Failure configuring Windows updates reverting changes CMD Access Only

[gruntpunt]

So, Ive been confronted by this problem for quite some time and am at a loss at what to do now. I'd like to start with some background information.

While updating Windows 7 Ultimate 64x I experienced a power outage, and upon restart Windows would stick on "failure configuring windows updates reverting changes" for several hours. After waiting the screen would then prompt "shutting down" and would be stuck there indefinitely. Now, at first I was able to access safe mode and was able to enter my computer through there, but upon entering the line

DISM /Image:C:\test\offline /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions

as one of the recommended solutions to this problem, I now am prompted with the message "failure configuring windows updates reverting changes" while attempting to access safe mode and safemode with networking. This has stonewalled me from entering my computer besides the access to command prompt via System Recovery Options.

Now I have noticed when I try to net stop wuauserv or BITS via the command prompt it replies "The service name is invalid." And when I check the registry BITS and wuauserv seem to be absent within HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Unfortunately I do not have any system restore points or the Disk to do an image recovery so I am quite stuck at what I have now.

Any help on this matter would be oh so greatly appreciated!

 

[johnhoh]

you might give Windows Reset Update Agent and or Fix WU Utility a try, I think they run in command line mode

Fix Windows Update issues with Reset Windows Update Agent - gHacks Tech News
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/repair-fix-windows-updates-with-fix-wu-utility

 

[gruntpunt]

How can I activate this program through the cmd? Off of a flash drive?

 

[johnhoh]

yes, both programs

 

[gruntpunt]

Are there a set of instruction on how to do this? A bit of a beginner on writing in the command line.

 

[johnhoh]

my bad, forgot that not everyone grew up on a DOS system, lol

1) first use another computer to download both of these programs (cuz we're hoping at least one of them will fix your problem) and copy all their files straight into the root folder of a usb drive (so they're not in a subfolder of the drive, just put everything into the root drive. And don't worry if you have to overwrite the README file)

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/downloading-fixwu

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.c...e-Agent-d824badc/file/172062/1/ResetWUEng.zip

2) Then move that same usb drive onto your problem machine while it is turned off.

3) Boot the problem machine to a command prompt.

There are two ways to do this: safe mode command prompt and the recovery command prompt you've been doing. So first, see if safe mode command prompt will work, which is described in Option One of the below link. If you cannot get it to work, just boot to the same command prompt that you've been using when booting with your recovery disk.

Safe Mode - Windows 7 Help Forums

4) Once you are at the command prompt on the problem machine with the usb drive inserted, you need to figure out what is the drive letter of the usb drive. Here are two different ways to do this:

a) from the command prompt type "wmic logicaldisk get caption,description,drivetype,providername,volumename" (without quotes) then press enter. Your USB drive should show up as having a drive type of "2". Its letter will be D:, or E:, or whatever. That's what you want to know, the drive letter. Or try

b) from the command prompt type "diskpart", which loads a small disk management program. Then type "list volume", which will show you your disk drives. One of those drives should be your usb drive, you'll be able to tell it by its size. Make a note of the drive letter. Then exit diskpart by typing "exit".

5) Now that you know the drive letter of the usb drive, just type it in at the command prompt, plus a colon. Like if the USB is the E drive, just type "E:" (as always, without quotes) and press enter. That will take you to the root drive of the E drive.

6) now type "dir" and press enter, which will show you the contents of the E drive. Our two programs should both be there. First try one, then the other, by typing "ResetWUEng" which will run the first program (once its loaded, hopefully its self-explanatory). If that does not fix your problem, the second program to try is called "FixWU".

 

[gruntpunt]

ResetWUEng.cmd wants administrator access, which I do not know how to give via the command line, but would seem to work if I can give it admin access as it opens up a new blue cmd titled "Reset WIndows Update Tool." While FixWU is an .exe and am responded with "the subsystem needed to support the image type is not present" when trying to run it

Also thank you so much for helping

 

[johnhoh]

hmm, they both just ran fine for me from the safe mode command prompt. See if method 2 below fixes your admin account issue

Built-in Administrator - Enable from WinRE - Windows 7 Help Forums

here's a post about your windows update issue

Cancel pending updates in Windows 7 from command line +/- regedit - Ars Technica OpenForum

some more ideas are here

Delete windows update files in Windows 7 from cmd or windows

post #8 below talks about using wusa.exe from the command line

Can I invoke Windows Update from the command line? - Super User

just throwing out ideas here, am not really a windows update expert.

 

[gruntpunt]

That's where the problem inherently lies since I cannot access safe mode and only have access to the CMD via "Repair your computer" system recovery tools.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Grunt,
try running sfc /scannow, might clear some of the problems.

Roy

 

[gruntpunt]

Hi Grunt,
try running sfc /scannow, might clear some of the problems.

Roy

Every time I run sfc /scannow it replies "there is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete. Restart Windows and run sfc again." And every time I restart and go back to the cmd via "system recovery options" it says the same thing, which is from what I assume because I am in system recovery options.

 

[johnhoh]

from a command prompt try:

dism.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

then reboot and try sfc /scannow again

or a second option is to do this

regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RebootPending

right-click on the Rebootpending key and delete it, then reboot

to do the second option you may have to use regedit offline, as discussed here

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