Is there a way to determine exactly what caused a failure to install of a specific update.
After all, the update mechanism ought to know what stopped an update from being successfully installed in order to call it a fail. It would surely make troubleshooting and repairing the fault much easier so the install can proceed apace.
Short answer: no, there isn't.
There are numerous threads where you can see extended attempts to resolve update and upgrade failures.
Numerous different logs are available, but these almost never point to a cause, or lead one to a likely cause in an accessible manner.
MS has created the setupdiag.exe tool (just search for it) which attempts to scan the logs and match with known cases, and hence produce a useable output.
Some references:
Read Windows Update Logs in Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/928901/log-files-that-are-created-when-you-upgrade-to-a-new-version-of-windowhttps://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/06/windows-10-upgrade-log-files-list/
Windows 10 upgrade log files list - gHacks Tech News
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...upgrade-errors
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...s-update-works
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...rror-reference
Yeah...I was afraid that would be the case and my experience certainly proves the point.
Do you perchance happen to know what ultimately transpires with these updates that remain in a persistent fail state - do they impact the successful installation of subsequent updates of a similar type? Are they ultimately deleted as a result of a different update. Or, do they forever hang around to make you continually wonder if your PC is doing something it shouldn't or not doing something it should or if something lurking in the background is waiting for the right trigger to destroy your data?
Anyhow, thanks for your reply.
Two suggested articles from Microsoft....
Whether you find the exact cause will determine the level of troubleshooting you go through.
1) Open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste:
2) sfc /scannow
3) dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
4) dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
5) sfc /scannow
6) chkdsk /scan
7) systeminfo
8) When these have completed > right click on the top bar or title bar of the administrative command prompt box > left click on edit then select all > right click on the top bar again > left click on edit then copy > paste into the thread
One difficulty that can occur is that failed updates continue to repeat being downloaded, attempted and fail. A user might simply experience that their PC is sometimes slow e.g. while the update is being applied. Or there might be an error message. The worst is where a feature update repeatedly fails.
This affects Home users particularly- Pro users can use features within Windows to get control. Either way, the above is the default situation, and users have to take appropriate actions to mitigate or prevent the situation.
As to whether a subsequent cumulative update might succeed where on has been failing becomes a matter of conjecture.
Each CU potentially includes all the updates that have preceded it for that build; only the parts relevant to a given PC are downloaded.
MS has given Home users a little more control: Pro users can set updates to Notify, so no update proceeds without approval. Home users can get control using one of several free utilities, which are excellent - check boxes allow users to select updates to be applied, or to be hidden (never to be applied). These block automatic Windows updates, requiring the user to perform a manual scan with them.
Here ya go in order of your list.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>sfc /scannow
Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.
Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.
Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.18362.1
Image Version: 10.0.18363.815
[==========================100.0%==========================] No component store corruption detected.
The operation completed successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.18362.1
Image Version: 10.0.18363.815
[==========================100.0%==========================] The restore operation completed successfully.
The operation completed successfully.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>chkdsk /scan
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is System.
Stage 1: Examining basic file system structure ...
570112 file records processed.
File verification completed.
4197 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.
Stage 2: Examining file name linkage ...
241 reparse records processed.
669738 index entries processed.
Index verification completed.
0 unindexed files scanned.
0 unindexed files recovered to lost and found.
241 reparse records processed.
Stage 3: Examining security descriptors ...
Security descriptor verification completed.
49814 data files processed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
40256904 USN bytes processed.
Usn Journal verification completed.
Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems.
No further action is required.
467949351 KB total disk space.
46425679 KB in 192048 files.
133280 KB in 49815 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
798048 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
420592344 KB available on disk.
512 bytes in each allocation unit.
935898703 total allocation units on disk.
841184688 allocation units available on disk.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>systeminfo
Host Name: NEHALEM
OS Name: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
OS Version: 10.0.18363 N/A Build 18363
OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration: Standalone Workstation
OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner: Jim Wray
Registered Organization: N/A
Product ID: 00330-80000-00000-AA283
Original Install Date: 4/30/2020, 8:18:45 AM
System Boot Time: 5/13/2020, 11:21:08 AM
System Manufacturer:
System Model:
System Type: x64-based PC
Processor(s): 1 Processor(s) Installed.
[01]: Intel64 Family 6 Model 26 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~3193 Mhz
BIOS Version: Intel Corp. SOX5810J.86A.5529.2010.1214.2317, 12/14/2010
Windows Directory: C:\WINDOWS
System Directory: C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device: \Device\HarddiskVolume1
System Locale: en-us;English (United States)
Input Locale: en-us;English (United States)
Time Zone: (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
Total Physical Memory: 16,374 MB
Available Physical Memory: 12,850 MB
Virtual Memory: Max Size: 18,806 MB
Virtual Memory: Available: 14,014 MB
Virtual Memory: In Use: 4,792 MB
Page File Location(s): C:\pagefile.sys
Domain: WORKGROUP
Logon Server: \\NEHALEM
Hotfix(s): 8 Hotfix(s) Installed.
[01]: KB4552931
[02]: KB4513661
[03]: KB4516115
[04]: KB4517245
[05]: KB4528759
[06]: KB4537759
[07]: KB4552152
[08]: KB4550945
Network Card(s): 2 NIC(s) Installed.
[01]: Intel(R) 82567LM-2 Gigabit Network Connection
Connection Name: Ethernet
DHCP Enabled: Yes
DHCP Server: 192.168.1.1
IP address(es)
[01]: 192.168.1.70
[02]: ExpressVPN TAP Adapter
Connection Name: Ethernet 2
Status: Media disconnected
Hyper-V Requirements: VM Monitor Mode Extensions: Yes
Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: Yes
Second Level Address Translation: Yes
Data Execution Prevention Available: Yes
The computer has the latest version of Windows.
The next version of Windows is expected to be released in < 60 days.
The latest 1909 "build" as of today is 18363.836 - this CU was released yesterday - KB4556799 CU Win 10 v1903 build 18362.836 and v1909 build 18363.836. But as noted you have the latest version.
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