Microsoft have yet again released another Windows Update which has caused corruption and crashing on Windows computers.
So, having spent a few hours searching for todays culprit, we found that the update causing the issue is this one:
It turns out that its an update for Visual Studio 2010 so it may not affect the huge amount of machines that other corrupt updates have in the past.
So, what can you do to fix it?
The simple solution is that you have to uninstall it, but you should also ensure that you have declined it in your WSUS or SCCM or other popular Windows Update system and if you are using SCCM, you could create a task sequence to remove it en masse.
If you need to know the command line for removing this update, you should try this:
C:\Windows\System32\wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:3001652 /quiet /norestart
If you have any questions or comments on this, please feel free to use our comments system below.
Hi, I found this guide really helpful, but I have one question: Is it normal after clicking "Check for Updates" to have 100+ updates ready to be installed? I have not deleted the old SoftwareDistribution folder. Please get back to me, thanks.
I have Win8 on an Acer. did the rename, that worked. had 10 updates to run. 6 critical – got stuck on first one. Rebooted, then tried to run Windows Update from desktop, said there were 4 optional updates, clicked download, it got stuck at 10%. How long should downloads take, and should I just redo the above steps and rename softwaredist folder once again?
I searched In Google "keep your PC on until this is done" and Post seek.com was the 4th ranking which is where I found your link to these instructions. The instructions worked perfectly on my Dell laptop running windows 8.1. Thank you for this very helpful instruction compared to what I saw in the Microsoft posts.Steve
Try this to get into Safe Mode:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Are you definitely elevating the command prompt – not just doing it as a local administrator account?
how can i specify in this report to only show drive letter c ?
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
Hi my friend turned off his computer whilst it was updating, now he can't do anything except look at different menus that configure start up ect. We've tried many things like putting it into safe mode or rebooting it multiple times and looking through the options but we're not sure how to fix it. We are unable to get a disc for the computer. This happened to me a while ago, my pc ran out of battery whilst it was updating, but I figured out how to reset my computer which seemed to fix the problem, although my pc was windows 8 (his is windows 7) and I can't remember how I did it. If you could please tell us how to reset the computer that would be so nice! Thanks!
I googled "windows update stuck restart" and you were the first page. And I am so glad you are! I was stuck on the same 9 of 32 updates upon a forced restart for about an hour. Apart from getting an "access denied" error when trying to rename the directory, the rest of the steps seemed to have worked.Seeing however that another friend of mine seems to be having the same issue with the denied access, and restarting windows 8 in safe mode is NOT an easy process, may I suggest you add that to your otherwise very helpful guide?
Just add another where statement to the query using LDSK.DeviceID0 IS LIKE "C"
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
I have Win8 on an Acer. did the rename, that worked. had 10 updates to run. 6 critical – got stuck on first one. Rebooted, then tried to run Windows Update from desktop, said there were 4 optional updates, clicked download, it got stuck at 10%. How long should downloads take, and should I just redo the above steps and rename softwaredist folder once again?
If you are stuck getting Windows 8 into safe mode, there is a guide here:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Try this:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Windows 8
could be if thats how many updates it thinks you have to install. What happens when you try to install them?
I can't find the softwaredistribution. I could before. Also, it only works for about one day and then it's stuck again.
So when you say if your stuck on the update page and cant get back in to the desktop to fix the issue, even in safe mode, does that mean I have to get a new computer or figure out how to reform at without any access to anything? Because I just got this update maddness today and can't even get safe mode to work. What do??
Try this to get into Safe Mode:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
I searched In Google "keep your PC on until this is done" and Post seek.com was the 4th ranking which is where I found your link to these instructions. The instructions worked perfectly on my Dell laptop running windows 8.1. Thank you for this very helpful instruction compared to what I saw in the Microsoft posts.Steve
Hi my friend turned off his computer whilst it was updating, now he can't do anything except look at different menus that configure start up ect. We've tried many things like putting it into safe mode or rebooting it multiple times and looking through the options but we're not sure how to fix it. We are unable to get a disc for the computer. This happened to me a while ago, my pc ran out of battery whilst it was updating, but I figured out how to reset my computer which seemed to fix the problem, although my pc was windows 8 (his is windows 7) and I can't remember how I did it. If you could please tell us how to reset the computer that would be so nice! Thanks!
