[SOLVED] "Getting Windows Ready" EVERY time I shutdown

[TsukiZero]

This started happening when I was trying to solve a hard crash by uninstalling potential bad updates, one has failed critically, and then while installing updates the system froze completely. After recovering from those episodes (and finding out the hard crash was caused by overheating graphics card due to dust which is now solved), and repairing a broken boot by doing a system restore, this started happening:

KB5011487 fails to install, KB5011543 also fails to install, and every SINGLE time I shut down or restart the PC it goes to the "Getting Windows Ready" before properly shutting down or restarting (no GWR on boot). I tried everything: Registry cleanup, wiping update cache, MajorGeek's Windows AIO Repair... Nothing fixes it.

Something must have broken and made it so Windows Update thinks there's a pending install stuck.

 

[Ralston18]

My thought is corrupted files.

Will the system boot into safe mode?

= = = =

Look in Reliability History and Event Viewer: either one or both may have captured some error information related to the KB installation failure.

Update History may also provide some information.

If so try using "sfc /scannow" and "dism".

References:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

How to use DISM command tool to repair Windows 10 image | Windows Central

 

[Colif]

try a repair install of windows 10 - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16397-repair-install-windows-10-place-upgrade.html
all it does is removes all Cumulative updates and installs 21H2 as if its brand new. it won't touch anything apart from windows.

 

[TsukiZero]

SFC and DISM returns no error, BEFORE this string of issues I was unable to boot into Safe Mode (Automatic Repair would kick in, check there's no issue, and send me to Recovery Environment) but now I can.

Neither Reliability Monitor nor Event Viewer points anything hinting what broke it.
Reliability Monitor report (XML)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wN5Ox5mi4nZZzPQBfrVclsGztbdsWwUr/view?usp=sharing

I don't want to do an in-place upgrade or repair install out of sheer dread of losing stuff since my luck with technology is extremely cursed in the first few months of the year, so I'm waiting on my brother finding a HDD or SSD I can use to back stuff up first.

 

[Colif]

Something must have broken and made it so Windows Update thinks there's a pending install stuck.

pause Windows updates for a week and leave it like it for a day or so, and then turn them back on. That can clear the queue

 

[TsukiZero]

pause Windows updates for a week and leave it like it for a day or so, and then turn them back on. That can clear the queue

OK, paused it about now. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Conclusion: didn't work. Seems Colif is right, in place upgrade or clean install are the better course of action (and at the same time will address other issues.)