[1709, fcu] Failed W10 update

[Ditto]

Having succumbed to M$ constant nagging, I finally accepted the 1709 update. After 3 or 4 days battling, I'm little further forward. I have managed to get a few things running, but it can be a 6 hour wait from trying to access a function. to it popping up. Currently I have empty Windows desktop screen (blue one with a few wavy white lines). I have managed to get Task manager up and running, along with device manager, computer management, cmd.exe and powershell all responding well. I'm very reluctant to do a completely new build so I'm setting the Xmas challenge to see if you can help me through this.

The main issue appears to be that the task bar is not working. Moving the mouse to it just gives a spinning process pointer. A right click cause a temporary black screen then restores to the same point. It's fairly clear it's causing Windows Explorer to crash and restart. I've tried the same manually and no progress. I've run the SFC and DISM commands and no luck. I have not found a way to get to Windows Setting. The taskbar is showing the Windows icon, Search icon, the (I think TaskView icon) and then the contacts icon, which I believe is new to this update. Winver confirms 1709 build 16299.98. Specs are Dell Precision T5500 dual X5660, loads of RAM and Nvidia GTX 550 Ti GPU.

 

After lots of googling trying many attempts to resolve, I'm currently trying to run:

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} but getting error "The dependency service or group failed to start".

[mavhc]

So it was on 1703, did an update, and now it's insanely slow?

 

Is it slow as it boots up, before you log in? Have you tried restarting with shift held down to get to recovery mode?

[Ditto]

Yes, sort of. Have gone through a few cycles of recovery mode with shift restarts.

 

The upgrade to 1709 seemed to freeze at the logon point where it pops up the message in the top left. After a round of trying to go back to the restore point, it seemed to do the same thing which after several cycles in (probably another auto update) started. I just left it for hours - and I mean hours and hours - in the order of at least six and up to 12! I think at one point it confirmed a successful restore, but at this point no it looks to be 1709 - unless I have some sort of bizarre hybrid.

After a very long time it ended up with the desktop showing the bluish desktop screen - no icons. I hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and clicked TaskManager. Nothing! Again left for another 6 to 12 hours and hey presto - it showed up. From here I've manage to get the other apps running with the hope finding what the issue is. I probably ought to reboot now, but my worry is it could be 12+ hours before I get to the same point.

 

My hunch is the failing Windows Explorer is key to the problem. Also could be an add-on having an issue now that was not there before. Am considering a clean/safe mode start and refreshing the drivers but have limited confidence in that.

[mavhc]

I'd test the ssd/hdd first

[Ditto]

I'm happy with HD. There are 2 and having restarted to command mode only, managed to copy all really important files to a USB stick are copied on from there.

[Ditto]

Just realised the background desktop looks as though it's come from Windows 7!!!

This is all very bizarre. And IE has just popped up. I think I tried to start it about 4 hours ago.

[Ditto]

The saga continues. Having booted to safe mode, and login into an account, I get a blank screen with no icons. After 5 minutes I hit Ctrl-ALt-Del and select TaskManager. 15 minutes later it pops up. I run various checks and nothing stands out obviously as to what the issue is. Left the PC overnight and 12 hours later all the icons are there. The taskbar mostly works. IE started but took 15 minutes. Other functions worked OK and were responsive. Some not so good, but could appear after a long wait. Have now done a shutdown to try a normal boot. 3 minutes in I can login to an account but just get a blank icon-less. It's the same screen as above which I'm sure should not show on Win 10. After 10 minutes more I get a Apple itunes update request - happily dismissed. 30 minutes later nothing. Try Ctrl-Alt -Del. It shows options but it is all very grey, reminiscent of the John Spitting image for those old enough to remember! Select TaskMgr and am now waiting - could be 15 minutes, could be 12 hours. Any ideas about checking any log files for clues? I've never seen anything like it before - except maybe M$ approach to taking over control of what is supposed to be my PC continuing to plumb new depths. M$ just forced an update on the laptop I'm using now, but this time has worked OK.

[mavhc]

So when in task manager is cpu/disk/ram showing as high usage?

[Ditto]

All show very low usage. I have also now seen it state the restore to before the update was completed, but as a result of Winver, it clearly re-installs again. Currently trying to by-pass that to see if the restore point will stay, but don't seem to be able to get to settings currently. I should point out I am on Win 10 Pro. The version it is reporting is 1709 (16299.98) but I notice 10.0.16299.125 is available - maybe I should push forwards to that but I have low expectations of it resolving things, but have little to lose! Increasingly I'm coming to the conclusion it's a driver issue - M$ probably replaced a perfectly good one

[minimoo]

do you have AV installed on the box ? I'd be inclined to see if you can disable that

 

it sounds like its 'waiting' on something (a failing hdd would fall into the 'waiting' category) - however conflict with some out of date file system filter driver would also make some sense.

[Ditto]

No additional AV over Win 10 included Windows Defender. I agree it's most likely a driver issue. My suspicion is focused on the fact I have a BIOS setting of ATA /RAID and not AHCI and probably windows has created some kind of issue. Would be so much simpler to diagnose if I could successfully revert to the previous restore point without it immediately going back in to a refresh cycle! Running diagnostics on hardware currently just as a process of elimination.