This error may appear anytime a Windows Update fails. To investigate possible solutions, we need to start with the specific error code. We can do this by viewing your update history. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you're using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), and tap or click Settings . Tap or click Change PC settings , and then Update and recovery . Tap or click View your update history . View failed update error code. Please post here with your error code, so that the Community can try to help guide you appropriately.

Very nice, a non-destructive solution... worked for me. I found my media and key, and was fixed and fully updated within an hour and a half. THANK YOU

Hello NH905, If you can do an "in-place repair," then you won't have to reinstall anything really. I was told that this can only be done with Windows 8.1 media (either a physical disc or one made from a downloaded .iso). The procedure is simple: Once you have the disc in your hands, pop it into your computer and start the setup.exe. This will pop-up a screen giving you 3 options for a Windows install. The first option is "keep windows settings, personal files, and apps." This is the option I chose that preserved my installed software. Please note that some 3rd party desktop apps (from the store) might not be preserved, however your installed software (office, adobe, etc...) will be fine and unaffected. I was most worried about Outlook and Photoshop (and a number of smaller utilities) but all worked fine after the repair. The one tricky part of this (besides getting the media disc), is matching the correct product key. If you are like me, you will have a valid Windows 8 product key, but not a Windows 8.1 product key because you updated to 8.1 via the store. Doing an "in-place repair" requires a product key to match the media disc you are using for the repair. My windows 8 key did not work. The MS L2 Engineer entered a generic 8.1 code for me to continue the repair and advised me that I will need to later change this to my own key for activation at the end of the process. For what it's worth, a quick google search for "8.1 in place repair" turned up a number of websites that had complete instructions on how to do this and included generic 8.1 keys to get you started. Hope that helps!

I'm happy to report that after everything, the "in-place repair," which is basically a non-destructive reinstall, finally did the trick. @RonSarid, what was the procedure you followed to do the in-place repair? Did you have to do anything after the repair to get your system back to a fully functional state, other than catching up with any outstanding Windows updates? I was informed by Microsoft that I would have to re-install my applications. Searching the Internet does not provide consistent/definitive answers.

One more update to the group: KB2919355 is finally installed, though not because the patch was ever fixed, nor because the June 17th build was any better than the May 14th. An MS Level 2 Engineer called me back yesterday after I told him that there was no way I was going to start over with a full wipe from my original media. After going through yet another round of DISM attempts prior to another manual update with KB2919355 (which ended with the familiar rollback and undoing of changes) he finally suggested an "in-place repair" of Windows 8.1. I was assured that the in-place repair would not wipe out my user settings nor installed software, the catch is that it requires a Win 8.1 media disc (or .iso). I happened to have one of these from a different install, which sped up the process quite a bit. I'm happy to report that after everything, the "in-place repair," which is basically a non-destructive reinstall, finally did the trick. I have KB2919355 installed and everything is now up-to-date. I wish the patch could have been fixed so that a proper update could have been done on my existing installation, but as we have all found out, that is not currently the case. The in-place repair turned out to be the next best solution for me, although this is not possible if you do not have a Windows 8.1 media disc or access to the .iso.

Thanks Xircal. In fact I just emailed the original engineer to re-open my support case and he replied to me in just 11 minutes to say that a colleague in the right time-zone would be in touch (most likely tomorrow). (I was on the other side of the planet when this all started up and initially worked with someone based in APAC.)

Error: We couldn’t complete the updates, Undoing changes. Don’t turn off your computer.

Anonymous

This error may appear anytime a Windows Update fails. To investigate possible solutions, we need to start with the specific error code.

We can do this by viewing your update history.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen (or, if you're using a mouse, pointing to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up), and tap or click Settings.
Tap or click Change PC settings, and then Update and recovery.
Tap or click View your update history.

View failed update error code.

Please post here with your error code, so that the Community can try to help guide you appropriately.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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998 answers

Anonymous

2014-06-19T21:19:57+00:00

Very nice, a non-destructive solution... worked for me. I found my media and key, and was fixed and fully updated within an hour and a half.

THANK YOU
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Anonymous

2014-06-19T18:44:01+00:00

Hello NH905,

If you can do an "in-place repair," then you won't have to reinstall anything really. I was told that this can only be done with Windows 8.1 media (either a physical disc or one made from a downloaded .iso). The procedure is simple: Once you have the disc in your hands, pop it into your computer and start the setup.exe. This will pop-up a screen giving you 3 options for a Windows install. The first option is "keep windows settings, personal files, and apps." This is the option I chose that preserved my installed software. Please note that some 3rd party desktop apps (from the store) might not be preserved, however your installed software (office, adobe, etc...) will be fine and unaffected. I was most worried about Outlook and Photoshop (and a number of smaller utilities) but all worked fine after the repair.

The one tricky part of this (besides getting the media disc), is matching the correct product key. If you are like me, you will have a valid Windows 8 product key, but not a Windows 8.1 product key because you updated to 8.1 via the store. Doing an "in-place repair" requires a product key to match the media disc you are using for the repair. My windows 8 key did not work. The MS L2 Engineer entered a generic 8.1 code for me to continue the repair and advised me that I will need to later change this to my own key for activation at the end of the process. For what it's worth, a quick google search for "8.1 in place repair" turned up a number of websites that had complete instructions on how to do this and included generic 8.1 keys to get you started. Hope that helps!
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-06-19T18:28:09+00:00

I'm happy to report that after everything, the "in-place repair," which is basically a non-destructive reinstall, finally did the trick.

@RonSarid, what was the procedure you followed to do the in-place repair? Did you have to do anything after the repair to get your system back to a fully functional state, other than catching up with any outstanding Windows updates? I was informed by Microsoft that I would have to re-install my applications. Searching the Internet does not provide consistent/definitive answers.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-06-19T18:04:40+00:00

One more update to the group: KB2919355 is finally installed, though not because the patch was ever fixed, nor because the June 17th build was any better than the May 14th.

An MS Level 2 Engineer called me back yesterday after I told him that there was no way I was going to start over with a full wipe from my original media. After going through yet another round of DISM attempts prior to another manual update with KB2919355 (which ended with the familiar rollback and undoing of changes) he finally suggested an "in-place repair" of Windows 8.1. I was assured that the in-place repair would not wipe out my user settings nor installed software, the catch is that it requires a Win 8.1 media disc (or .iso). I happened to have one of these from a different install, which sped up the process quite a bit.

I'm happy to report that after everything, the "in-place repair," which is basically a non-destructive reinstall, finally did the trick. I have KB2919355 installed and everything is now up-to-date. I wish the patch could have been fixed so that a proper update could have been done on my existing installation, but as we have all found out, that is not currently the case. The in-place repair turned out to be the next best solution for me, although this is not possible if you do not have a Windows 8.1 media disc or access to the .iso.
Was this answer helpful?

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Anonymous

2014-06-19T17:32:27+00:00

Thanks Xircal. In fact I just emailed the original engineer to re-open my support case and he replied to me in just 11 minutes to say that a colleague in the right time-zone would be in touch (most likely tomorrow). (I was on the other side of the planet when this all started up and initially worked with someone based in APAC.)
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments