Stuck in a loop where my laptop keeps freezing at 99 percent when updating, system restore fails

Anonymous
2025-01-22T07:39:29+00:00

Nine months ago I faced a similar problem and posted about it here (

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/stuck-in-a-loop-where-my-laptop-keeps-freezing-at/04ce9357-a3b9-416a-a591-8abe67317fb8 ) and I was fortunate to get the help I needed. I went back to my old question post and followed the instructions but this time my laptop fails to complete system restore. The windows that pops up reads:

"System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer's system files and settings were not changed.

Details:

System Restore failed while mounting the registry from the restore point. An unspecified error occurred during System Restore. (0x800703f1)

You can try System Restore again and choose a different restore point. If you continue to see this error, you can try an advanced recovery method."

There was only one restore point available from the 20th, the day before this happened, so that last line is not an option.

Another instruction from the old post was "If you haven't set it up before, click on troubleshoot, click on uninstall updates and try to uninstall the updates you have installed, after that click on command prompt and enter the following commands in order..." however the laptop is also unable to uninstall these latest updates, both quality and feature updates. Should I go ahead and enter the commands anyway? Should I try startup repair? Reset PC? What should I do?

Also, Aaron, if you're reading this, I apologize that I hadn't marked your reply as helpful all those months ago, I was sure I had but judging from your repeated replies requesting I do so I apparently hadn't. I haven't been on this site since then so I never saw those replies. Again, I'm sorry.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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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Ramesh 181.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2025-01-24T05:41:22+00:00

See if you can close Notepad.

To backup the files from Windows.old, run the following in Command Prompt:

robocopy c:\windows.old\users\oliver F:\Oliver /XD "appdata" /MIR

(Assuming F:\ is your 2nd partition on your USB setup disk.)

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Ramesh 181.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2025-01-22T15:30:18+00:00

Is there disk activity? If it's hung up/no disk activity, your best option is to clean install using USB.

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Ramesh Srinivasan 87,775 Reputation points Independent Advisor
2025-01-22T08:45:30+00:00

Hi Oliver,

Sorry, I thought Windows was booting fine despite the Windows Update issue.

If you can start WinRE, open WinRE Command Prompt and run:

bcdedit | find "osdevice"

Note the drive letter of the OS partition from the above output. Suppose it's C:\

Run this command to revert pending servicing operations.

md C:\Temp

dism /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions /ScratchDir:C:\Temp

ren C:\Windows\WinSxS\pending.xml pending.xml.old

Post the output here.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-23T18:12:35+00:00

    Thank you. I went back to page 4 to go over your instructions but I'm not 100% clear on them, specifically the following:

    "After creating the USB setup disk, connect it to your computer and boot from it. To do so, you may need to change the boot order in the BIOS/UEFI settings. Consult your system or motherboard manual to learn how to access the UEFI settings for your model."

    My external drive is still connected to my desktop PC but I've turn on my laptop, which now no longer directs me to the WINRE screen, but another blue screen that tells me to choose an OS with two options that both say "Windows 10 on volume 4" and "change defaults or choose other options" below them. I picked one of the Windows 10 options and after going through a startup screen it sent me back to the same screen. So, what do I do now?

    Edit: It also automatically runs one of the options after a few minutes which goes to a startup screen and loops right back.

    Edit 2: Never mind, I managed to find my way to the WINRE screen. I inserted the external drive into the laptop, went to "use a device" and clicked on the USB option. Now I am on a windows setup screen and honestly too terrified to continue.

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  2. Ramesh 181.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-01-23T18:26:19+00:00

    Can you boot from HDD and access WinRE? Let the external drive be connected. Try to backup the files to the external drive.

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