An external USB hard drive is the quickest and easiest way to accomplish this simply save any files you cant delete to the external media, and theyll be easy to restore once youve installed Windows 1. Afterward, empty the Recycle Bin to clear the deleted files, or run a program like CCleaner to clear out your browser caches, logs, and other things that take up storage space. To check your progress, click the Start button, type This PC, and click the result. The drive labeled Windows is what Windows 1. GB free, preferably a little more, just to be safe. ISO image issues. If youve used the Microsoft Media Creation tool to burn a disc or create a bootable USB drive to install Windows 1. Installing Windows 10 Free Upgrade' title='Installing Windows 10 Free Upgrade' />This will result in a failed or damaged installation. Sadly, its extremely difficult or impossible to modify the files once theyre written to the disc or drive. Youll need to run the tool again to install Windows 1. Windows again. Story Continues. If you continue to experience problems after creating multiple installation media and trying to install Windows 1. The CDDVD burner or the USB drive youre using may be faulty. If possible, try using a different USB drive or an external disc burner. Thankfully, you might be able to just install Windows 1. ISO image, which you can grab here, for free. Fire it up, follow the prompts, and itll tell you if youll be able to install your new operating system without the use of external media like flash drives and discs. Error codes. Windows 1. More. Sometimes during the Windows installation process, the program will stop and display an error code. There are hundreds of possible error codes and at least as many potential problems. The best thing to do in this situation is to write down the code you may not be able to copy it from the display screen and search the internet for the core problem, and hopefully, a solution. Here are some of the steps you can take if theres no reliable information for your specific code Unplug any unnecessary devices from your computer, like flash drives and dongles. Laptops should have nothing plugged in at all except a power cord, and desktops should only have a monitor, mouse, and keyboard attached. For desktops, remove or disconnect any unnecessary internal hardware. If your PC includes an integrated graphics card or sound card on the motherboard, remove any standalone cards. Unplug any secondary storage drives but not the primary OS drive, disc drives, card readers, and extra hardware such as a fan controller or USB extension connected to a PCI port. If youre upgrading your PC and youve selected a standard upgrade that preserves your programs, remove unnecessary programs before beginning the installation process. Anti virus programs and drivers for devices like game controllers seem to have the most trouble during the upgrade process. If your Windows install or upgrade doesnt complete, or if you have issues with startup, you might want to disable hibernation, which you can do by typing powercfg h off into a Command Prompt window. Alternately, simply install the operating system cleanly, preserving your personal files but not the programs. To do so, select Custom Install Windows instead of Upgrade during the setup process. You can re install your programs later. Microsoft also offers a list of potential Windows 1. Incompatible hardware. Windows 1. 0 runs on a variety of hardware, including Atom based tablets and other low power systems, but it does have minimum requirements. If your computer has a processor with a speed of less than 1. GHz or RAM totaling less than 1. GB for the 3. 2 bit version or 2. GB for the 6. 4 bit version the setup wizard will not allow you to complete the installation. Desktop users can often upgrade their RAM or processor, but laptop users who dont meet the minimum requirements are probably out of luck.