Windows 10: screen always freezes if restart is needed during update

Whenever I do any Windows update which requires an automatic restart (e.g. after 30%) my PC blocks (screen freezes). The solution is to simply power-off my PC an restart it manually. The update then picks up as expected and finishes successfully. This always happens and with any update (if restart is required). I'm sure it can cause more serious side effects.

Update: I forgot to mention: A big upgrade (e.g. 1709 to 1903) fails after the manual restart and always gets rolled back... only updates like patches succeed. I manually installed 1903 to have the latest Feature Pack.

Update Windows-Log: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3sf0792ha1s4l1s/WindowsUpdate.log?dl=0

Computer: ASUSTeK Computer CM6870 (used to have Windows 8)

Dunken

Posted 2019-09-13T11:21:14.973

Reputation: 751

What do you see? How do you know it is frozen? – Appleoddity – 2019-09-13T11:57:12.477

This answer could be improved by stating how long it's frozen (10 seconds, or 30 minutes? I assume the latter), and by providing a picture of the screen it freezes on. Also, does it occasionally freeze if you shut down or (more importantly) restart manually? – Peter – 2019-09-13T12:45:37.747

It sounds like there's a program or service preventing it from rebooting and creating the hang. There is a registry setting that governs how Windows handles services or applications that won't shutdown when a reboot/shutdown is requested, as Windows sets the time limit quite hight to auto-kill programs and services that aren't responding. This can be changed via a GUI program like Yamicsoft's Windows 10 Manager, but I'm unsure which registry key handles this.

– JW0914 – 2019-09-13T13:46:06.583

The screen freezes forever (I had it like this over night). I see that it freezed because the dots stop spinning. If I do a manual restart it works as expected. Normal shutdown is also fine... the problem remains even after I manually (via USB) updated to Win 10 1903. – Dunken – 2019-09-14T16:23:20.770

What is the exact computer model? Which was its original Windows version? Did you ever perform a clean install of Windows 10? Please do chkdsk, post the SMART data of the disk, and also post the WindowsUpdate.log.

– harrymc – 2019-09-17T09:03:17.033

Dunken - From admin elevated PowerShell run, Get-WindowsUpdateLog and then post a link to this log and let me see it. Be sure it contains the detail time wise related to the 1903 Feature Pack attempted installation and tell me that time frame in which that occurred. If you need some real help on this problem, you're going to have to disclose the detail of what Windows says the rollback had to occur and/or why the update failed. I have a few guesses and usual things I do to try to resolve such issues just it's a lot to write up for everything but I can maybe help you!! – Pimp Juice IT – 2019-09-22T03:15:41.213

I updated the post. Yes, I did a clean installation of Windows 10 1903. – Dunken – 2019-09-23T12:43:25.187

Have you tried to create boot media for offline installation? When running the tool select "Create installation media for another PC".

– harrymc – 2019-09-23T18:34:44.423

Yes, I did. Same result. – Dunken – 2019-09-23T19:10:19.613

What did you try? I suggest trying in order startup repair, then command prompt with sfc /scannow, finally reinstall Windows (hoping that it will only do an upgrade). – harrymc – 2019-09-24T07:06:06.897

Yes, that's what I did. After some big updates the system didn't find the OS any more. I then had to do this: https://superuser.com/questions/1333811/dell-windows-10-computer-recovery-boots-with-x-drive-but-no-c-drive-or-user-da/1359889#1359889

– Dunken – 2019-09-24T08:15:04.723

Ouf, that's a dangerous operation. I still suggest the operations in my above comment. – harrymc – 2019-09-24T16:43:48.873

I just had the issue again with a minor update (succeeded after manual restart). I updated the Windows-Log file (see link in post). – Dunken – 2019-10-04T14:02:06.133

Small updates still work after the manual restart. Big ones don't even if I retry a couple of times. – Dunken – 2019-09-23T14:36:45.770

Can you isolate the one that is failing, then try to rollback as many previous save states as are available, then try to update that one broken one first? – AenAllAin – 2019-09-24T16:42:28.577

It's not just one. All updates which need a restart freeze. I always have to restart manually. The small ones succeed afterwards and the big ones fail. – Dunken – 2019-09-25T07:36:43.670

That is starting to sound a little different than my situation. (1) Try doing the rollback, and pick only one big one to install. (2) If that does not work, look at your restore points, and how much space you have allocated for saving them. (3) Also, try rolling back what you can and then create your own manual restore point. ...may not fix it, but it may give you more user level information. (4) If none of this black-box stuff works, it's back to the Windows logs I guess. – AenAllAin – 2019-09-25T20:11:46.037

Windows 10: screen always freezes if restart is needed during update

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