Windows 11 upgrade failed? These are my 4 most powerful troubleshooting secrets

If you've encountered a problem with a Windows upgrade, you know how maddeningly unhelpful Windows error messages can be. These are my favorite troubleshooting tricks.

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When Windows decides that it isn't interested in completing an upgrade, it can be maddeningly unhelpful, spitting out error codes and cryptic messages that can leave even experts scratching their heads.

Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free

That can happen with a routine Windows 11 feature update, but it's especially frustrating when you're trying to install Windows 11 on an older PC before Windows 10 support ends.

Over the years, I've had a lot of practice with this sort of thing, including hundreds of email sessions with readers trying to figure out why their upgrade isn't ...