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
    2013-07-17T00:35:06+00:00

    Configuring updates stage 3 of 3. 0% complete

    Road Map:

    Yes 

      Thank you

    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.

    Was this answer helpful?

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-07-14T01:40:07+00:00

    Hi MickyO

    Your steps above worked fine and broke the never ending loop as soon as I restarted

    Thank you for your advise, both simple to follow and precise

    You have stopped me going crazy......

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-06-06T20:05:55+00:00

    Not to mention that my coworkers have encountered it several times as well. And these fixes don't always work. In fact, in most of our cases, we had to restore the PC back to factory settings again, which is the best method of fixing ANY problem on a Vista machine.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-06-06T19:52:03+00:00

    I have this same issue on a Vista Machine I just restored to factory and ran updates on. This is ridiculous. You never should have released this junk OS to the public Microsoft. You know there's an issue with it when you can install Adobe Reader XI on an XP machine, a Seven machine, and an Eight machine, but not a Vista machine. And this is the third time I've encountered this particular issue. I'm a PC tech, and in every instance, this issue has been on a Vista machine. Never had it with XP, Seven, or Eight. You need to either resolve this issue or stop supporting this OS. I'm tired of fixing your useless junk.

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