Tuesday 16 September 2014

Windows 8 update tip

It seems like whenever I update a Windows 8 system I get stuck in an "update loop".

Windows tells me it is busy installing updates, then it tells me that installing the updates failed so it is rolling back my system, then it trys to install the updates again: repeat ad infinitum.

Eventually, if you are lucky, it might actually allow you to login (having failed the update process for hours on end).  Sometimes I've waited SIX hours for this to happen.

Here is where I finally remember to do what I should have done before, the magic step that always seems to sort out this particular problem.  I recommend doing this step before any major windows 8 update (and also directly after an operating system update, before the rest of the updates get installed).

1) Swipe from the right and select "Settings".
2) Click on Control Panel.
3) In the top right search box type "Trouble" and then click on the "Troubleshooting" option that comes up.
4) Under "System and Security" click on "Fix Problems with Windows Update"
5) Click Next and then "Try troubleshooting as administrator".

This should fix your updater problems so that when you reboot you don't get stuck.