Each and every user will be frustrated by the abundance of error messages. But unlike the others, as the error message makes clear, this one won’t even let you install Windows on your PC.
The error commonly happens when trying to execute Windows Setup and the procedure just stops with the statement above.
Even if you own a PC that is technically capable of running the version of Windows you are attempting to install, this is still a red flag that something is wrong with your machine.
Just try out the instructions below to see if you can quickly fix the issue.
Solutions to Fix Windows Setup Could Not Configure Windows to Run on this Computer Hardware
A notice to the effect of “Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer’s hardware.”
It may appear after the installation of a feature update from a standalone installer or a reinstallation of Windows 10 / 11.
Upon completion of the installation process, this notice will often appear. There is, therefore, no reason for alarm if you are experiencing this problem on your PC.
By implementing these simple changes, you will quickly and easily resolve the issue.
Solution 1: Change Some BIOS Settings
This problem is frequently caused by BIOS settings that function OK on earlier versions of Windows but exhibit poor execution on Windows 11/10. Take the following action:
Step 1: Restart your computer and hit a certain key to boot into BIOS.
Step 2: To enable SATA, go into the BIOS and look for it. Depending on the manufacturer, this feature may be found under the Advanced menu, the Integrated Peripherals menu, or some other menu altogether.
Step 3: When you do, select IDE, RAID, ATA, or AHCI and click the “Save” button. Keep in mind that you can always switch the drive type if it isn’t SATA by default.
Solution 2: Stop Overclocking Your CPU
It has been proven by numerous customers that these issues first appeared after they began to overclock their PCs’ processors.
Overclocking is the practise of increasing the processor’s clock speed and frequency beyond its default values.
There have been cases where entire PCs have gone down in fire after users overclocked them too much or were negligent.
So while this can provide your PC a huge speed advantage, you must exercise extreme caution.
Solution 3: Restart your PC and re-run the Windows Update
It’s possible that some of the installation files that were downloaded previously are either missing or corrupt.
Before running Windows Update again, navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution and either copy all the data to a new location or delete the folder entirely.
If you delete everything from C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution and then run Windows Update again, Windows will typically re-download everything it needs.
Thus, give this a shot, and if it doesn’t work, move on to the next suggestion.
Solution 4: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
If you’re having trouble with Windows 11 or 10, the first thing you should do is use the appropriate Troubleshooter tool. Try running the Windows Update troubleshooter and see if it helps.
Conclusion
In the “Completing installation” phase of a Windows 11 or Windows 10 Feature Update or clean install/re-install.
Certain users may see the error Windows setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer’s hardware. The error will prevent the installation from proceeding.
There will be no change to the installation process after a restart; it will simply return to the same error.
If this problem occurs while installing Windows 11 or 10, or while executing a feature update, the fix is detailed here.
