Microsoft has issued a script that fixes a borked cumulative update for Windows 10 that gets stuck in endless loop of failed installed attempts. We also have some clarity, finally, on which users are impacted by this bug.
As you may recall, Brad reported last week that KB3194496 was causing problems for some Windows 10 users. The issue? It wouldn’t install but would install get stuck in an endless loop of failed install attempts.
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“The update, when it does fail, is causing some machines to restart, often multiple times, as Windows 10 attempts to remove the failed update,” he explained. “Worse, after a restart, the file will attempt to install again resulting in the loop of failed install, reboot, re-install and failure again.”
The biggest mystery was that this issue only impacted some users. Many were able to successfully install KB3194496, as with most other cumulative updates.
Well, today we know the reason. And, better, we have a fix.
According to Microsoft, an issue KB3194496 only impacted “a small number of customers in the Windows Insider Program that were running a previous build of the OS.” In other words, this bug impacted people who had previously installed a Windows 10 Insider Preview build but then later reverted to the shipping version of Windows 10 version 1607 on that PC.
The fix is available in the form of a new update, KB3197794, which you can download from the Microsoft web site. Obviously, if you’re up to date and everything is working properly, there’s no need to install this update. But if you’re stuck in that endless borked install loop, this should do the trick.
Microsoft first provided information about this fix to ZDNet. For some reason. Hey, guys: Next time you fix something, tell the world. Just a thought.