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
    2012-03-16T00:34:13+00:00

    Thanks this worked!  Once restarted it took a minute to show anything on the screen but then it went into the "update screen"  and I thought the same error would persist but instead of restarting it went to the Welcome user screen, typed in my password and logged in.  I did find that the PendingXmIIdentifier file was not in "offline components" but in "COMPONENTS"... so I took a chance and it worked.  Thanks for the fix.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-03-11T04:44:38+00:00

    I only had to delete the "pending.xml"

    When I looked for the hive registry keys, they weren't present.

    If the file is "locked" and won't delete you may need to use a live CD such as UBCD4Win.com and use a program called "Eraser" which writes over the space the file takes up effectively deleting it.

    Once deleted, I rebooted and still was prompted with "Configuring Updates Stage 3 of 3...", but instead of looping, it skipped the progress of the updates and booted into the desktop.

    There is also a preventative patch if you manage to get back into Windows.  (KB937287)

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937287

    Download for x86 Vista

    http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=15287

    Download for x64 Vista

    http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=23732

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-02-07T13:09:32+00:00

    I found your solution and it worked, Thanks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-02-02T15:45:16+00:00

    worked like a charm, thanks!

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