What's going on??! (Hopefully the "help me I can't seem to 10.3" thread to end them all)

Seriously though, everyone's asking the same question - how are we supposed to install this update?!? This is my prayer to the CB overlords:

I've tried the Link way (got stuck at 95% after HOURS of agonising over not moving my temperamental wire)
and previous to that I tried the usual way without Link but had the same "not enough space" issues as everyone else here (despite clearing out all of my apps/cache/accounts...everything, literally everything - there's <u>*nothing*</u> left in device storage now except a few megs of stuff you can't remove.)

And now I've lost all the memory I'd freed up cuz I got 95% in to the update!!!! Why is it still there? What is taking up all my space?!? I started the update around 4.30am thinking it would be completed by 9am... yet here I am!

1. How do I remove the incomplete update data so I can start again?

2. Why would it get stuck on 95% using the Link method? (I went to great lengths to not disturb the connection)

3. Why does it take so long? Progress was so painfully slow - I even set BB link and all related processes to "High Priority" (using windows) :(

4. Why can't anyone on CB seem to suggest anything beyond "move pictures and vids to SD" when the posters have explained that they already did that and still don't have enough device memory? I will emphasize:- there is <u>nothing</u> left on my device storage except unremovables totalling a few (less than 10) MB, yet due to the incomplete update I have only 7% free.

I'm using a Q5 if that helps to diagnose further.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help, I'm sure many other users would appreciate a solid solution too.

Dan

Download an autoloader. It is a single file. Find it here

Cable your phone to your PC. Leave LINK CLOSED!!!!!!!
Double click the autoloader exe and it will erase everything on your phone (make room) and put the new OS on it. Honestly, this is the way OSes should be loaded all the time anyway.

Please try this and see if it doesn't work for you.

Option 1: Use autoloader per JayDee's suggestion. Make Link Backup first, close Link during update, then Restore with Link but exclude Android Runtime from Restore.

Option 2: Wait. I've had your issue before. A couple days of doing nothing but a reset or two will eventually clear the cached & failed update data on its own.

OK. So I downloaded the OS 10.3.1.2267 autoloader for my STA100-5 Z30. Link was closed.
I ran the autoloader exe.
A command prompt box opened and the process started, and the LED on my Z30 went green.
Then, the command window closed.
That was 15 minutes ago. The phone screen is black, and the LED is green. Nothing appears to be happening

This is not fun.

Had the not enough space (1.4G) issue with my initial OTA update attempt with Z30..

Deleted Box and OneDrive apps, rebooted to reveal 3.9G free then proceeded with OTA update just fine. It takes about an hour or so, especially the Step 2 phase. After successful update, performed the so called hard reset (hold down both volume buttons), reinstated Box & OneDrive along with some 20 or so App updates. Hard reset once more to be sure and thus all tres bon :)