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Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 8:52 am
by Midas
Here's the gist of the conundrum I'm facing with a fresh Windows 10 installation on a desktop PC.

I installed and configured Windows 10 normally and after booting everything appeared to be working normally, until... I got a message about new updates installed and a needing a reboot. Which I did.

The updating process proceeded, with a percentage being displayed in the lock-screen both before and after shutdown.

Only it reached 98% and then turned into a message saying "We couldn't complete the updates. Undoing changes..." and proceeded to roll everything back, requiring extra waiting time at the lock-screen and yet another couple of reboots.

This has been going on for weeks now and, whenever I need to reboot, even if I choose the option not to update, it will still proceed with the updating, which will then fail... next day, rinse and repeat. :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

From update history I can identify the culprit as the latest "quality"(!) cumulative update:

Image

After some research, I concluded that I'm not the only one facing the same issue:


But all the pointed solutions, including installing the kb4571756 update manually or using Microsoft's own MediaCreationTool2004 to do it for me have failed, as have some other solutions gathered elsewhere, namely:

  • Running DISM with appropriate parameters through the CLI;
  • Renaming the large 'SoftwareDistribution' folder (present inside '%WINDIR%').
(via windowsreport.com /we-couldnt-complete-the-updatesundoing-changes/)


In despair, I decided to post this here to sum up the situation, collect any clues that may provide a fix and serve as beacon for any other users facing the same issues.

At the end of the day, all I'm left here is this weary feeling I was right all along about being wary of putting Microsoft in charge of my computer... :sob:

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:27 am
by SYSTEM
Issues like this are usually caused by a corrupted install.

Have you tried sfc /scannow? It's a well-known tool to fix file corruption: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/hel ... ted-system

Also, what happened when you tried the Media Creation Tool? There should be very little that can possibly make it fail.

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 11:19 am
by freakazoid
I'd probably try what SYSTEM mentioned with the Media Creation Tool.

Otherwise, try the Windows 10 Update Assistant.

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 1:23 pm
by __philippe
@Midas,

You might perhaps take a gander at Askwoody forums discussion of the misbehaving KB4571756 SEP 2020 patch:

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/search/kb4571756/

and also

https://www.windowslatest.com/2020/09/1 ... te-issues/

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 5:32 am
by Midas
Thanks for the suggestions, folks. :slight_smile:

I am away from that PC until Monday but I'll be sure to check them out then...

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:49 am
by Midas
SYSTEM wrote: What happened when you tried the Media Creation Tool? There should be very little that can possibly make it fail.

Ran it twice for good measure. Here's a screenshot of its final message, taken while running it in Windows 10:


Image


Moreover, 'sfc /scannow' completed with the following message:


Image


Note that 'CBS.log' is 74247 lines long(!) and has been archived; but after yet another reboot and update cycle, the drill is the same as in OP... :disappointed:

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:36 am
by Midas
__philippe wrote: You might perhaps take a gander at Askwoody forums discussion of the misbehaving KB4571756 SEP 2020 patch:

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/search/kb4571756/

and also

https://www.windowslatest.com/2020/09/1 ... te-issues/

As you can see from the OP screenshot, the error I'm getting here is "0x800f0922", not "0x800f081f".

But upon reading those forum posts, though, I think I'll just look for a way to blacklist 'kb4571756' next and hope for the best.

The system is working alright, so I find it hard to justify squandering more time trying to fix something that isn't broken? :dizzy_face:

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:45 pm
by billon
Spoiler!   
Dotted zero font? Why :(

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 2:15 am
by Midas
billon wrote:
Spoiler!   
Dotted zero font? Why :(

Spoiler!   
Part of the complex editing workflow using multiple computers -- now gone, check for yourself... :slight_smile:
Midas wrote: I'll just look for a way to blacklist 'kb4571756' next and hope for the best.


I haven't found a way yet to do this for individual updates in windows 10 -- but disabling updates is real easy with this tool from Sordum, our resident portable freeware developer:


Some related reading at Ghack.net:

https://www.ghacks.net/2020/06/07/windo ... to-fix-it/

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:06 pm
by h3kt0r
This is the reason why i take the following steps after a fresh install :
1. Quickly run a bunch of portable optmization tools : Bleachbit, Vit Registry Optimizer and a quick defrag after removing Hibernation and Paging files (I don't need these).
2. Install either Macrium Reflect or RollBack RX (Free Home Edition) and take a snapshot of the system drive.

Windows updates messed up my system so many times along the past decade. Now, i've learned my lesson and never take a chance on these updates without a solid system backup at hand...

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:41 am
by Midas
I totally agree, h3ktor.

I have long solved the problem with 2. by installing Windows to a virtual disk, which makes it easy to backup and restore by copying a single (very large!) file.

I use a different set tools to do 1.

My current suspicion is the problem I reported is related to one of these but, like I said, I won't be pursuing the matter further.

My now 6 year-old 7 install is working fine still -- after some hiccups with UEFI, which wasn't a thing when I installed it and has given me nothing but grief...

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:49 am
by rbon
Midas wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:41 am II have long solved the problem with 2. by installing Windows to a virtual disk, which makes it easy to backup and restore by copying a single (very large!) file.
I have found a guide on APUALS https://appuals.com/:
-> Windows 10 Won’t Install or Download Update https://appuals.com/windows-10-wont-ins ... d-updates/

Maybe this guide can help other users.

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:42 am
by Erdeslawe
Support for Windows 10 1903 reached End of Service in December 2020 - see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecy ... -servicing

It probably shouldn't be much of a surprise if you can no longer update to that version.

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Wed May 12, 2021 3:35 am
by Midas
I don't dwell on this, but let's just say I wasn't much surprised when yet another high profile tech-savvy user tried to upgrade his Windows and came away with this conclusion at the end of a very acid report:
I'm not asking for much. All I want is my Professional edition of Windows 10 to be left alone. Updates without changes, without regressions. There are enough idiots out there to profit from, please leave the few people who have more than a rotten potato in their heads in peace. We're outliers anyway, we're not interesting, we don't click ads, we don't get convinced by marketing. Just let us be and do our nerdy stuff. Please. Thank you.
@ www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-10-upgrade-1909-20h2.html

Re: Unable to Update Windows 10

Posted: Wed May 19, 2021 9:39 am
by rbon
Still on Windows Defender.
Windows 10 doesn't like torrent clients that You use to download, for example, your favorite Linux distros.
In fact, in the last versions of Windows Defender many (I would say all) the bittorrent customers are defined as PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application).
The list seems to be long:
• uTorrent
• qBitTorrent
• Tixati
.... (other torrent clients)

Windows Defender deletes these programs without telling you anything (and despite You having defined them as safe).
(See this post of Microsoft Security Intelligence https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/th ... 2/Utorrent)



For details I point out on TorrentFreak this post of Ernesto van der Sar (March 18, 2021) https://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-conti ... ne-210318/