Latest Vista Update stuck in Stage 3/restart loop

Anonymous
2009-07-26T19:43:12+00:00

I have Vista Business system on a Toshiba notebook, latest Service Pack and with all updates.  It was fully functional when i last shut it down.  I just booted it up to find the Stage 3 page of a Windows update.  0% progress shown, then it restarts, and opens at the same page again.  Stuck in this loop.  Have tried using F8 to get last good installation, and to stop auto restart, without success, it just keeps returning to the Stage 3 page and reboots.  Tried Systems Repair which offered a System Restore, but that wouldn't start.  System Repair now just keeps showing progress (for 3/4 hour) without any HD activity.  I shut it down and it still restarts at same Stage 3 page.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2009-07-29T01:37:10+00:00

Configuring updates stage 3 of 3. 0% complete

Road Map:

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

Use the System Recovery options to rename the Pending.xml file and edit

the registry:

On the System Recovery Options page, click Command Prompt.

Type cd C:\windows\winsxs, and then press ENTER.

Type ren pending.xml pending.old, and then press ENTER.

Type regedit, and then press ENTER.

Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

On the File menu, click Load Hive.

Locate the following folder:

C:\windows\system32\config\components

When you are prompted for a name, type Offline_Components.

In Registry Editor, locate and then delete the following registry

subkey:

HLKM\Offline Components\AdvancedInstallersNeedResolving

HKLM\Offline Components\PendingXmlIdentifier

Exit Registry Editor:

At the command prompt, type exit to exit Registry Editor.

Press ENTER.

Click Restart.

Kindly reply to me if the steps worked.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-12-18T19:18:45+00:00

    Nice, worked a treat, thanks.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-11-20T17:16:29+00:00

    I want to thank everyone for informative help and kind advice. After a couple of days (of frustration for me) and your continuing encouragement, I finally have defeated that 'endless loop.'

    What worked for me was the neosmart.net download to a properly working CD/DVD burner. I initially tried using my old desktop CD drive, but I forgot it was a read-only device and wouldn't be able to burn a copy of the recovry CD. I found a working DVD burner to copy the neosmart.net download correctly.

    It took several cold boots on the laptop with the recovery CD together with a "shift F6" followed quickly by "any key" to access the needed restore menu.

    I noticed on Google that this "Configuring Updates: Stage 3 of 3 - 0% complete." has been affecting Vista since 2008. It's almost 2012 and this is still causing problems?

    Happy Thanksgiving America !

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-11-06T13:08:47+00:00

    I have just had the same issue after installing the latest windows updates (Vista Home Premium SP1 64bit), the problem is that not even safe mode will load up as that also displays the 'Installing Updates Stage 3' message before promptly restarting (it won't even get to the logon screen). This is a major problem as there is nothing easy that you can do to break out of this continuous update restart loop, (Safe Mode Doesn't Work, neither does 'Last Known Good Configuration' or using the Windows Vista installation DVD to try to restore to an earlier restore point, as this is unable to detect any restore points on your computer)

    I have managed to solve the issue though, see the advanced Method 3 on this article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358 as this solved my problem. The only issue I had was due to the high permission level on the 'pending.xml' file I was unable to rename it to 'pending.old'. The way round this was to boot into a Ubuntu Live CD (Linux) and then navigate to the file and rename it (as Linux ignores the NTFS security permission level of the file).

    Hope this helps, though please Microsoft get this silly update bug fixed!! as I'm sure lots of other people are being caught out by this issue and the solution is quite complex so most people will basically be faced with a 'bricked' computer where they will have to reinstall windows just to fix this silly bug (because it will not allow them to do anything else to try and fix their computer).

    Just had the same problem and worked out that slaving the Vista drive on another computer and moving the pending.xml file from the slave drive as renaming wouldn't work!

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-11-02T08:24:14+00:00

    I have only just encountered this issue on my machine. Your answer saved me from having to restore to factory settings. Thank you a lot.

    Please note that your DOS prompt, in this situation, appears as X: not C: and you will need to change it to C: (by pressing C: then enter) before you can continue with this fix. Other than that the steps, descriptions etc. were easy to follow and have resolved this horrible issue.

    Thank you again.

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