Successful Update error repair.

Just thought I'd pass this on in case someone else runs into the
situation:

=========

Windows 10 just did something to me that I've been dreading...

A few days ago I was traveling. Just as I was about to leave to
return home, Windows informed me that it had downloaded and
installed updates and a reboot was required. I didn't have time for
that, so I shut it down... or at least I tried to. It sat at the
orange screen, saying, "Do not turn off your computer." I let it go
as long as I could, which was about 40 minutes, but eventually I
just had to go, and since the shutdown process seemed to be hung, I
reluctantly powered it off. Later on, I turned it on again, and it
was back to the orange screen, but within a couple of minutes my
desktop appeared. Whew, dodged a bullet, I thought.

Well, since then when I tried to check for updates, the check failed
with a message saying "Some update files aren't signed correctly"
and error code 0x800b0109. I assume something had become corrupted
during the above escapade. I searched the web, and found the
suggestions on this page:

https://appuals.com/fix-some-update-...on-windows-10/

The first suggestion, to download and run a Microsoft "Windows
Update Troubleshooter" did nothing good for me. However, the next
suggestion, to run a built in utility called the Deployment Image
Servicing and Management (DISM) tool did fix matters. I wasn't aware
of this tool, and I'm still not sure what it actually did, but the
error is now gone and Update seems to run OK.

1) Press the Windows key and type in Right-click the result, and
choose Run as administrator.

2) Once you open the Command Prompt using any of the two ways above,
you should type in the following commands. Make sure to press Enter
on your keyboard after each one, in order to execute them, and make
sure not to make a typo.

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

3) Either type in exit and press Enter, or simply close the Command
Prompt window.

4) Try running Windows Update again. The updates should be working
flawlessly now.

[note: it wasn't mentioned in the instructions, but a reboot was
required for me before the error went away for good.]

On 6/2/2017 9:32 PM, Nil wrote:
Just thought I'd pass this on in case someone else runs into the
situation:

=========

Windows 10 just did something to me that I've been dreading...

A few days ago I was traveling. Just as I was about to leave to
return home, Windows informed me that it had downloaded and
installed updates and a reboot was required. I didn't have time for
that, so I shut it down... or at least I tried to. It sat at the
orange screen, saying, "Do not turn off your computer." I let it go
as long as I could, which was about 40 minutes, but eventually I
just had to go, and since the shutdown process seemed to be hung, I
reluctantly powered it off. Later on, I turned it on again, and it
was back to the orange screen, but within a couple of minutes my
desktop appeared. Whew, dodged a bullet, I thought.

Well, since then when I tried to check for updates, the check failed
with a message saying "Some update files aren't signed correctly"
and error code 0x800b0109. I assume something had become corrupted
during the above escapade. I searched the web, and found the
suggestions on this page:

https://appuals.com/fix-some-update-...on-windows-10/

The first suggestion, to download and run a Microsoft "Windows
Update Troubleshooter" did nothing good for me. However, the next
suggestion, to run a built in utility called the Deployment Image
Servicing and Management (DISM) tool did fix matters. I wasn't aware
of this tool, and I'm still not sure what it actually did, but the
error is now gone and Update seems to run OK.

1) Press the Windows key and type in Right-click the result, and
choose Run as administrator.

2) Once you open the Command Prompt using any of the two ways above,
you should type in the following commands. Make sure to press Enter
on your keyboard after each one, in order to execute them, and make
sure not to make a typo.

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

3) Either type in exit and press Enter, or simply close the Command
Prompt window.

4) Try running Windows Update again. The updates should be working
flawlessly now.

[note: it wasn't mentioned in the instructions, but a reboot was
required for me before the error went away for good.]

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all of the
files that will delete in the folder \windows\SoftwareDistribution.

Sometimes like you, you have to go through a couple of restarts for the
files in the folder \windows\SoftwareDistribution\datastore to get
correct.

This is not my solutions but one I found on one of the sites for Windows
help.

--
2017: The year we lean to play the great game of Euchre

On 02 Jun 2017, Keith Nuttle wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all
of the files that will delete in the folder
\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I've heard of that fix but have never had to resort to it. Since the
remedy I mentioned was reported to address my specific error, that
seemed like a good thing to try. Someday I'm sure I'll have to delete
the SoftwareDistribution files like you mention.

Nil wrote:
On 02 Jun 2017, Keith Nuttle wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all
of the files that will delete in the folder
\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I've heard of that fix but have never had to resort to it. Since the
remedy I mentioned was reported to address my specific error, that
seemed like a good thing to try. Someday I'm sure I'll have to delete
the SoftwareDistribution files like you mention.

In theory, the Windows Update troubleshooter should be
clearing that. If not, tenforums.com has a script, as do
other sites. I used this the other day on my (still not fixed)
Insider Edition.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...dows-10-a.html

*******

As for DISM, it doesn't always work.

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

On the Insider Edition, it appears there is no online server at the
MS end, for supporting an Insider install. You can make a recoverydrive
perhaps, and make a Reconstruct.WIM . I did that, but didn't need
DISM after all. For the Insider Edition, you can't get an (official)
DVD for the very latest version, only the next to last version. DISM
can be commanded to get its good files from a WIM file on the DVD.

