Windows must die - again

Microsoft Fix It For Me 0X80242008 Windows Update Microsoft Fix It For Me To cure this, conduct a free scan and among the top registry cleansing agents. It will highlight if there are any problems and it is the easiest and many simple method to resolve the thing is. Microsoft releases fix for Windows 10 cumulative update issues. Six days after delivering a failed Windows 10 update, Microsoft has offered a fix-it script and an explanation.

Six days after it delivered a cumulative update that failed to install on some users' PCs, Microsoft has released a fix-it tool.

In an email statement, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the update, which tries to install and then rolls back repeatedly, affects PCs that previously ran a build delivered through the Windows Insider Program and were later switched to the public Current Branch release.

'We became aware of an issue with the recent Windows 10 cumulative update that impacted a small number of customers in the Windows Insider Program that were running a previous build of the OS. We have created a solution to resolve this issue, which is now live and can be accessed here.'

That link goes to the Windows 10 1607 (RS1) Script fix to unblock update for Insider, a Microsoft Installer file that makes the same changes I described in my earlier post, without requiring any registry edits or permission changes.

The terse description of the file describes it simply: 'Script to fix Xbox Scheduled Task leftover regkeys that blocks update for insider builds prior to 14388.' There's no indication of how many systems were affected, but the number is probably in the hundreds of thousands, representing systems that were in the Windows Insider Program, receiving preview releases, during the first half of 2016 before switching to the public branch.

Although that number is small, it represents an unusually influential group of Windows 10 users, including a fair number of tech reporters who specialize in Microsoft topics.

Microsoft Windows Update Fix It For Me Lyrics

A separate article, KB3197794, describes the issue. It's not currently available for viewing.

If you're among the affected users, you can safely run the script to unblock the update and resume normal Windows 10 operation.

Microsoft Windows Update Fix It For Media Player

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the fix will also be available through Windows Update, although no date is scheduled for that release.

Quick housekeeping note: Hey, you've found the new Hassle-Free PC! Well done. Actually, what you've found is the new address for Hassle-Free PC, meaning it's time to update your bookmark. Here's the Web address for the blog, which I hope you'll continue to visit daily: http://www.pcworld.com/column/hassle-free-pc.

Now, then, on to business...

For the past couple weeks I've noticed that whenever I shut down my PC, Windows installs updates. Or at least appears to install them.

Typically this happens only once in a while, not every time. So I checked Windows Update to see which updates were in the queue. Then I shut down, rebooted, and checked it again: sure enough, those same two updates were still there -- they hadn't been installed at all. Or perhaps they had, but something inside Windows wasn't recognizing that fact.

Unfortunately, these kinds of problems aren't uncommon. And they aren't limited to Windows repeatedly offering the same update; I've also had letters from readers who get error messages after Windows tries to update itself.

This can be a tricky issue to solve, but here's a good place to start: Microsoft's Windows Update Fix-it. This automated tool will scan your Windows Update configuration and repair any problems it finds, resolve any incorrect data locations, and re-register required services.

All you do is click the Run Now button, then follow the onscreen prompts. (Depending on what browser you use and how it's configured, you may need to manually run the Fix-it after downloading it.)

With any luck, the tool will get Windows Update running properly again. If not, you can find a few additional troubleshooting options on Microsoft's knowledge-base page, 'Windows Update or Microsoft Update repeatedly offers the same update.'

Have you had problems getting Windows Update to work properly? If so, were you able to find a fix?

Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com, or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.