Windows 10 update: endless failed installation reboot Feb 2017

rojer5156 · 27 Feb 2017

Hi,
I work in IT in a University and last week I prepped and set up a number of W10 computers for Student Admin DYI use. Everything up to date, tested, functioning smoothly. Today, (first day of classes and I go in to just make sure) and the computers have been bricked by an update. Endless 'Installation failed, press any key to restart' and on it goes. Safe mode doesn't work. Win10 install Disc Repair doesn't work. Nothing works. This is totally unacceptable, particularly when advice received goes along the lines of "If you are stuck in a reboot cycle please go to the control panel and .....". We have resigned ourselves to the inevitability of a complete rebuild and a huge delay/cost associated with that. I will point out that no cloning/dsim or other reproduction techniques were used. This was a clean individual install of W10Ent to several machines. We have applied for extra manpower solely to deal with the expected W10 problems but I'm getting the feeling that the unexpected ones are going to require even more. This is not a suitable OS for mission critical situations (and this is not the first major stoppage, we have 2 surface pro 4's on their way back to MS for un****ing, and I have a list of tickets with similiar inquiries/faults). I use to think I was a Pro in IT but W10 has reduced me to damn near tears. Just saying.

dalchina · 28 Feb 2017

Hi, I sympathise with your plight- fortunately not one I've experienced.

Others may have better ideas.. but noting you've not had a reply...

a. Can you invoke system restore by booting from a Win 10 install disk, then click 'Repair your computer' and navigate through Troubleshooting to System Restore?

b. Failing that, and this is significantly less than ideal, can you restore the backup copy of the registry?
Boot from e.g. a Win 10 install disk or bootable disk such as Kyhi's at the top of the Software and Apps section of this forum

The Windows 10 backup copy of the registry is under:
C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack
Boot up the PC using WinPE or Installation Disk into command prompt and copy all files under RegBack to C:\Windows\System32\config

Windows 10 update: endless failed installation reboot Feb 2017-picture1.png

(This will probably leave inconsistencies between some files and the registry, and I can't advise how you might reconcile those simply).

I'm wondering whether you have ever considered the routine use of disk imaging so you have a quick way of recovering?
Also whether you have considered any of the various was of restricting Windows updates so that you can test them before general deployment?

Windows update log files
You are probably aware of this, which seems to make accessing them in this instance remarkably challenging.
You'd have to extract them and process them on another machine, unless perhaps you can do that having booted using Kyhi's boot disk.

Windows Update logs are now generated using ETW (Event Tracing for Windows).
Please run the Get-WindowsUpdateLog PowerShell command to convert ETW traces into a readable WindowsUpdate.log.

For more information, please visit http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=518345

This indicates where they are located:
https://technet.microsoft.com/itpro/...ndowsupdatelog