The Release stream on the other hand, you would expect that
command to work (over the network).

Commands you can try are DISM (fixes WinSXS content). The OS hard links
WinSXS to System32. To fix the System32 side, use SFC /scannow.

The system should already have run CHKDSK for you, and you could end
up with some recovery folders at the root level of C: drive. I was doing
some housecleaning from Linux, and on the next boot, a blast of files
showed up in there.

Both DISM and SFC support "offline" operation as well. That means
you can run those same repairs, on an OS that will no longer start.
However, you will suffer some hair loss getting this to work. You
can run that from the Command Prompt window provided by your installer DVD.
Your order there would be CHKDSK first, DISM, SFC, then shut down
your Windows Installer DVD. Boot your Macrium CD and use the "boot repair"
from in there. Then, go back to the Windows Installer DVD and have
it do boot repair. Then, try booting your C: again.

Paul

Nil wrote:

Keith Nuttle wrote:

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all
of the files that will delete in the folder
\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I've heard of that fix but have never had to resort to it. Since the
remedy I mentioned was reported to address my specific error, that
seemed like a good thing to try. Someday I'm sure I'll have to delete
the SoftwareDistribution files like you mention.

You're wiping out the local catalog that tracks the updates. That means
the WU client has to rebuild the catalog when you next do an update
check. That does not mean you end up downloading and installing all
updates again. The WU client checks what updates are available online,
sees what you have, checks dependencies and supercedes, and then
retrieves those updates that you don't have and are applicable to your
config.

On 06/03/2017 03:19 AM, VanguardLH wrote:
Nil wrote:

Keith Nuttle wrote:

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all
of the files that will delete in the folder
\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I've heard of that fix but have never had to resort to it. Since the
remedy I mentioned was reported to address my specific error, that
seemed like a good thing to try. Someday I'm sure I'll have to delete
the SoftwareDistribution files like you mention.

You're wiping out the local catalog that tracks the updates. That means
the WU client has to rebuild the catalog when you next do an update
check. That does not mean you end up downloading and installing all
updates again. The WU client checks what updates are available online,
sees what you have, checks dependencies and supercedes, and then
retrieves those updates that you don't have and are applicable to your
config.

Meaning it takes a ton of time?

On 03 Jun 2017, Big Al wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Meaning it takes a ton of time?

But it didn't take any more time than usual, which for this machine is
usually no more than 5 minutes. I'm not even sure it downloaded
anything new, it just seemed to reconcile the "signing" discrepancy.

On 6/3/2017 9:07 AM, Nil wrote:
On 03 Jun 2017, Big Al wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-10:

Meaning it takes a ton of time?

But it didn't take any more time than usual, which for this machine is
usually no more than 5 minutes. I'm not even sure it downloaded
anything new, it just seemed to reconcile the "signing" discrepancy.

As I said I have done cleaned the SoftwareDistribution folder many
times. It has almost become part of the standard computer maintenance,
ie delete Recycle, etc.

It never takes more than a couple of minutes and most of the time you
notice no additional time.

If you have had a lot of update failures, you can ended up with
literally 1000's of files in this directory. When this happens it takes
time to clean them out. That is why I do it routinely, as you are not
always aware when there is an update failure.


--
2017: The year we lean to play the great game of Euchre

Big Al wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

Nil wrote:

Keith Nuttle wrote:

I have had success in correcting failed upgrades by deleting all
of the files that will delete in the folder
\windows\SoftwareDistribution.

I've heard of that fix but have never had to resort to it. Since the
remedy I mentioned was reported to address my specific error, that
seemed like a good thing to try. Someday I'm sure I'll have to delete
the SoftwareDistribution files like you mention.

You're wiping out the local catalog that tracks the updates. That means
the WU client has to rebuild the catalog when you next do an update
check. That does not mean you end up downloading and installing all
updates again. The WU client checks what updates are available online,
sees what you have, checks dependencies and supercedes, and then
retrieves those updates that you don't have and are applicable to your
config.

Meaning it takes a ton of time?

I don't think you could even notice the time to rebuild the local
catalog, especially when compared to the time it takes for the WU client
to retrieve the currently available manifest, check for what is already
installed and then determine what dependencies or supercedes apply, and
even more especially considering the time to download the updates due to
using a deliberately slow background file transfer service to prevent
impacting the computer's responsiveness during those downloads.

Consider the time to swap the wheel with a spare to replace a flat tire.
The time to pull the flat tire off the car and hoist on the spare is
tiny compared to the time it takes for you to dig into the trunk to get
the jack and find its crank, find the lug wrench, pull out the spare,
pry off the hub cab, loosen the lugs, use the jack to lift the car,
remove the lugs, do the wheel change, put on the lug nuts and use the
wrench on each, jack down the car, use the wrench to torque the lug
nuts, replace the hub cab, and finally stow away the spare, wrench,
jack, and crank to complete the job. The time to swap the wheels was a
tiny part of the overall job. I don't how fast you are at replacing a
flat with the spare but, for me, swapping them takes only a few seconds.
It's the rest of the job that makes it, um, an "experience".