresh on that ssd when it arrives, I don't know if the issue is some obscure file corruption or if it's a physical problem with the current ssd being past it.

I'd like perhaps either some advice diagnosing the updating issue currently present, or specifics about the process I would need to go through to switch the windows installation over.

I've heard about cloning software, but if the issue is some obscure file corruption then the issue would probably just carry over, the alternative I've heard seems to be using a flash drive as boot media but that would require me going out and buying a flash drive, plus I'm a little confused about the process, I was hoping windows had a convenient feature to select the secondary ssd when reinstalling itself but I haven't heard of any such thing.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

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  2. DaveM121 886.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-12T06:22:18.37+00:00

    1

    The Windows Udpates problem is usually not caused by a problem with the drive, but it may be, if you have reinstalled Windows and the update issue continually resurfaced, download the widely available free CrystalDiskInfo utility, please provide a screenshot of what that indicates for your SSD.

    2

    Click your Start Button, type winver and hit Enter

    Please provide a screenshot of the resulting dialog.

    3

    Open the Settings App

    Go to Windows Updates

    Please provide a screenshot of that window

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  3. AI answer

    2026-05-12T05:44:34.3+00:00

    For diagnosing the current Windows Update issue and deciding whether to move to a new SSD, follow these supported steps.

    1. Run the built‑in Windows Update troubleshooter
    • Select Start > Settings > Update & Security.
    • Select Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
    • Under Get up and running, select Windows Update > Run the troubleshooter.
    • Follow the on‑screen instructions and apply any fixes it suggests.
    1. Check common error causes If a specific error code appears (for example 0x80070002, 0x80070003, 0x80070057, or 0x80246007), use the corresponding steps:
    • For 0x80070002 / 0x80070003 / 0x80070057 (update failed to install):
      • Restart the PC to ensure no other applications are blocking the update.
      • Run the Windows Update troubleshooter again as above.
      • Check disk space: ensure at least 16 GB free for a 32‑bit OS or 20 GB free for a 64‑bit OS. If the internal drive is small, attach a USB drive to provide extra space.
    • For 0x80246007 (missing download or required update files):
      1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
      2. Find Windows Update, right‑click > Stop.
      3. Go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and delete all files and folders inside.
      4. In Services, right‑click Windows Update > Start.
      5. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter again as above.
      6. Restart the PC.
    1. Repair system files (if updates still fail) Corrupted system files can cause repeated update failures. Use DISM and SFC:
    2. In the taskbar search box, type command prompt.
    3. Right‑click Command Prompt > Run as administrator.
    4. Run: 
         DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
      Wait for the confirmation message that the operation completed successfully.
    5. Then run: 
         sfc /scannow
      Wait until verification reaches 100%, then close Command Prompt.
    6. Try Windows Update again.
    7. If updates still fail: repair or reinstall the current Windows version If updates continue to fail even after repair commands, a repair/reinstall of the current Windows version can fix underlying issues without immediately moving to a new SSD:
    • Use the guidance in “Troubleshoot problems updating Windows” to perform a clean restart (minimal drivers and startup programs) and retry updates.
    • If that still fails, use the “fix issues by reinstalling the current version of Windows” approach referenced in the Q&A context: this keeps the same version but refreshes system components.
    1. Moving to the new SSD (fresh install vs cloning) Given long‑term update problems, a fresh installation on the new SSD is preferable to cloning, because cloning would likely carry over any software or system corruption.

    Supported options from the context:

    • Clean installation of Windows 11 (if hardware supports it)
      • Go to the Windows 11 software download page and select Download tool now to get the clean installation tool.
      • Carefully read the notes on that page before using the tool.
      • This process creates installation media (typically on a USB drive) and installs Windows cleanly.
    • Clean installation of Windows 10 (if staying on Windows 10)
      • Use the equivalent Windows 10 media creation/installation tool from the same type of software download page.

    A USB flash drive is the standard and supported way to boot installation media and choose the new SSD as the installation target. During setup, the installer allows selecting which drive/partition to install Windows on. There is no built‑in feature in Windows that will “move” the installation to a secondary SSD without using installation media or third‑party tools.

    1. If suspecting SSD health issues If there are symptoms like slowness, freezing, or difficulty updating, and especially if the current SSD is NVMe, check disk health:
    • Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage > Manage disks and volumes.
    • Select Properties for the SSD.
    • Review any critical warnings (low spare capacity, degraded reliability, or drive set to read‑only) and disk health attributes (estimated remaining life, available spare, temperature).
    • If Windows reports critical warnings, back up data immediately and prioritize installing Windows on the new SSD.
    1. When to prefer the new SSD immediately Move directly to a clean install on the new SSD if:
    • Windows Update continues to fail after running the troubleshooter and repair commands.
    • Disk health shows critical warnings or degraded reliability.
    • There is enough time to reinstall applications and restore data from backup.

    Before any reinstall or SSD change, ensure all important files are backed up to external storage or cloud.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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