What to do if Windows crashes after an update and the PC no longer shuts down waiting for installation
One of the nightmares for those who have had the first truly commercial Windows (Windows 98 onwards) is undoubtedly the update: now the system works and goes perfectly, but will it be like this after the update? In the mists of time, the legends about PCs that no longer startup after a simple update are lost, making it even necessary to have complete formatting to be able to get back up and running! Fortunately, with Windows 10 things are very different: updates are tested for a long time, are released with well-timed monthly patches and road accidents are very rare.
This does not mean that an error cannot happen even nowadays: if we are among the unfortunate users with the PC blocked after an update or that does not turn off in the update screen, in this guide we will show you all the steps to take to be able to get back operational immediately without having to proceed with dangerous formatting of the disk (now outdated, also given the new methods available on Windows).
Forced restart
If our computer has stopped on the ” Preparing Windows do not turn off computer ” screen for more than an hour, it means that there is something wrong with the update procedure. In this case, in spite of the advice provided by the computer itself, we press the restart button on the fixed PC or press and hold the power button for a few seconds, so as to obtain a forced restart or shutdown.
At the next system boot, if the problem was temporary, we will see the same screen again and will probably finish the process (hopefully within half an hour!). If the update screen is still blocked, let’s wait at least an hour to exclude any heavy updates: if the system is still blocked, we can continue with one of the other suggestions in the guide.
Remove stuck update
If the PC does not want to start properly due to a faulty update, we forcibly reboot the system three times in a row, using the same techniques seen in the previous chapter: doing so will start the emergency recovery console, with which you can remove this pending update.
In the window that will appear, click on the Advanced Options button, click on Troubleshoot, then again on Advanced Options, and finally on Command Prompt, so as to open a prompt window.
At the prompt we type the following command:
dism / image: C: / cleanup-image / revertpendingactions
We press on Enter or Enter on the keyboard to confirm. The system will remove any pending updates, so you can reboot your system right away with no more lock screens. To exit the console, go back to the first screen and press Continue .
When the system starts, Windows will probably ask you to install the update again: for the moment we can avoid installing it by blocking Windows updates , even if this procedure is not recommended (since Windows will update sooner or later anyway).
Startup Repair
For computers stuck at startup, Microsoft has come up with an automatic recovery option, which can work even if there is a crash caused by an update. To proceed with the startup restore, open the recovery console (as seen in the previous chapter), press on Troubleshoot , then on Advanced Options and finally on Startup Repair.
Immediately after clicking on the item, the Windows diagnostic tool will start: at this stage we do not have to do anything, except wait for the restoration of the settings necessary for the correct start of the operating system (it could take up to an hour). After a few minutes of recovery attempts, the system will restart and it will be possible to access it again, without any blocking.
System Restore
If we had the foresight to activate system restore before the crash, we can immediately solve all our problems by returning to a known working Windows configuration. System restore often creates an image before the update, otherwise we will have to use one of the restore points we created.
To proceed, we forcibly restart the PC three times in a row, click on Advanced Options , then on Troubleshoot , select Advanced Options again and click on System Recovery.
In the new screen, press the account on the PC, enter the password if necessary and, in the recovery tool window, choose the restore point to use. In a few minutes your PC will be up and running again, with no crashes on startup.
Full recovery of Windows 10
If the procedures indicated so far are not successful and the system is still locked, there is no other choice but to try to restore Windows, keeping your personal files. To proceed in this sense we start the recovery console again (with three forced restarts), press again on Troubleshoot and click this time on Reset the PC.
After pressing on Reset the PC we choose Keep personal files , then we confirm the restore operation. In the latest versions of Windows 10, you are also asked whether to download the updated version of Windows 10 via the cloud: we also confirm this opportunity, so you can have the system updated without having to download other updates.
Conclusion
Updates on Windows have in fact become mandatory and there is nothing worse than seeing the system blocked due to a faulty update or not 100% compatible with our hardware. Fortunately, there is no shortage of tools to get back into operation immediately: the fastest is system restore , but only if we have already activated this function before the block.
Alternatively we can always try the command to delete the pending update, the startup restore and, as a last resort, the total Windows restore, which will delete everything but personal files.
