Windows 7 fails to configure updates "reverting changes"

Anonymous
2010-10-02T15:48:06+00:00

Hi

I keep getting this message after Windows trys to install updates at startup....."failure configuring windows updates reverting changes"

  1. After I get this message I do boot correctly into Windows and my system runs ok.
  2. Windows 7 ...64 bit ....latest service packs installed.

3.This was an upgrade from Vista 64 bit ..but has been running fine since 8-2010 when I installed Win7

  1. I've run sfc/scannow and it reports everything is ok

Any ideas ?

Thanks in advance

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2010-10-03T09:02:41+00:00

Hi,

As a first step of troubleshooting, I would suggest you to check the updates history to see if there are any updates that have a failed status and let me know the description of those updates.

Step 1: Check the update history

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/See-which-Windows-updates-are-installed

Let me know if the description of the updates that have failed status.

Step 2: Manually try installing the updates from Microsoft Download Center

a.    Go to the Microsoft download website, type the "KB" number of the update into the download search box, and then click Go.

b.    In the list of search results, click the Knowledge Base (KB) article link to go to the download page. If there's more than one listing, look for a link that goes to the Microsoft Download Center.

c.    If there are multiple versions on the download page, find the appropriate one for your computer. Click the Download button, and save the update to your desktop.

d.    When prompted, click   Open to install the update.

Step 3: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-the-Windows-Update-troubleshooter

Step 4: The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista and Windows 7

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

Regards,

Gaurav Prakash - Microsoft Support

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Anonymous
2010-10-04T06:00:06+00:00

Thanks that worked for me although I did not need to go to the Microsoft download website.  I checked the update history and there were a few that had failed to update.  It said there that there were updates waited to be downloaded so I clicked on that and then selected the updates clicked down the bottom. I think it may have said next or download now.  It took me back to the update page where I selected to update.  That fixed the problem.  I did them one at a time incase there was a particular one that was causing problems but they all updated fine and my computer restarted normally

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62 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-08-13T04:53:00+00:00

    I had the same problem..."failure installing service pak reverting changes" for hours with a spinning circle..."don't turn off computer" said the warning.

    I said, "^%$%#, I'm turning off the %#%$* computer"!!!!!!!!!!! 

    I popped the battery out of my laptop. I started the computer again in safe mode and got into control panel and uninstalled each one of my latest windows updates. They all said failure to uninstall but I kept uninstalling each one anyway and then the system rebooted back to my regular computer again.

    I had my system setup to do automatic updates although I have not seen any installed lately since this happened. 

    Start of problem: The windows update screen kept popping up saying I had new updates to install. I don't know why it does that if I'm set for automatic updates. So I decided to manually update. Did this conflict with my automatic updates?

    This failure to install service pak may have been triggered by intallation of IE9. My live mail will now not open links to IE9 like it used to do in IE8.

    I've run all the trouble shooters.

    The trouble shooter for windows updates will run for hours and does nothing.

    Now I cannot reboot my computer without running into "updating windows phase 1 - 5 please wait", then "failure to install service pak reverting changes" forever...so I pop out the battery again and get back to my computer.

    This should not be happening and should not take all this work to fix!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-08-20T14:27:54+00:00

    Hi Gaurav,

    I am experiencing the same problem as above, although it seems just a little tougher. The complication is that about 80% of my updates are failing, several times over, day after day.

    I have ran the troubleshooter several times, it always says issues fixed, but then updates fail to install, whether I install them manually or automatically, one by one or all together.

    Amongst the error codes experienced (just yesterday), 80070BC9 is by far the most common, then 800B0100, 643, 80073712, 8007371B, C355, 8007054F.

    This has only been happening since I performed a system recovery about two weeks ago, following a crash. Could this be the cause and how do I sort it out?

    Any help very much appreciated!

    Kind regards,

    Enrico

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-12-04T04:22:38+00:00

    Hi Gaurav,

    I've similar problem and I've tried most of the things mentioned below but it won't work.

    I get message 'applying update 2 of109412' (0000000.cdf-ms)

    Then it tells me don't turn off the computer -> failure to update-> reverting changes.

    I couldn't find the update KB2478662 so couldn't update it manually.

    Also downloaded 'Windows readiness tool' but it hangs after going through 75-80%

    Will appreciate your help greatly.

    Best regards,

    Rahul

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