Windows Update Loop

[Aerobane]

I have a windows 7 machine that is stuck in some kind of update loop. Upon booting the computer says its configuring windows updates only to hit a failure and then go through "reverting changes" it says here for around 20 hours so far as I've been timing it. I have tried booting to save mode but hit the same loop before I can get in.

Only thing I can get to is the recovery partition. Is there a way to uninstall the updates through the cmd?

I have tried sfc and chkdsk with no luck and am not sure where else to go other than reformatting which I really dont want to have to do. Have also tried system restore but its saying I have no restore points even though I know I have had some previously. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[junkeymonkey]

if you go to Microsoft and there fix it deal theres one for that updater try it and see it fixed mine

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/troubleshoot-problems-installing-updates#1TC=windows-7

 

[casper1973]

Try renaming these two folders (just add .bak to the end of the name)

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
C:\Windows\system32\catroot2


From a command prompt it would be

Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
Ren C:\Windows\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak


You might have to substitute C: with a different letter as in the recovery environment your Windows partition often gets assigned a different letter.
You can find this out using the following commands

diskpart
list volume
This will give you a list of all partitions, their sizes, label, and assigned letter. From here you should be able to figure which one is your Windows partition. When you are done just type exit to go back to a normal command prompt.

 

[Aerobane]

Try renaming these two folders (just add .bak to the end of the name)

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
C:\Windows\system32\catroot2


From a command prompt it would be

Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
Ren C:\Windows\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak


When in the recovery console your Windows partition might not be assigned C: as usual. Quite often it gets assigned D: or E: instead
You can find this out using the following commands

diskpart
list volume
This will give you a list of all partitions, their sizes, label, and assigned letter. From here you should be able to figure which one is your Windows partition. When you are done just type exit to go back to a normal command prompt.

Thanks I will try this as soon as I get home this afternoon.
I tried to do a WMIC qfe to get a list of what the newest ones installed were but i kept getting a "no instances available" error. Your method sounds much easier.

 

[junkeymonkey]

this may also sound silly but if the update is out of order and needs a update to be installed ahead of it to work it will do this like say you need to have update kb 290643 installed first for this one to work click on the updates support page and read the notes on it to see

 

[mdd1963]

Take the files in c:/Windows/softwaredistribution/datastore andc:/windows/softwaredistribution/download, and delete all of them...(don't worry, they are not used after installation, and anything needed will be /recreated/redownloaded anyway)

Go to MS, search for "MS Fix it", select issues with "Windows" and "Updating software" and "Windows updates".....install/run the automated fixer

 

[Aerobane]

Take the files in c:/Windows/softwaredistribution/datastore andc:/windows/softwaredistribution/download, and delete all of them...(don't worry, they are not used after installation, and anything needed will be /recreated/redownloaded anyway)

Go to MS, search for "MS Fix it", select issues with "Windows" and "Updating software" and "Windows updates".....install/run the automated fixer

I'm not sure people are actually reading the original question. How exactly would i run the fix it if i cant boot to the computer even in safe mode. Literally all i have access to is the command prompt through the Repair my Computer menu.

 

[Aerobane]

Try renaming these two folders (just add .bak to the end of the name)

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
C:\Windows\system32\catroot2


From a command prompt it would be

Ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
Ren C:\Windows\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak


You might have to substitute C: with a different letter as in the recovery environment your Windows partition often gets assigned a different letter.
You can find this out using the following commands

diskpart
list volume
This will give you a list of all partitions, their sizes, label, and assigned letter. From here you should be able to figure which one is your Windows partition. When you are done just type exit to go back to a normal command prompt.

Tried this last night still stuck in the same loop.

 

[Aerobane]

Take the files in c:/Windows/softwaredistribution/datastore andc:/windows/softwaredistribution/download, and delete all of them...(don't worry, they are not used after installation, and anything needed will be /recreated/redownloaded anyway)

Go to MS, search for "MS Fix it", select issues with "Windows" and "Updating software" and "Windows updates".....install/run the automated fixer

I cannot install the automated fixer. You guys seem to not get that I cannot get into windows at all, not even safe mode. The ONLY thing I have access to is the command prompt through the repair menu.

 

[Paul NZ]

If system restore is still enabled type rstrui.exe see if (this works), so you can go back to before this happened