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
    2013-09-22T10:42:30+00:00

    Hello,

    I have the same problem -

    Latest Vista Update stuck in Stage 3/restart loop

    I have tried to fix it and follow your above instructions, but unfortunately, that did not help. Is there any other solution to fix it ? I would appreciate your help.

    Barbara.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-09-15T21:43:31+00:00

    TIP: A "Me, too!" reply to a four (4) year-old thread's not gonna get you anywhere, Frank. Feel free to begin your own, new thread about your computer & your problem to avoid confusion.

    Start by reading this "sticky" post...

        • What information to post in the Windows Update forum

           http://answers.microsoft.com/thread/1467f44b-ee27-4f7d-98d7-f1c4b35b3395

    Also see...

        • Suggestions for asking a question in help forums

           http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-09-15T20:18:39+00:00

    I see this problem has been going on for some time.  A similar problem occurred recently to me (for the record Sept 2013). I have had my Dell Inspiron 1720 with vista ultimate since 2008.

    I have tried every suggestion published so far to no avail. 

    I used my dell windows vista application disc to access the Repair file.  Went to the command prompt and went to  Registry where all the files mentioned in this Community dialogue were removed. But each time i restart ,all files PendingxmlIdentifier, etc were reinstalled somehow.  I suspect there is a macro file someplace imbedded in the Registry that recreates the restart loop. But where is it?  I suspected a macro file possibly in notepad.  The notepad file I thought might have it was npfs.sys which I removed but this did not help either. I applied the reinstall disc and again I went through the full Repair process, accessed the Registry,  and all the unwanted files including npfs.sys came back. So back to square one. 

     By the way in the registry type in SideBySide in the HKLM EDIT box and the files

    Advanced. ............. and Pending....   are there.  Plus other stuff like: DisableKernalTransactions; OfflineQueuePartRan; PublisherPolicyChangeTime; StoreArchitecture and StoreFormatversion which I did not remove. 

    I notice each time in the  restart  cycle , just before the windows desktop screen would normally mount, a blue screen flashes (2 sec) would appear with writing on it.  It is unreadable but I suspect it is the stage 3 notice you often see when windows is performing an update.  If this page could be located and removed I think the problem is solved.  But where is it?

    Another thing that caught my attention is at the stage where the Repair file is searching for Windows Vista it locates it in my D: HDD instead of my C: disc which is my boot disc drive. I only added the secondary disc much later after I bought the computer that had vista preinstalled. .  Why is it looking in the D drive anyway?

    If anyone has the solution I would appreciate a resposne. Thanks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-09-01T15:56:28+00:00

    i cant use ren command it just says the system cannotfind the file specified help please ...

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