Windows 10 Forced Updates Causing Endless Crash Loops

Forbes ^ | 08/10/2015 | Gordon Kelly

[SeekAndFind]

I think we can now all agree: Microsoft Microsoft’s hardline policy on Windows 10’s forced updates is silly. Very silly. Since launching nine days ago Windows Update has sent out an unstable graphics driver which switched off monitors, a buggy security patch which corrupted Windows Explorer and there are now a number of reports that a third update is causing Window 10 machines to crash over and over again…

The patch in question is KB3081424 (ironically enough a roll-up of bug fixes) and during its update process affected users find it fails and triggers the message: “We couldn’t complete the updates, undoing the changes.” Undoing them results in a mandatory system reboot, but as soon as the user logs back on Windows 10’s update process kicks in and tries to install KB3081424 again.

I’m sure you’re way ahead of me here, but since Windows 10 updates cannot be stopped KB3081424 tries to install over and over again which leaves systems caught in endless reboot loops.

Read more – Windows 10: Should You Upgrade?

Why wouldn’t KB3081424 eventually install correctly? Because the initial failed install has been found to create a bad entry in the Windows 10 registry which stops its subsequent attempts to reinstall from working correctly.

Windows 10 will be great, but it needs more time – Image credit Microsoft

What To Do?

The good news is, despite Windows 10’s best efforts, some industrious users have found a temporary fix to get rid of this bad registry entry. So before KB3081424 tries to install again quickly follow these instructions:

[Not A Snowbird]

No issues yet, but I’ll hold on to this info just in case.

[TomGuy]

I have auto-updates turned off in Win7, but MS still manages to perform ‘critical updates’.

I know, because I have had to use System Restore several times when my computer started acting up. Strangely, the last item in the System Restore list is always a ‘critical update’.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Cortana and some other icons stop working for me after a few hours. I have to go to Task Manager and end task. The icons then work again when it restarts. At least for a few more hours.

[dfwgator]

That’s not a bug, that’s a feature.

[blue-duncan]

I had nothing but problems and went back to Windows 7.

[Paladin2]

I’m sure Steve Ballmer is ROTFLHAO somewhere.

[Buttons12]

I have a few laptops that I use for word processing projects, never connected to internet. Maybe there’s a W10 in my future for that, but only if I can permanently disable wireless. And if it’s no better than W7, just buggier, I think I can live without it.
Still not hearing any raves about the holograms it promised in the pre-release hype last year. Was that illusory or what?

[backwoods-engineer]

I installed Ubuntu 14.04 (with the new Unity user interface) over the weekend, and I like it. I have Chrome and Thunderbird up and running, and am working on bringing some of my Windows apps over. Eventually, I will zap Windows 7 entirely, let Ubuntu have the whole drive, and be rid of Microsoft except for running Windows 7 and XP in virtual Machines for the programs I absolutely can't run on Linux.

I am sick of Microsoft's antics.

[oh8eleven]

I've been testing (now using) Win 10 since January or thereabouts. Except for one update which wouldn't install, I had no problems.
But in the last two weeks, my graphics driver craps to bed every once in a while forcing me to reboot.
For free it's a good OS, and I like the GUI. But there's obviously a few bugs that need to be addressed.

[Army Air Corps]

In other words, stay with Windows 7 for a bit longer.

[VanDeKoik]

“I think we can now all agree: Microsoft Microsoft’s hardline policy on Windows 10’s forced updates is silly. Very silly”

Well thanks for the vote that no one held to elect you to speak for everyone.

#2 exactly how many people did the affect and what were the causes unique to them as it appears that this isn’t a widespread issue for us running it.

[GraceG]

Windows 7 for me all the way Baby!

[Dante3]

for later

[TomGuy]

How long before MS issues a Win10 R1?

[chris37]

Mine has been working fine since install, with the one exception of the start menu button being non-responsive to left click. A reboot fixed this, and it has not reoccurred.

[RIghtwardHo]

If there were any real competition Microsoft would have gone out of business long ago.

I do love my Mac. When I switched, the change was amazing.

[I want the USA back]

Don’t they have a small group of of users to download the updates first and see if they crash the system? then release to the millions of other users. Or would they rather trash millions of systems.

[blackdog]

Happened to my 15 year old son's computer, even though he was told to never install anything without checking with me! He thought it would be OK because it was from Microsoft.

The boot crash loop began. It jumps back and forth between the OEM computer system boot and the loading of Windows 10 boot. The logo's just flip flop every 30 seconds or so.

We had to wipe the drive and reinstall Windows 7. Good as new, sans a few lost files that were not backed up.

[Boogieman]

Dude, it’s Microsoft. YOU are the beta tester!