The 'Something didn't go as planned' error usually appears when you're trying to update Windows and can occur due to various reasons. These can include corrupt system files, incorrect system partition ID, outdated drivers, and more. Sometimes the error can even pop up due to third-party applications like antivirus programs. If you're wondering how to deal with this problem, here are a few fixes that you should try out.

Fix 1: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can help you diagnose update-related problems and fix them. You should first try running it before turning to other fixes for the 'something didn't go as planned' error.

  1. Open the Settings app using the Win + I shortcut and type troubleshoot in the text box on the left.
  1. Click on the 'Troubleshoot Other problems' in the list of options that appear.
  1. On the next page, click on the 'Run' button on the right of the Windows Update option.
  1. Let the troubleshooter run and follow the steps on the screen. Then click on the 'Close' button and reboot your PC.

Fix 2: Set the correct system partition ID

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on 'Terminal'.
  1. When the terminal opens, type diskpart and press Enter.
  1. Then type list disk and press Enter again to view all the drives on your PC.
  1. Now type select disk N, replacing N with the disk number of your primary disk as it appears in the terminal before pressing the 'Enter' key.
  1. The next command that you need to enter is list partition which will list all the partitions on your selected disk.
  1. Search for the 'System' partition and check the number assigned to it. Then type select partition X, replacing X with the partition number.
  1. Finally, type SET ID=c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b and press Enter to set the correct ID for your system partition.

Fix 3: Delete the Catroot 2 and SystemDistribution folders

The SoftwareDistribution folder contains files needed for updating Windows but these can sometimes become inaccessible. To fix this, you need to delete the folder and reset the Catroot2 folder which ensures the update goes smoothly before trying to update Windows again.

  1. Open the Start menu, type Windows powershell, and click on 'Run as administrator'.
  1. When the Powershell window opens, type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each one.

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

  1. After typing all the commands, restart your computer and then try to update Windows again.

Fix 4: Update your drivers

Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to various problems, including the 'Something didn't go as planned error'. So, you should check and make sure your drivers are up to date.

  1. Right-click on the Start button and click on 'Device Manager'.
  1. When the Device Manager appears, click on a component to expand it and view all installed drivers.
  1. To update a driver, right-click on a device and click on 'Update driver'.
  1. Next, click on 'Search automatically for drivers' to allow Windows to check for the latest drivers online.
  1. If Windows finds a new driver, it will download and install it. You can then reboot your PC and try running Windows Update again.

Fix 5: Perform a clean boot

A clean boot disables third-party services that may be interfering with Windows Updates.

  1. Open the Start menu, type msconfig and click on 'System Configuration'.
  1. When the System Configuration utility opens, click on the 'Services' tab at the top and then click on the 'Hide all Microsoft services' checkbox at the bottom.
  1. After hiding all Microsoft services, click on the 'Disable all' button on the right to turn off all third-party services.
  1. Next, click on the 'Startup' tab at the top and then click on 'Open Task Manager'.
  1. When the Task Manager opens, right-click on each application on the right side and click on 'Disable'.
  1. After disabling all Startup apps, close the Task Manager and the System Configuration utility and then restart your PC. Then try to install the update again.

Fix 6: Install the update manually

You can also try to install the update manually if other methods fail to work.

  1. Open the Settings app and click on 'Windows Update' on the left.
  1. Note the update number assigned to the failed update which will start with 'KB' and then visit Microsoft's update catalog website using a web browser.
  1. Type the number associated with the update in the search box and click on the 'Search' button to view all available updates.
  1. Now you can click on the 'Download' button to download the update and then follow the on-screen steps to install the update.

Fix 7: Uninstall Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is a very powerful antimalware application but can cause problems when installing Windows Updates.

  1. Open the Settings app and click on 'Apps' on the left.
  1. Next, click on 'Installed apps' at the top.
  1. Search for Malwarebytes in the list of apps. When you find it, click on the three dots on the right and then on the 'Uninstall' option. After uninstalling the program, try updating Windows again. If the update is installed successfully, you can reinstall Malwarebytes if you want.

Fix 8: Free up storage space

The 'Something didn't go as planned' error can also appear if you are low on storage space, so consider freeing up your storage before retrying the update.

  1. Open the Start menu, type disk cleanup and click on the program in the results.
  1. When the Disk Cleanup tool appears, you can choose the drive you want to clean by clicking on the dropdown menu.
  1. After selecting the drive, click on the 'OK' button and wait for Windows to search for all the files that can be deleted. Now you can click on the checkboxes for the items you want to delete and then click on the 'OK' button.

Fix 9: Clear Windows Update cache

If the Windows Update cache becomes corrupt, you may run into the 'Something didn't go as planned' error when trying to update Windows. You can clear the update cache files to resolve this issue.

  1. Open the Start menu, type services.msc and click on 'Run as administrator'.
  1. When the list of services appears, search for Windows Update, right-click on it, and click on 'Stop'. If the service is already stopped, the 'Stop' option will be greyed out.
  1. After stopping the Windows Update service, open the 'Run' dialog using the Win + R shortcut and type C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution before pressing Enter.
  1. When the Windows Update cache folder opens, select its contents and delete all of them.
  1. After deleting everything in the cache folder, go back to the Services utility, right-click on the Windows Update service, and click on 'Start'.
  1. While here, you should also check whether the Background Intelligent Transfer service is running or not. Locate it in the list of services and right-click on it. If it has stopped, click on 'Start' but if it is already running, click on 'Restart'.

Fix 10: Run DISM and SFC scans

Windows has a built-in System File Checker that can fix corrupt system files which may be responsible for the 'Something didn't go as planned' error. To run it,

  1. Open the Start menu, type cmd and click on 'Run as administrator'.
  1. When the command prompt window appears, type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and press Enter.
  1. Let the command run and then type sfc /scannow and press Enter again.
  1. Wait until the scan is complete and then restart your computer.

Fix 11: Reset Windows 11

If you are still getting the 'Something didn't go as planned' error, you may need to reset your PC. However, doing so will remove your applications, settings, and customizations.

  1. Open the Settings app and click on 'System' on the left.
  1. On the System page, scroll down and click on 'Recovery'.
  1. Next, click on the 'Reset PC' button on the right.
  1. Now you can choose whether to keep your files or remove everything. For best results, you should go with the second option.
  1. Then click on 'Local reinstall' to start resetting the PC. If you want the latest updates, you can go with the 'Cloud download' option.
  1. Your PC will restart and Windows will reset itself to its default settings. You can then try to reinstall the problematic update again.

Things to know

  • When trying the above fixes, make sure to disconnect all external peripherals as they can sometimes interfere with the installation of updates.
  • Additionally, if you are using a third-party antivirus program, you should turn it off or uninstall it temporarily before trying to update Windows.
  • Other solutions you can try include uninstalling the latest updates from the Windows Update page in the Settings app and performing a System Restore if you had created a restore point earlier.
  • If you started getting the error after installing an application, you can try removing that program and then running Windows Update.