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
could be if thats how many updates it thinks you have to install. What happens when you try to install them?
If you are stuck getting Windows 8 into safe mode, there is a guide here:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Windows 8
Try this:https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
So when you say if your stuck on the update page and cant get back in to the desktop to fix the issue, even in safe mode, does that mean I have to get a new computer or figure out how to reform at without any access to anything? Because I just got this update maddness today and can't even get safe mode to work. What do??
I can't find the softwaredistribution. I could before. Also, it only works for about one day and then it's stuck again.
Try this:
https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Hi my friend turned off his computer whilst it was updating, now he can't do anything except look at different menus that configure start up ect. We've tried many things like putting it into safe mode or rebooting it multiple times and looking through the options but we're not sure how to fix it. We are unable to get a disc for the computer. This happened to me a while ago, my pc ran out of battery whilst it was updating, but I figured out how to reset my computer which seemed to fix the problem, although my pc was windows 8 (his is windows 7) and I can't remember how I did it. If you could please tell us how to reset the computer that would be so nice! Thanks!
It kicks me back to the can't install updates page every time I try to go into safe mode. I've tried them all and no luck
Windows 8
Try this to get into Safe Mode:
https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
Windows 8
It kicks me back to the can't install updates page every time I try to go into safe mode. I've tried them all and no luck
Windows 8
It kicks me back to the can't install updates page every time I try to go into safe mode. I've tried them all and no luck
Windows 8
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
So when you say if your stuck on the update page and cant get back in to the desktop to fix the issue, even in safe mode, does that mean I have to get a new computer or figure out how to reform at without any access to anything? Because I just got this update maddness today and can't even get safe mode to work. What do??
I searched In Google "keep your PC on until this is done" and Post seek.com was the 4th ranking which is where I found your link to these instructions. The instructions worked perfectly on my Dell laptop running windows 8.1.
Thank you for this very helpful instruction compared to what I saw in the Microsoft posts.
Steve
If you are stuck getting Windows 8 into safe mode, there is a guide here:
https://blog.techygeekshome.info/2015/02/how-to-boot-into-windows-8-safe-mode/
If it is still stuck then yes it might be worth doing it again.
If it is still stuck then yes it might be worth doing it again.
If it is still stuck then yes it might be worth doing it again.
I have Win8 on an Acer. did the rename, that worked. had 10 updates to run. 6 critical – got stuck on first one. Rebooted, then tried to run Windows Update from desktop, said there were 4 optional updates, clicked download, it got stuck at 10%. How long should downloads take, and should I just redo the above steps and rename softwaredist folder once again?
I searched "windows 8 update stuck" and you were 3rd. I am trying to get my Samsung laptop to go past the Samsung logo and spinning dots. I have tried restarts pushing different keys so I could maybe get to safe mode, but no luck. Some times it says "preparing automatic repairs" for a while and then goes to a blank screen indefinitely until I turn it off again. So I am currently stuck with a blank screen.
I searched "windows 8 update stuck" and you were 3rd. I am trying to get my Samsung laptop to go past the Samsung logo and spinning dots. I have tried restarts pushing different keys so I could maybe get to safe mode, but no luck. Some times it says "preparing automatic repairs" for a while and then goes to a blank screen indefinitely until I turn it off again. So I am currently stuck with a blank screen.
I searched "windows 8 update stuck" and you were 3rd. I am trying to get my Samsung laptop to go past the Samsung logo and spinning dots. I have tried restarts pushing different keys so I could maybe get to safe mode, but no luck. Some times it says "preparing automatic repairs" for a while and then goes to a blank screen indefinitely until I turn it off again. So I am currently stuck with a blank screen.
I can't find the softwaredistribution. I could before. Also, it only works for about one day and then it's stuck again.
could be if thats how many updates it thinks you have to install. What happens when you try to install them?
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
my laptop has been on for 36hrs but has been stuck on 30% updated. microsoft said to leave it for a day. when i turn the laptop off and then back on, it goes straight back to 30% updated. i can not get into my system to try to fix it. is there anyway around this
Hi, I found this guide really helpful, but I have one question: Is it normal after clicking "Check for Updates" to have 100+ updates ready to be installed? I have not deleted the old SoftwareDistribution folder. Please get back to me, thanks.
