Windows 11 update error encountered when upgrading from Windows 10

Try running the PC Health Check app to confirm Windows 11 compatibility, then use the Installation Assistant again.

Try the built-in windows update troubleshooter to see if the error was fixed or not.

That “Setup has encountered a critical error (0x80888002)” thing is super common when you upgrade from Win 10. It’s usually caused by missing or corrupted install files.

Here’s what worked for me:

1. Disconnect from the Internet (Wi-Fi + Ethernet)
2. Mount your Windows 11 ISO manually → run setup.exe
3. When it asks to check for updates, choose “Not right now”
4. Let it upgrade offline — no more Windows 11 update error 🎉

After it finishes, reconnect and run Windows Update to grab drivers.

Microsoft ref: Troubleshoot problems updating Windows

Yeah, I ran into that same Windows 11 update error (0x80888002) once — it usually pops up when the installer can’t verify TPM or Secure Boot properly.

Here’s what fixed it for me:

1. Open regedit, go toHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
2. Create a new DWORD value:AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU = 1
3. Save, close, then rerun setup.exe from your Windows 11 ISO.

That bypasses the check and the Windows 11 update error disappears. Everything upgraded fine afterward.

Here’s a solid Microsoft link you can cite along with the fix:
🔗 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4292536/found-solution-to-the-0x80888002-error-code-on-attempting-to-install-22h2-upgrade-on-windows (learn.microsoft.com)

How to fix Windows 11 update error encountered? The error code 0x80888002 - 0x40008 during the Windows 11 upgrade typically indicates compatibility or system readiness issues. Here's a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot and fix this problem:

1. Update Windows 10:
Make sure your Windows 10 system is fully updated with the latest patches and updates.
Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click "Check for updates."

2. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter:
Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
Select "Windows Update" and run the troubleshooter.

3. Check for Pending Updates and Clear the Windows Update Cache:
Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits

Delete the contents of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
Restart the Windows Update service:

net start wuauserv
net start bits

4. Use the Media Creation Tool:
Download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's official site.
Run the tool and choose "Upgrade this PC now" to perform an in-place upgrade, which can bypass some compatibility checks.

5. Check BIOS/UEFI Settings:
Ensure TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are enabled in your BIOS/UEFI settings.

6. Reset Windows Update Components:
Use a script or manually reset Windows Update components to fix potential corruption.

7. Review the Setup Log Files:
If the error persists, review the setup logs (setupact.log, setuperr.log) located in C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\Panther for detailed clues.

If you want to see exactly where Windows 11 Setup failed, open this file after a failed update:

C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setuperr.log

Search inside it for “0x80888002” or “0x40008” — you’ll often see clues such as:

SP_EXECUTION_OP_PREPARE_SAFE_OS failed; error code = 0x80888002

That indicates the problem happened while preparing the Safe OS. It usually means disk, partition, or recovery layout corruption.

You'd better format the disk with GPT and make enough room for recovery partition in order to fix Windows 11 update error encountered (Error code: 0x80888002 - 0x40008) when upgrading from Windows 10

When Windows 11 Setup throws a critical error 0x80888002 – 0x40008, it usually means something went wrong during the "Prepare Safe OS / Finalize" phase. This often points to disk structure issues, corrupted partitions, or a damaged recovery environment.

One solution to fix Windows 11 update error encountered is to check disk health with chkdsk command. Open the Command Prompt as Administrator Press Start → type cmd → right-click → Run as administrator.

chkdsk C: /f /r

When prompted to schedule at next restart, press Y and reboot. This will scan the C: drive for bad sectors and automatically fix filesystem errors. After restart, open Event Viewer → Windows Logs > Application → look for Wininit entries to see CHKDSK results.

Another solution is to run both SFC and DISM to fix missing or corrupted Windows files that Setup depends on:

sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

These two commands will compare system files to Microsoft's component store and replace any damaged ones.

The error code 0x80888002 - 0x40008 when upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 typically means there was an abrupt down-level failure in the upgrade process and the setup couldnt complete.

The "- 0x40008" part specifically corresponds to the Out-Of-Box Experience phase of upgrade setup, and some sources suggest it relates to the action SP_EXECUTION_OP_PREPARE_SAFE_OS in the safe OS preparation portion.

Possible Fix for Windows 11 update error encountered:

1. Ensure your system meets all Windows 11 requirements

Check TPM version (2.0), Secure Boot enabled, supported CPU generation, enough free disk space, etc.

You can do this by running the official PC Health Check tool or equivalent.

2. Temporarily disable or uninstall incompatible software drivers

Remove or disable 3rd-party antivirus or security software

Uninstall any “printer class” or unusual drivers that might interfere with the compatibility phase.