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 181.4K 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 181.4K 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 87,610 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
    2025-01-22T08:41:25+00:00

    Thank you for the reply, Ramesh, but I don't see how I can download this tool to fix my laptop when I cannot get past the start up screen. I cannot get to my laptop's desktop screen, I'm not writing these posts from my laptop, but my desktop PC, which I failed to mention and for that I apologize. I advise to read my original post I linked to and apply the same problem to this one with the added caveat that I cannot use system restore nor uninstall latest updates. All I have access to is this blue screen with troubleshooting options.

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  2. Ramesh Srinivasan 87,610 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-01-22T08:18:55+00:00

    Hi Oliver, This is Ramesh.

    The error code 0x800703f1 denotes that a registry hive located inside the restore point/VSS store is corrupt and unloadable.

    To fix the Windows Update issue you're facing, you can instead try a repair installation using the Media Creation Tool if Windows starts correctly.

    1. Download Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (MCT) from this link:

    https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2265055

    1. Run MCT and accept the license agreement.
    2. Click "Upgrade this PC now". This starts the repair installation.

    Your apps, settings, and files will be kept by default during a repair install/in-place upgrade.

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