Windows update constantly wanting to restart

T

tomaird

Member
Recently got an Optimus V and installed the usual large amount of updates for a new computer.
After restarting several times to "finish the install", Windows update still tells me I need to restart the computer to install the updates.
I think I must have restarted over a hundred times and it still wants me to restart again
Here's a picture of the exact message I receive update.PNG
Any suggestions?
Thanks
 
steaky360

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
Have you tried actually shutting it down and restarting it? As opposed to just 'restarting' if you get what I mean?
 
vanthus

vanthus

Member Resting in Peace
Failing what steaky suggested try a system restore point using your OS disk to before the updates if one is available .
Instructions are given in the welcome booklet.
 
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ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Take a look at your Update History, that will show you which updates are successfully installed and (hopefully) which have failed. Your problem will be one of the failed ones of course, so you might try expanding list of installed programs (in Programs & Features) to include Windows updates (click the View Installed Updates menu item) and uninstalling any in that list that show as failed.

Otherwise I'd agree with vanthus and do a system restore of the last batch of updates. I'd suggest you then install these updates one at a time. That's a pain I know but I've come across problems installing a bunch of updates at the same time before. Installing them one at a time will either get them all on successfully or you'll easily be able to see which one is the problem and research it further.

I would also suggest you cut a system restore point manually before you start messing, at least you can then get back to where you are now.
 
T

tomaird

Member
@Steaky - Yeah I have tried that too, many times.

@Vanthus - I tried doing a system restore to the earliest point I could but unfortunately this is still after I installed all the updates and it still wants me to restart.

@ubuysa - Unfortunately in my attempt to fix the problem I cleared the windows update cache so it no longer remembers the update history so I can't see which ones failed to install. Even after doing the system restore I couldn't see the history. I can see which updates are installed but it only shows the successful ones. And I can't scan for updates because it wants me to restart to "finish the previous updates".
 
steaky360

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
Worst case scenario, you could go for a clean install of windows. That should at least take you back to square one and you can try again... I know its a bit of a pain but it should work.
 
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
tomaird said:
@Steaky - Yeah I have tried that too, many times.

@Vanthus - I tried doing a system restore to the earliest point I could but unfortunately this is still after I installed all the updates and it still wants me to restart.

@ubuysa - Unfortunately in my attempt to fix the problem I cleared the windows update cache so it no longer remembers the update history so I can't see which ones failed to install. Even after doing the system restore I couldn't see the history. I can see which updates are installed but it only shows the successful ones. And I can't scan for updates because it wants me to restart to "finish the previous updates".
Click to expand...

In that case I think I have to agree with steaky360 and suggest you consider a complete reinstall. You've exhausted all the possibilities for undoing whatever update is causing this issue and you're now in the position of not knowing how stable your OS is with an update not fully installed. I've always believed that if you don't trust your OS 100% then it's time to reinstall.

If you have disk imaging software (I use Macrium Reflect Free) you can cut an image of your system disk/partition before installing each batch of Windows updates. That will give you a foolproof way of getting that batch of updates off.
 
T

tomaird

Member
As I was so reluctant to do a clean install, I searched around some more and deleted a file in the registry (found here) and it seems to have fixed the problem. Now it isn't asking to restart, it has managed to download and install quite a few more updates so I think it's fixed.
And if my registry meddling hasn't fixed the problem I will do a clean install.
Thanks for the help everyone.
 
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