Member Avatar for dtaufgtsman

Hello All
Have been trying to upgrade vista to windows 7 but I keep getting the same message.
"Setup can't continue. Restart computer and restart setup. When prompted try getting the latest upgrades". This was done many times and the message that the upgrades were downloaded was seen yet it stop. Help anyone!

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A short, practical checklist that fills gaps in the replies from , , and . The message "Setup can't continue. Restart computer and restart setup…" usually means Setup found pending operations, an incompatible driver/service, or a locked file that prevents the in-place upgrade. Because Vista x64 → Win7 x64 is a supported path, focus on isolating third‑party software, disk/state problems, and readable setup logs before changing firmware.

Immediate steps to try (in order)

  • Back up personal data first.
  • Verify at least 20 GB free on the system drive (Win7 x64 requirement).
  • Repair disk and system files: run chkdsk C: /f then sfc /scannow from an elevated command prompt, reboot after each.
  • Do a clean boot: use msconfig → hide Microsoft services → disable the rest, and disable non-Microsoft startup items. Temporarily uninstall antivirus, disk encryption or virtual-drive tools.
  • Run Setup from inside Vista (run setup.exe from the Win7 media or mounted ISO) rather than booting to the DVD/USB if an upgrade is desired. If Setup stalls when fetching updates, try running offline (disconnect network) but only as a diagnostic—network/offline behavior can reveal driver/update conflicts.

If Setup still fails, inspect the Setup logs for the root cause. Relevant files:

C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log
C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setuperr.log
(or) C:\Windows\Panther\setupact.log / setuperr.log

Search those logs for "error" or hex codes (examples: 0xC1900101 often points to driver problems). Save the relevant fragments and compare timestamps to the failed run.

BIOS note and final option
Only update the BIOS if the PC maker explicitly lists a Windows‑7 compatibility fix for that model. If none of the above resolves the issue, a clean install from official Win7 media (after full backup) is the reliable fallback.

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for dadrian

Hello All
Have been trying to upgrade vista to windows 7 but I keep getting the same message.
"Setup can't continue. Restart computer and restart setup. When prompted try getting the latest upgrades". This was done many times and the message that the upgrades were downloaded was seen yet it stop. Help anyone!

If your vista is up to date, maybe you should go in the users accounts, disable uac, and try again. Anyway, i presume that you have the cracked versions of windows, in which case the installer from vista may be damaged or something.

Consider formatting before installing 7.
Also consider NOT installing windows 7, an OS that has not been proven to be stable yet. I only had bad experiences with it. If your computer's confuguration allows you to run vista perfectly, why ruin it?

Member Avatar for caperjack

Anyway, i presume that you have the cracked versions of windows,

why would you assume that ,

an OS that has not been proven to be stable yet. I only had bad experiences with it.

you must be using the cracked version ,I've been using legit 7 ultimate since early October and am having absolutely no issues with win7

Edited by caperjack because: n/a
Member Avatar for caperjack

Hello All
Have been trying to upgrade vista to windows 7 but I keep getting the same message.
"Setup can't continue. Restart computer and restart setup. When prompted try getting the latest upgrades". This was done many times and the message that the upgrades were downloaded was seen yet it stop. Help anyone!

do you have vista service pack 2 installed ,if not install it and try update again

Member Avatar for dtaufgtsman

Hi Guys

Thanks for the info. My copy of Vista is genuine and updated to SP2. I tried disabling the UAC but the same thing happened. Any other ideas

Edited by dtaufgtsman because: n/a
Member Avatar for hughv

Try disconnecting the ethernet cable to bypass the updates.

Member Avatar for Crash~Override

why would you assume that ,


you must be using the cracked version ,I've been using legit 7 ultimate since early October and am having absolutely no issues with win7

There is no difference between a legit windows 7 and cracked windows 7. The installation CD is the same regardless of what you choose to do.

The only change is in applying the crack after the installation is complete.
So if windows 7 was to be unstable it'd be unstable on both legit and cracked copies.

I know this because I've read about it. So don't make false assumptions about things you have no idea about.

Member Avatar for caperjack

I know this because I've read about it.

so you can read ,i never said there was a difference,reread my post and show me were i said there was ,I use win7 with out any issues with it ,you have problems with it maybe something is wrong with your computer not win7

Edited by crunchie because: Removed last line.
Member Avatar for dtaufgtsman

Tried bypassing the updates but it still did not work. I was told I may need to update the bios. Any info on this?

Member Avatar for Adamsappleone

Have you tried doing a "clean install" instead of the "upgrade"?

Member Avatar for dadrian

why would you assume that ,


you must be using the cracked version ,I've been using legit 7 ultimate since early October and am having absolutely no issues with win7

I'm not using it, vista works perfectly since december 2008, when i bought this laptop. and it worked just as well on my old desktop (not that old, just sold). i've seen windows 7 crash on 2 out of 3 computers. that doesn't say much, indeed, but i'll wait for the first service pack before installing on my own machine.

when i said windows 7, i meant windows 7 ultimate (32bit version), and vista just the same, ultimate, 32bit.

Member Avatar for Tobok101

Similarly, I will wait for the first service pack before I install on my machine, like dadrian said.

Member Avatar for caperjack

i got my copy from Microsoft for free ,so i installed ,[was using winxp pro]no reason not to ,and it seems to work great ,on old Betsy ,wish i had more cpu and ram but it will do for now

Member Avatar for hughv

We'd need to know the make and model of the computer to know about the BIOS.
Where did you get this info?

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