Windows 10 update won’t install and can’t recover from previous point

Hi everyone! A few days ago I was having some issues with my PC so I decided it was as good a time as ever for me to do a clean Windows 10 install. The first attempt didn’t go so well (my internet wasn’t really working, most sites wouldn’t respond), so I decided to do it again, and everything seemed to go perfectly (internet working, computer acting great).

To cover what I’ve done since the OS install, I decided to update some of my drivers (I assumed this would be necessary after installing a clean OS, but I don’t know much about computers), so I went to Intel’s site and it said I needed two driver updates, which I installed, and I also updated my graphics/video driver from Nvidia’s site.

Here is my PC build: System Builder - Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core, GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0, Source 530 ATX Full Tower - PCPartPicker

I also installed a couple video games from Steam, which prompted the install of some Microsoft redist packages.

After a couple days where everything was going fine, when I restarted my PC last night, I was prompted by Windows that it was getting ready to install some updates and to not shut off my PC. After about an hour of waiting, I held the power button down because nothing seemed to be happening. I opened up the update center, I saw Windows had successfully installed one of two updates. But the other had failed.

This is the one that fails: Microsoft Update Catalog


At this point over and over Windows attempted to acquire the update after every shutdown, but it always stopped at 99% installation and stuck there, and continued to try and install this update upon every restart but can’t. So I went to Microsoft’s site, and manually downloaded this update, but when I go to install it I get a message from Windows that the update fails.

When I go to recover my PC to a point from a few days ago, I’m told I can’t recover from previous because something is blocking the installation of the files, and that the reason is most likely an anti-virus program (but I don’t have any anti-virus installed, aside from Windows Defender)

I’m not really sure what to do at this point. This is a fresh install, with almost no programs installed. At this stage I can’t restart because of the endless update loop, I can’t complete this update manually due to an error, and everytime I shut down and turn on my PC, this update always downloads but sticks at 99% installation.

Do I need to reinstall Windows from scratch again or is there a way to recover from this?

Ok I was finally able to update 1709 KB4054517. After several hours, and trying everyone’s suggestions here and around the web, I opted to do a totally clean install from USB and the problem was STILL there.

Finally, thanks to Windows’ update history (thank goodness), I was able to see 3 drivers I had installed recently before this update. All three from Intel, two from Intel’s site (one for System, and one for Bluetooth) and one from my motherboard’s site (Gigabyte) for Chipset.

Once I deleted/uninstalled these (search device manager), which allows Windows to automatically reaquire drivers, I was finally able to update Windows.

These 3 intel drivers are all official and all most current (even according to Windows), but clearly something isn’t compatible.

Solved.

I decided to do another clean install. This time I went immediately to the update center after installing and made sure all updates available were also installed (why oh why Windows don’t you do this during the “checking for updates section of the OS installation?). Once I was positive all updates had installed, I restarted. I was prompted with another update in the Update Center (the troubled one that started this). It successfully installed. I restarted and checked both Ethernet and WiFi and did Edge and Google searches and everything finally works. All updates successful.

If anyone with a similar rig wants to know my driver versions, I can verify. I did so much uninstalling and letting Windows do its thing my head is spinning and I’m utterly confused but as of this second, with several restarts just now just to check, the PC is finally acting nornallly.