This topic describes the cause of and solution to the "Install Windows" error that occurs when starting a Windows instance.
Symptoms
When you start a Windows instance, you receive an "Install Windows" error.
You may see the following error message: The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click "OK" to restart the computer, and then restart the installation.
You may see the following error message: Windows could not finish configuring the system. To attempt to resume configuration, restart the computer. The background message Setup is starting services indicates that the system failed to complete its configuration while starting services.
Cause
This issue occurs if the instance's Sysprep process fails, which causes an unrecoverable error during operating system initialization and prevents the system from starting.
Sysprep is a tool in the Windows operating system that prepares a computer for deployment. It calls other executable files to prepare the Windows installation. If the Sysprep process fails, the Windows installation fails.
Solution
Change the operating system of the instance, or delete it and create a new one. For more information, see Change the system disk (replace the operating system) or Create a custom instance.