Windows 7 or Windows 8?
my laptop has been on for 36hrs but has been stuck on 30% updated. microsoft said to leave it for a day. when i turn the laptop off and then back on, it goes straight back to 30% updated. i can not get into my system to try to fix it. is there anyway around this
Hi, I found this guide really helpful, but I have one question: Is it normal after clicking "Check for Updates" to have 100+ updates ready to be installed? I have not deleted the old SoftwareDistribution folder. Please get back to me, thanks.
Thanks for replying.
Thing is, I followed the steps exactly as they were presented, and elevated the command prompt by clicking "Run as administrator". Believe you me, I followed your instructions to a tee (they're not that complicated anyway – thanks for that!) yet I still got the "access denied" line. It could be something with my system's set up though, and not a general issue.
my laptop has been on for 36hrs but has been stuck on 30% updated. microsoft said to leave it for a day. when i turn the laptop off and then back on, it goes straight back to 30% updated. i can not get into my system to try to fix it. is there anyway around this
For some reason the elevated command prompt still didn't give me permissions to rename the directory, I did consider taking ownership of the directory to rename it but it can be a lot of hassle resetting permissions properly. I assumed the problem was that some process was using the directory/files which was preventing the rename command so I tried safe mode which stopped the problem. In theory the elevated command prompt should enable you to rename system files/directorys but as usual with windows nothing is certain
Thanks for replying.
Thing is, I followed the steps exactly as they were presented, and elevated the command prompt by clicking "Run as administrator". Believe you me, I followed your instructions to a tee (they're not that complicated anyway – thanks for that!) yet I still got the "access denied" line. It could be something with my system's set up though, and not a general issue.
For some reason the elevated command prompt still didn't give me permissions to rename the directory, I did consider taking ownership of the directory to rename it but it can be a lot of hassle resetting permissions properly. I assumed the problem was that some process was using the directory/files which was preventing the rename command so I tried safe mode which stopped the problem. In theory the elevated command prompt should enable you to rename system files/directorys but as usual with windows nothing is certain
Thanks for replying.
Thing is, I followed the steps exactly as they were presented, and elevated the command prompt by clicking "Run as administrator". Believe you me, I followed your instructions to a tee (they're not that complicated anyway – thanks for that!) yet I still got the "access denied" line. It could be something with my system's set up though, and not a general issue.
For some reason the elevated command prompt still didn't give me permissions to rename the directory, I did consider taking ownership of the directory to rename it but it can be a lot of hassle resetting permissions properly. I assumed the problem was that some process was using the directory/files which was preventing the rename command so I tried safe mode which stopped the problem. In theory the elevated command prompt should enable you to rename system files/directorys but as usual with windows nothing is certain
The reason we have not included booting into safe mode is because you do not have to do it. If you elevate the command prompt and then rename the directory and you have local admin rights – it will work. What we have seen so far is that a lot of people getting the access denied on the renaming of the directory are assuming that having local admin rights is the same as "Run as administrator" – its not. Run as administrator elevates the command prompt giving it a much higher level of security rights allowing you to change system folders (which SoftwareDistribution is). If you elevate the command prompt as we have stated in the guide, it should work.
If for some reason you are still getting this access denied error, a work around is doing it in safe mode. We will write up a guide on how to access safe mode soon for Windows 8 although it is pretty simple and there are a number of ways to do it. You can hold shift key before clicking the restart option in windows 8 or instead of pressing F8 on boot up (like in Windows 7) press Shirt+F8 and go from there.
I googled "windows update stuck restart" and you were the first page. And I am so glad you are! I was stuck on the same 9 of 32 updates upon a forced restart for about an hour. Apart from getting an "access denied" error when trying to rename the directory, the rest of the steps seemed to have worked.
Seeing however that another friend of mine seems to be having the same issue with the denied access, and restarting windows 8 in safe mode is NOT an easy process, may I suggest you add that to your otherwise very helpful guide?
Hi, this worked thank you so much. I typed 'windows update 8 of 22 stuck' and you were third on Google. I clicked on some other links to compare different processes but yours was the clearest and most effective.
I downloaded some recent Windows Updates and I was constantly stuck on 9/22 updating.
