How to fix
Windows upgrade error “Failed to determine source edition type”
on Windows

Hello. I tried to upgrade my Windows 10 computer to 21H2 but I received the "Failed to determine source edition type" error. How do I fix this?

The "Failed to determine source edition type" error occurs when people try to upgrade Windows. Some people report the error appears when trying to upgrade Windows 10 to 21H2 (the October 2021 Update). This error message indicates that the upgrade process is unable to determine the edition type of the current version of Windows, and as a result, the upgrade process cannot proceed.

There are several possible reasons why people may be receiving this error when trying to upgrade Windows. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Corruption of the Windows installation: This can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as a virus or malware infection, a hardware failure, or a power outage during the upgrade process.
• Conflicting software: Some software programs may interfere with the upgrade process and prevent it from completing successfully.
• Incompatible hardware: The upgrade process may be unable to continue if the computer's hardware is not compatible with the newest version of Windows.
• Missing Windows registry data

The "Failed to determine source edition type" error can affect people in several ways. They can't upgrade their Windows device which may cause them to miss out on new features and security updates. It can also prevent them from using certain software or apps that require the latest version of Windows.

In this guide, you will find 4 steps that should help you fix Windows upgrade error "Failed to determine source edition type." Keep in mind that the manual troubleshooting process can be lengthy. You can use an automatic maintenance tool like [d1] that can fix most system errors, BSODs,[ref en-1] corrupted files, registry[ref en-2] issues, or clear cookies and cache.[ref en-3] Otherwise, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Solution 1. Disable Third-Party Security Software

Sometimes antivirus software can block legitimate processes mistakenly. You should try disabling your antivirus and trying to run the update again.

Solution 2. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

• Click the Windows button and select Settings
• Select System from the left pane, then scroll down on the right pane, and click on Troubleshoot
• Click on Other troubleshooters
• Locate the Windows Update troubleshooter and hit the Run button

Solution 3. Reset Windows Update Components

• Open the Command Prompt as an Administrator
• Type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:

• net stop bits

  net stop wuauserv

  net stop cryptsvc

  Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat”

  Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore DataStore.bak

  Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak

  Ren %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.bak

  sc.exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)

  sc.exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)

  cd /d %windir%\system32

  regsvr32.exe atl.dll

  regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll

  regsvr32.exe mshtml.dll

  regsvr32.exe shdocvw.dll

  regsvr32.exe browseui.dll

  regsvr32.exe jscript.dll

  regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll

  regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll

  regsvr32.exe msxml.dll

  regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll

  regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll

  regsvr32.exe actxprxy.dll

  regsvr32.exe softpub.dll

  regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll

  regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll

  regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll

  regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll

  regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll

  regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll

  regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll

  regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll

  regsvr32.exe ole32.dll

  regsvr32.exe shell32.dll

  regsvr32.exe initpki.dll

  regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll

  regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll

  regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll

  regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll

  regsvr32.exe wups.dll

  regsvr32.exe wups2.dll

  regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll

  regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll

  regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll

  regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll

  regsvr32.exe muweb.dll

  regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll

  netsh winsock reset

  net start bits

  net start wuauserv

  net start cryptsvc

• Wait for the process to finish and restart your PC

Solution 4. Modify the Registry

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box
• Type regedit and press Enter
• Go to the following location in the Registry Editor: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

The following is an example for Enterprise Windows:

• InstallationType (REG_SZ) should be Client
• EditionID (REG_SZ) could be Enterprise

And the following are the possible values for EditionID: