What to do if Windows was unable to locate boot.wim

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Although not too common, there have been some instances of a few users getting theWindows was unable to locate boot.wimerror message.

Thiserrorusually appears when upgrading from one version of Windows to another, so today we’ll try to fix it.

How can I fix Windows was unable to locate boot.wim error?

1. Temporarily disable antivirus

If you have any anti-virus applications running on your PC, that might be the cause forWindows was unable to locate boot.wimerror.

So the best solution here would be to disable the virus protection while downloading and installing the desired software.

To disable the virus protection, launch the anti-virus application and follow instructions for the same, or you can do the same from the Windows Security Center as well.

Be sure to restore the protection after the installation is complete to prevent malware infections later on.

If your antivirus software was causing this issue, you might be able to fix the problem by switching to a different antivirus solution.

To accomplish this correctly, you should pick the mosteffective antivirus solutionsthat won’t interfere with other services or apps from your PC.

With such strong protection, you can have mind peace whenever installing a program or navigating online, preventing all types of malware.

2. Create a bootable media

If you’re gettingWindows was unable to locate boot.wimerrorwhile upgrading to a new version of Windows, you might be able to fix the problem by usingWindows 10media to installWindows 10on your device.

To do that, you’ll need to downloadMedia Creation Tooland create bootable media. The process would vary depending on the installation media (USB flash drive or DVD) you wish to create.

Follow instructions on the screen to complete the process. Once you create bootable media, use it to install the latest version ofWindows 10.

3. Make modifications in the Registry

Another way to fixWindows was unable to locate boot.wimerroris to modify yourregistry. To do that, follow these steps:

In case the folder or key,OSUpgradeis not there in Step 4, you will have to create it. Here are the steps.

A word of caution. It is always recommended to back up yourregistrybefore making any changes to it. Here is how you do that.

That’s it.

If you sense something wrong with your PC immediately after you have tinkered with theregistry, simply navigate to the backed-up file and double click on it. Follow on-screen instructions and restart your PC when prompted. You should be back to where you started from.

There you go, these are some solutions that might help you fixWindowswas unable to locate boot.wimerror, so is sure to try them all.

What to do if Windows was unable to locate boot.wim#

How can I fix Windows was unable to locate boot.wim error?#

1. Temporarily disable antivirus#

2. Create a bootable media#

3. Make modifications in the Registry#

What to do if Windows was unable to locate boot.wim

How can I fix Windows was unable to locate boot.wim error?

1. Temporarily disable antivirus

2. Create a bootable media

3. Make modifications in the Registry