Windows 10: Failed Update

Can someone explain why update KB3186568 failed to install eight times before successfully installing on the ninth attempt please? This all happened as part of the automatic update process.

:)

 

failed w10 update leads to failed recovery

Hi John,

Sorry for the inconvenience.

• What happens when you press F12 or F2 key?
• What happens when you choose the keyboard layout screen?

From the description provided, I understand that Windows is stuck at choose your keyboard Layout screen.

I would suggest you to perform an Automatic Repair using a bootable media:

Automatic Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain system problems that might prevent Windows from starting. Automatic Repair scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer
can start correctly. Run Automatic repair and check the issue status.

Create Windows 10 ISO: Download Windows 10

Please follow the below steps to perform the Start Up repair for the computer.

a) Insert the Installation Disk into the disk drive of the computer. Press any key from the keyboard when prompted to.

b) Follow the instructions till the Install Now screen and then Click
Repair your computer.

c) Click Advanced Options.

d) Click Troubleshoot.

e) Click Automatic Repair.

f) Follow the on screen instructions.

Hope this information helps. Feel free to get back to us for further queries. We will be happy to assist you.

Thanks and regards.

 

failed w10 update leads to failed recovery

The recent windows 10 update messed a few settings up. The computer power went off during the long recovery. Now it only boots to choose your keyboard layout screen. It's a Dell all in 1. It won't take any options for layout. I can F12 and F2 during reboot
but neither gets me to a safe boot or anything helpful. Any suggestion on where to go would from here would be helpful.

 

That may be able to found but it is probably not worth your energy expenditure and your loss of time.
If you are interested in troubleshooting you can view the following logs:
1) administrator powershell: Get-Winndowsupdatelog
It will take approximately 5 minutes.
A text file will appear on the desk top.
2) cbs log: open file explorer > this pci > search for > C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

In order to decipher the cbs log you will need to search many of the error codes.
Again this is not a fun project but if you want to look for the why you would search for the the KB# within the logs.

 

Many thanks. I think I will wait and see if the problem happens again.

 

Several people (from within the Insider Preview program) have reported that after repeated failed downloads and/or upgrade installation attempts, Windows Setup finally manages to complete the operation.

Others cannot get updates to work and resort to obtaining ISO files of the latest builds to update or clean install from.

Initially failed, but eventually successful updates have happened to me several times on different Desktop PCs and laptops on Insider Preview builds.

I believe, without any other evidence than the empirical eventual success after several failures, as above, that Windows 10 update process may be using some adaptive algorithm to ensure eventual success.

The download and installation method is directed by instructions contained in a file downloaded with the other installation files, called ActionList.xml. Other instructions are obtained by appraising your existing system for hardware devices, drivers and installed Apps and programs, so that these can be properly installed alongside the updated Windows installation, or uninstalled if there is a known and expected conflict with the new installation.

It may just be that the ActionList.XML in later attempts, changes the download and installation process from the minimal "Express" or differential UUP method to the "Canonical" or full UUP download, or even to (and I cannot be sure of this) to the older, but surest mode, the ESD type of installation.

Different versions of the ActionList.XML file for a new build, are certainly downloaded dependent on the build of Windows 10 being downloaded, updated and upgraded from.

Perhaps some routine error correction process from Windows housekeeping functions, a driver or other routine update, or an intervention from Windows Defender removes some obstacle to a successful upgrade.

All I can hope is that the telemetry that Microsoft obtains from the numerous failed, then the one successful attempt is somehow used to obtain cleaner, successful updates for that machine in future.

Microsoft, as usual, offers little documentation on the processes concerned in Updates of OS builds, and much of the knowledge of these processes has been discovered by observing what happens during updates, and extrapolating these studies to indicators of changes found in newly installed systems.

I certainly note that having survived bad update experiences in the past by (I presume) being patient, my most recent update experiences have all been good, despite a lot of bad feedback from other, and in many cases, experienced members on Tenforums whose updates have repeatedly failed over several builds recently.

 

Thank you for your thoughts Fafhrd. This hasn't happened before (except once, when the beast was new and I had a satisfactory explanation.) Unless this becomes habitual I don't see any point in wasting too much time on it especially as I am not much of a techie.