A recent Windows 10 upgrade is causing déjà vu for some PC users, as it’s reportedly forcing the operating system into an endless series of crashes and reboots, according to The Telegraph.
Dubbed KB3081424, the update that Microsoft initially rolled out last week was supposed to “enhance the functionality of Windows 10.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case since, for some users, the update doesn’t even complete. Instead, after reaching a certain percentage, a message is prompted that says, “We couldn’t complete the updates, undoing the changes”.
As a result, the PC is rebooted, reverting the OS back to its previous state and reinitiating the installation. Since automatic updates are required in Windows 10 without a cumbersome workaround, preventing the update from installing is a task — leading into the aforementioned infinite crash loop.
“Downloads, reboot to install. Gets to 30% and reboots. Gets to 59% and reboots. Gets to 59% again and then states something went wrong,” one user noted on the Microsoft Community forum.
“I’ve tried 10 times since the 5th and keep getting the same problem,” another user wrote. “I’m going out of town for a week. Maybe they’ll fix the update by then and it will work.”
While Microsoft has yet to present a clear-cut fix to this widespread dilemma, several users on the company’s forums have reported their own makeshift solutions by deleting a file from the Windows Registry, the database that stores configuration options and settings pertaining to the OS.
Do note, however, that modifying the registry can cause serious damage to your operating system when handled improperly.
Windows 10 released by Microsoft to a handful of customers on July 29. The operating system brought with it a slew of new features including a revised user interface, a new integrated Web browser, and — most formidably — the resurrection of the once-beloved Start menu.
Microsoft revealed in its updated End-User License Agreement last month that software updates in Windows 10 would be installed automatically. These recent compromises some users have undergone, however, signify some serious drawbacks to that decision, especially considering the OS hasn’t even been out for two weeks yet.
