WIN 7 64 BIT hangs with update 35%?

Have the known problem that the PC hangs at 35% from Windows Update. At first it did not want to shut down with 100% installation, then did not want to start up again and remains at 35% configuration. Before that, I had Windows' own disk cleanup done (about 15 GB were removed). Unfortunately I have not found any way to start the box again, safe mode brings nothing. Does anyone have a hint?

PS: there's important data on the laptop and the Windows installation CD is not available

You could have windows reinstalled using a USB stick… You may need a new key, but it shouldn't really be the case. Simply download the Windows Media Creation Tool on another PC, load Windows 10 on 64 bit onto the stick and plug it into your PC. In the BIOS you should then be able to select the stick and reinstall windows. I believe your data should be kept.

EDIT: oh, you have windows 7, don't you want windows 10? For windows 10 you would need a new key. On sites like Kinguin or G2A you should get windows 10 keys very cheaply.

Which update is it about? Do you have too little hard disk space or too little RAM? Windows 7 is very old. Hardly used today.

Yes win 10 would be good, but the laptop is already at least 10 years old. Emachines e727 or something. So you mean load the Win 10 key on the USB stick and plug it into the laptop while booting?

Space is not a problem, about 300 gb free. I don't care if win 7 or 10, the main thing is that I get back into the system and can save my data.

No you have to load the installation file onto the stick and then open the laptop's BIOS. The best thing to do is to google how to get into the bios on your laptop. Then you can select the windows installation file in the bios and install it. Windows should delete the old version of windows or it will be fixed. After you have installed it, you can enter the key and windows will be unlocked.

To get into the BIOS you have to press TAB when you start. If that doesn't work, try the same with Escape, Delete, or F2

Do you still have the original Windows CD?

There's no longer any support for Windows 7. You can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free. The Windows 7 product key is also accepted when activating Windows 10. And this is how you proceed:

With this tool https://www.chip.de/...63752.html read out the Windows 7 product key and write it down.
Then download the Media Creation Tool: https://www.microsoft.com/...ndows10%20 With this you can create a Windows 10 USB boot stick.
Simply boot the created stick and follow the instructions of the wizard. It offers the possibility to delete everything. The computer will restart several times during the installation.
After the installation is complete and the last restart, the Windows 10 initial setup wizard appears. It offers the possibility to create a Microsoft account. You should do that if you don't have one yet. Otherwise, log in to Windows 10 as a user with your existing Microsoft account.
Now you go into activation. Enter the noted Windows 7 Product Key there. The activation will be carried out and saved permanently in your Microsoft account.

If you have to reinstall Windows 10, simply log into Windows 10 as a user with your Microsoft account at the end. Windows 10 will then activate itself again fully automatically. You don't have to enter the key anymore.

If you turn off all the desktop effects in Windows 10, it even runs a little faster than Windows 7.

With Windows 10 you also have the option to use Instagram. There's also the Instagram app in the Microsoft Store. It has the same functions as the smartphone.