Windows Update restart loop

Open an Elevated Command Prompt.

At the prompt, run the following commands.

DEL C:\Windows\System32\config\TxR\*.* /q
DEL C:\Windows\System32\config\TxR\*.* /ah /q
fsutil resource setautoreset true C:\

then wait 10 minutes, and reboot - then try Windows Update

Maybe, maybe not - try running the commands while in Safe Mode, and see if that helps.

OK - try this set of instructions instead...

fsutil resource setautoreset true %systemdrive%\

attrib -r -s -h %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\TxR\*
del %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\TxR\*

attrib -r -s -h %SystemRoot%\System32\SMI\Store\Machine\*
del %SystemRoot%\System32\SMI\Store\Machine\*.tm*
del %SystemRoot%\System32\SMI\Store\Machine\*.blf
del %SystemRoot%\System32\SMI\Store\Machine\*.regtrans-ms

I thinks that's as good as it's going to get - please post a new CBS.log and I'll take a look and see if anything has changed

Here's the full text of one error sequence...

Code:

2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CSI    00000004 IAdvancedInstallerAwareStore_ResolvePendingTransactions (call 1) (flags = 00000004, progress = NULL, phase = 0, pdwDisposition = @0xc4fc80
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CSI    00000005 Creating NT transaction (seq 1), objectname [6]"(null)"
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CSI    00000006 Created NT transaction (seq 1) result 0x00000000, handle @0x1ec
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Error                 CSI    00000007 (F) STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE #155# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey(flg = (AllowAccessDenied), key = {provider=NULL, handle=0}, da = (KEY_SET_VALUE|KEY_WOW64_64KEY), oa = @0xc4ef60->OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES {s:48; rd:NULL; on:[28]"\Registry\Machine\COMPONENTS"; a:(OBJ_CASE_INSENSITIVE)}, disp = Unmapped disposition: 12906240 (0x00c4ef00))[gle=0xd0190005]
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Error                 CSI    00000008@2015/10/3:07:01:23.225 (F) d:\win7sp1_gdr\base\wcp\sil\merged\ntu\ntsystem.cpp(3676): Error STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE originated in function Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey expression: (null)
[gle=0x80004005]
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CBS    Succesfully flushed NtfsLog.etl
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CBS    Succesfully added NtfsLog.etl to WER Report
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Error                 CSI    00000009 (F) STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE #154# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey(flg = 0, key = {provider=NULL, handle=0}, da = (KEY_SET_VALUE|KEY_WOW64_64KEY), oa = @0xc4ef60->OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES {s:48; rd:NULL; on:[28]"\Registry\Machine\COMPONENTS"; a:(OBJ_CASE_INSENSITIVE)}, disp = Unmapped disposition: 12906712 (0x00c4f0d8))[gle=0xd0190005]
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Error                 CSI    0000000a@2015/10/3:07:01:23.624 (F) d:\win7sp1_gdr\base\wcp\sil\merged\ntu\ntsystem.cpp(3676): Error STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE originated in function Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey expression: (null)
[gle=0x80004005]
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CBS    Succesfully flushed NtfsLog.etl
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CBS    Succesfully added NtfsLog.etl to WER Report
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Error                 CSI    0000000b (F) STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE #153# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::CSystemIsolationLayer_IRtlSystemIsolationLayerTearoff::OpenRegistryKey(flags = (OpenForBackupIntent), da = (KEY_SET_VALUE), kn = [ml:58{29},l:56{28}]"\Registry\Machine\COMPONENTS", key = NULL, disp = (null))[gle=0xd0190005]
2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CSI    0000000c Warning: Failed to delete pending transaction content. Error code: STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE

2015-10-03 09:01:23, Info                  CBS    NonStart: Success, startup processing not required as expected.

- that repeats at every boot.

Open an Elevated Command Prompt, and run the following commands

Code:

REG LOAD HKLM\COMPONENTS C:\Windows\System32\config\COMPONENTS
REG DELETE HKLM\COMPONENTS /V PendingRequired
*
.

then reboot, and try Windows Update again.