Has anyone updated a Switch 10(SW5-014) to latest Windows 10?

Onticom
Onticom Member Posts: 24 Networker
edited November 2023 in 2020 Archives
I consigned my Switch 10 to the back of the cupboard soon after getting it.

It was sold to me by Microsoft as "Windows 10 ready" which was certainly misrepresentation, but despite no help from them I got it running on Windows 10 but with no sound.

I've dug it out in lockdown to see if I can get it running better and it seems Acer and/or Microsoft still haven't sorted the farce.

Currently the machine won't update because it is version 1607.

When I try to run the Microsoft Windows 10 Update assistant it tells me i need to free up more space - the only space being used is what Acer and/or Microsoft have chosen to clog up the machine with - there's nothing of mine on it.

Nevertheless - it says it needs 8 GB and of the 29GB available on the machine Microsoft and Acer have used up a staggering 25GB (86% of a clean install!).

I've looked and things like Winsxs (6.8GB), SoftwareDistribution (5.2gb), Infused Apps (1.1GB) are taking up the biggest chunks of the space.

So, has anyone been able to update these machines?

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,893 Trailblazer
    As suggested earlier, are you still using the 16GB NTFS formatted SD card for the temporary space needed for the update to install? If yes, please post a screenshot of file explorer C : \ drive subdirectories if possible to show what bloat might be available for deletion or moving to another USB stick or SD card.  Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer
    Also, run Disk Clean with the System Files selection checked. That will clear out the SoftwareDistribtion folder and potentially free up more space. There is often 6+ GB in there...
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • Onticom
    Onticom Member Posts: 24 Networker
    Hi Both - thanks for your replies. I appreciate the help.

    I have a 128gb SD card in the machine, but it was formatted as FAT32, so I've reformated it as NTFS.

    When I run Windows 10 Update Assistant, I get the notification:

    "Disk space: We need more temporary space to finish your update.  Begin with step 1 to free up space, then move on to step 2 as needed. When you have finished, select Try again to finish the update.

    1. Select this link to free up at least 8GB of space on the C: drive."
    It does not seem to recognise the SD card as suitable storage space.

    In terms of bloat...

    The top 5 biggest folders in Windows are:-

    • 6.3 GB - System32
    • 5.0 GB - Software Distribution
    • 7.3 GB - WinSxS
    • 1.6 GB InfusedApps
    • 1.3 GB - SysWOW64
    Running Disk Cleaner with System Files selected removed a couple of hundred MBs, which has barely scratched the surface.
  • Onticom
    Onticom Member Posts: 24 Networker
    Sorted! Here's what I did (in case it's of use to anyone. Caveat: I'm no expert - use at your own risk!)

    After some reading I determined that I could safely delete the 5gb contents of SoftwareDistribution/Downloads.

    This gave me enough space to update using the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Updates literally took the last 2 days and nights solid, during which it often seems to have frozen at 1% for several hours - I feel that patience was the key - I would just leave it doing its thing overnight and generally it would have sorted itself by the morning.

    So several such updates later Windows Updates confirms my machine is up-to-date and there are no further updates available!

    Awesome.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,893 Trailblazer
    Congrats. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,234 Trailblazer
    Sweet! That darn SoftwareDistribution folder should be the first thing the installer wipes when it's low on space, it's usually a big portion of your total disk space.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

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