When your Windows 7 or 10 PC meets an error named “Windows Cannot Install Required Files”, you must fix it immediately or certain programs cannot run as intended. If you are familiar with the way Windows system operates, you must know that there are many types of errors by now. Including Windows Updates errors, the services and programs within the Windows system may have also experienced an error every now and then. Therefore, it will be better if you are equipped with the knowledge of fixing “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error before the problem happens or when the problem happens.
When you regularly update the services or programs within the system, you may eliminate the possibility of the errors to happen. Nonetheless, some of the errors come without notice even if you regularly update the drivers and programs within your Windows 7 or 10 PC. As such, you may meet a “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error in the middle of the update installation. If you ever see such a notification, then the updates you have just downloaded will not be able to proceed because of the error.
Along with the error, you will get the information which states that certain files cannot be located. As a result, the Windows system cannot proceed with the update or upgrade. If you see this message, you can proceed to fix the error. Fortunately for you, we have curated the methods which can fix the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” for you. Before we jump to the methods to fix the problem, we shall take a look at the factors which may cause this Windows error to happen.
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The Factors which May Cause “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” Error
Just like many Blue Screen of Death errors, you can find the root of the problem of the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error. Due to the difference in the causes, you may find one method working for another person when it does not work for you. Similarly to the “System Thread Exception Not Handled” or “KMode Exception Not Handled”, the errors may vary but the display of the problem is similar.
Due to the inability of Windows not being able to install some required files, some of the possible factors are gathered. In this case, some issues related to permitted issues, corrupt registry, corrupt system files, faulty hard disk, or damaged sectors in RAM can cause the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error. Other than those problems, you may also want to consider the role of virus or malware within the system which may trigger the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error. If you have taken all the possible factors which may cause the error into consideration, then you are now prepared to look at the methods to fix the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error. In order to do so, you can take a look at the methods we have curated in the section below.
Methods to Fix “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” Error
If you see the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error, you must try to wait for a while and try to install them once again. Since the Windows system usually takes a while to finish the update processing in the background, some of the installations can be pushed back. It results in the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error. In case the installation can run after some time, then you already fix the problem. If your Windows still cannot install the required files, then you can perform one of the methods below to fix the error.
Make Sure the Installation Media is Not Broken
If the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error continues to appear, then you can make sure that the installation media is not broken. In case the installation media is damaged, you have to download the valid Windows ISO from the official Microsoft website. Once you have the downloaded file, you can transfer it to an external drive in a form of disc or USB drive.
Updating PC’s BIOS
Keep in mind that this method needs expert supervision due to the difficult steps to perform. If you can try to get into the BIOS Setup of your Windows 7 or 10 on your own, then you can try to perform this method by following the steps below.
Step 1: First, you have to see the BIOS version of your Windows PC. In order to do so, you can go to the Run box pressing Windows and R buttons at the same time.
Step 2: Afterward, you can type msinfo32 and press Enter to open System Information.
Step 3: After the System Information window appears, you can find the BIOS Version or Date of your Windows 7 or 10 PC.
Step 4: Make sure to write down the manufacturer and BIOS version of your Windows 7 or 10 PC.
Step 5: Then, head to your Windows PC’s manufacturer’s site.
Step 6: Once you get there, you can enter the computer’s serial number.
Step 7: Alternatively, you can click on the auto-detect option.
Step 8: Proceed to find the “BIOS” option under the list of the drivers and the system will automatically download the latest or recommended update for you.
Step 9: After the downloading process finishes, you can double click on the installer file.
Step 10: At last, your BIOS will be updated.
Step 11: Check if the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error has been gone from your Windows Updates system.
Modifying the SATA Operation to AHCI
Step 1: Proceed to boot your Windows PC into the BIOS by pressing Del or F2 buttons during the restarting process.
Step 2: Head to the section “Drives” and go to the section “SATA Operation” or the section with a similar name.
Step 3: Set the SATA configuration to AHCI mode.
Step 4: Proceed to choose the option “Escape” and select the option “Save” and “Exit”.
Step 5: Then, you can shut down your Windows 7 or 10 P.
Step 6: Make sure to unplug all of the USB devices before you reinstall the SATA Operation.
Step 7: If you still see the error, then you can set the SATA Operation to default.
Step 8: At last, you can reboot your Windows 7 or 10 PC, see if the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error has been gone.
Running MemTest86+
Step 1: Download the MemTest86+ from another PC and transfer the installer file to an external driver in forms of disc or USB drive.
Step 2: Insert the installer disc or USB flash drive into the Windows PC used to download the MemTest86+.
Step 3: Proceed to right-click on the downloaded file and choose the “Extract here” option.
Step 4: After the folder extracted, you can open it and run the Memtest86+ installer.
Step 5: Select the external drive you select to burn the MemTest86+ software.
Step 6: Once you finish with the MemTest86+ burning process, you can insert the external drive with the MemTest86+ installer to the problematic Windows 7 or 10 PC.
Step 7: You can restart your Windows 7 or 10 PC and boot from the drive with the MemTest86+ inside.
Step 8: Afterward, the Memtest86 will analyze the corrupt memory in the Windows PC system.
Step 9: Once the MemTest86+ claims your Windows 7 or 10 PC passes every test, then your memory system is working properly.
Step 10: In case the memory test stops at some point, then your Windows system experiences some corrupt files.
Step 11: If you wish to fix the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error at this point, then you can replace the damaged RAM.
Running System File Checker (SFC) and Check Disk (CHKDSK)
Step 1: Proceed to press Windows and X buttons.
Step 2: Afterward, you can click on the option “Command Prompt (Admin)”.
Sfc /scannow sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows
Step 3: The commands will take a while to proceed. Wait after every command finishes the processing.
Step 4: After every command finishes the processing, you can restart your Windows 7 or 10 PC.
Step 5: Then, you can run CHKDSK from there.
Step 6: Once the process finishes.
Step 7: At last, you can reboot your Windows 7 or 10 PC to save and apply the changes.
Fixing “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” Using Microsoft Management Console
Step 1: Proceed to open Windows Command Prompt from the Windows installation media or recovery disc.
Step 2: Afterward, you can type mmc into the Command Prompt window and press Enter.
Step 3: At once, the Microsoft Management Console will appear.
Step 4: There, you can click on the option “File” from the menu and choose the option “Add/Remove Snap-in”.
Step 5: On the left-hand pane, you can choose the option “Computer Management” and click “Add”.
Step 6: Afterward, you can choose the option “Local Computer”, then click on the “Finish” button and “OK”.
Step 7: Find the section “Computer Management” and expand it.
Step 8: Afterward, you can double click on System Tools.
Step 9: Proceed to head to the section “Local Users and Groups”.
Step 10: Then, you can proceed to the section “User”.
Step 11: On the right window, proceed to double click on the option “Administrator”.
Step 12: Then, you can uncheck on the option “Account is disabled” and click OK.
Step 13: Proceed to right-click on the option “Administrator” and choose the option “Set Password”.
Step 14: At last, you can reboot your Windows 7 or 10 PC to fix the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error.
Step 15: Alternatively, you can type the commands below to fix the “Windows Cannot Install Required Files” error.
net user administrator /active:yes net user administrator password /active:yes
