Overview

This article outlines the process and potential troubleshooting of Windows 11 upgrade issues on Windows 10 devices managed through Automox.

Use this guide to follow the process if the upgrade fails, stalls, or reports an error code. Note: this will not be a comprehensive guide to troubleshooting, but will provide as much detail to validate the update/upgrade progress and potential pitfalls.

Before You Begin

Before troubleshooting, verify these baseline requirements:

• The device meets Microsoft’s Windows 11 minimum system requirements.

• The Automox agent is installed and online.

• There is at least 9 GB of free disk space and an active internet connection.

• Check if $WINDOWS.~BT already exists on the device. This can cause conflicts when running the upgrades.

💡 Tip: Start by reviewing the Automox Activity Log and the Windows Setup logs for error codes.

Methods for upgrading

Automox has 3 paths for upgrading:

1. Leveraging Windows Update directly:
   1. Windows 11, version 24H2 is available in the Automox Console for the designated device
      1. If the update does not show, you can use Windows - Configuration - Set Registry Keys for Latest Windows 11 Feature Upgrades to force Windows Update to show the update.
         1. NOTE: Ensure the worklet is configured (Line 78 in Remediation Code) to the desired version (24H2, 25H2, etc)
      2. This can take up to 72 hours to reflect, depending on Windows Update.
   2. A policy that specifies this update runs, and will require a reboot after execution.
   3. On reboot, we will 'finalize' the update, which will effect a reboot.
      1. NOTE: There can be a delay after selecting "Restart this device" and when the device is actually rebooted. This is Windows Update finalizing the upgrade, which can take time depending on the device.
2. Utilize a Worklet to push the Upgrade via Windows Update Assistant
   1. Windows - Configuration - Windows 11 Feature Update
   2. The description of the worklet contains valuable information on prerequisites, requirements, and potential troubleshooting.
   3. The Worklet policy should NOT be configured for Automatic Reboots.
3. Utilize a Worklet to push the Upgrade via an ISO on a network share.
   1. Windows - Maintenance Tasks - Windows 10 to Windows 11 Upgrade via ISO
   2. The description of the Worklet contains valuable information on prerequisites, requirements, and potential troubleshooting.
   3. The Worklet policy should NOT be configured for Automatic Reboots.

1. Leveraging Windows Update directly

What to expect

Below will be a series of screenshots showing what to expect when invoking Windows 11:

This PowerShell will be running from Automox as we're invoking and awaiting an update from Windows Update:

As it is running, you should see $WINDOWS.~BT appear in the root directory of the OS:

Various instances of dism will also run during the process:

Windows Update will begin downloading the necessary files for an upgrade:

Windows Update begins to write those updates and begin the initialization of the update:

Windows 11 Setup will then begin Installation:

Once the installation is marked as finished, Automox will send down a Reboot request:

Once the Reboot notification is responded to, the actual Reboot will be sent down:

This will kick off Windows 11 Setup finalization:

Followed up by Modern Setup Host finalization:

NOTE: This can take quite some time, between 30 minutes up to 4+ hours, depending on the device.

The device will then show the following behavior as the update is finalized:

2. Utilize a Worklet to push the Upgrade via Windows Update Assistant

What to expect 

The process is largely the same as Windows Update in terms of backend processes, except with the Worklet, the end user will NOT get a request from Automox to reboot, it will come directly from WUA/WIA:

The Worklet should NOT have Restarts enabled.

3. Utilize a Worklet to push the Upgrade via an ISO on a network share

What to expect

The process is largely the same as Windows Update in terms of backend processes, except with the Worklet, the end user will NOT get a request from Automox to reboot, it will come directly from the update similar to the above process.

Troubleshooting

Is the update still running?

If it appears the update has failed or stopped working, check the above steps to see if any are still running. If they are, we recommend waiting until the process is finished.

Was the device rebooted outside of the expected flow?

If the device was rebooted by the user (or for the Worklet paths, by the Worklet itself), this can interrupt the upgrade process and cause faults. 

The update errors out:

On the target device, navigate to:

C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther

Review the following logs:

• setuperr.log – shows fatal installation errors

• setupact.log – provides detailed activity trace

Look for timestamps that match the Automox policy run.

Check the setuperr.log for any specific error codes or messages.

Additionally, check C:\Win11UpgradeTemp\Logs for additional information on the invocation of WUA/WIA.

A potential troubleshooting step for errors will be to run a Windows Update Services Reset. This is recommended regularly for Windows Updates errors to eliminate any conflicts with cached or corrupted Windows Update states.

Retrying the update does not work

When retrying the update, there can be cached/remnant files within C:\$WINDOWS.~BT. Deleting this directory has shown some success when updates fail to run as expected.