I had a quick look online using 'Windows updates stuck on 9 of 22' as I thought it might've been a similar issue to other users using Safari (from my mobile phone) and this page was the top hit.
Tried the workaround suggested by these guys and it worked a treat. Only thing I will say was that the first line of code wasn't fully legible using Safari and I couldn't widen/zoom out the page. Once I had a quick look at the page on a different browser, I was able to see what was needed to be entered.
Otherwise though, thanks a million for your suggestion!
Mark
The reason we have not included booting into safe mode is because you do not have to do it. If you elevate the command prompt and then rename the directory and you have local admin rights – it will work. What we have seen so far is that a lot of people getting the access denied on the renaming of the directory are assuming that having local admin rights is the same as "Run as administrator" – its not. Run as administrator elevates the command prompt giving it a much higher level of security rights allowing you to change system folders (which SoftwareDistribution is). If you elevate the command prompt as we have stated in the guide, it should work.
If for some reason you are still getting this access denied error, a work around is doing it in safe mode. We will write up a guide on how to access safe mode soon for Windows 8 although it is pretty simple and there are a number of ways to do it. You can hold shift key before clicking the restart option in windows 8 or instead of pressing F8 on boot up (like in Windows 7) press Shirt+F8 and go from there.
I googled "windows update stuck restart" and you were the first page. And I am so glad you are! I was stuck on the same 9 of 32 updates upon a forced restart for about an hour. Apart from getting an "access denied" error when trying to rename the directory, the rest of the steps seemed to have worked.
Seeing however that another friend of mine seems to be having the same issue with the denied access, and restarting windows 8 in safe mode is NOT an easy process, may I suggest you add that to your otherwise very helpful guide?
Are you definitely elevating the command prompt – not just doing it as a local administrator account?
Just add another where statement to the query using LDSK.DeviceID0 IS LIKE "C"
how can i specify in this report to only show drive letter c ?
Hi, this worked thank you so much. I typed 'windows update 8 of 22 stuck' and you were third on Google. I clicked on some other links to compare different processes but yours was the clearest and most effective.
I downloaded some recent Windows Updates and I was constantly stuck on 9/22 updating.
I had a quick look online using 'Windows updates stuck on 9 of 22' as I thought it might've been a similar issue to other users using Safari (from my mobile phone) and this page was the top hit.
Tried the workaround suggested by these guys and it worked a treat. Only thing I will say was that the first line of code wasn't fully legible using Safari and I couldn't widen/zoom out the page. Once I had a quick look at the page on a different browser, I was able to see what was needed to be entered.
Otherwise though, thanks a million for your suggestion!
Mark
The reason we have not included booting into safe mode is because you do not have to do it. If you elevate the command prompt and then rename the directory and you have local admin rights – it will work. What we have seen so far is that a lot of people getting the access denied on the renaming of the directory are assuming that having local admin rights is the same as "Run as administrator" – its not. Run as administrator elevates the command prompt giving it a much higher level of security rights allowing you to change system folders (which SoftwareDistribution is). If you elevate the command prompt as we have stated in the guide, it should work.
If for some reason you are still getting this access denied error, a work around is doing it in safe mode. We will write up a guide on how to access safe mode soon for Windows 8 although it is pretty simple and there are a number of ways to do it. You can hold shift key before clicking the restart option in windows 8 or instead of pressing F8 on boot up (like in Windows 7) press Shirt+F8 and go from there.
Are you definitely elevating the command prompt – not just doing it as a local administrator account?
Just add another where statement to the query using LDSK.DeviceID0 IS LIKE "C"
how can i specify in this report to only show drive letter c ?
Hi, this worked thank you so much. I typed 'windows update 8 of 22 stuck' and you were third on Google. I clicked on some other links to compare different processes but yours was the clearest and most effective.
I downloaded some recent Windows Updates and I was constantly stuck on 9/22 updating.
I had a quick look online using 'Windows updates stuck on 9 of 22' as I thought it might've been a similar issue to other users using Safari (from my mobile phone) and this page was the top hit.
Tried the workaround suggested by these guys and it worked a treat. Only thing I will say was that the first line of code wasn't fully legible using Safari and I couldn't widen/zoom out the page. Once I had a quick look at the page on a different browser, I was able to see what was needed to be entered.
Otherwise though, thanks a million for your suggestion!
Mark