Step 3 of 3 Reboot Loop (FIXED - READ!)

Follow the instructions below the fix the problem, it's been proven by
several people already to work.

All credit for this fix goes to Ernest on the Technet forums (THANK YOU)

(nugat wrote:)

After having the endless reboot problem for the last few days I've
finally
got it back up and working! Thanks to 'Ernest' from the following
thread
for finding the file causing all the problems.

'Re: Stage 3 of 3 - 0% then reboots - TechNet Forums'
(http://tinyurl.com/2ftq2h)

Here's what I did.

1) Boot from the Vista install disc (I understand the following works
as an alternative if you haven't got a
Vista disc 'Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download — The NeoSmart
Files'
(http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/window...disc-download/) )

2) Choose your language, time etc and select the "Repair your computer"
option.

3) Start a command prompt and delete/move the following file.
C:\Windows\winsxs\pending.xml

In my case I moved it out the way onto my 'D:\' drive incase I ever
needed it again.

4) Restart the PC, you'll get the same 'configuring updates' screen but
after a while it will carry onto the desktop!!!

5) Turn off automatic updates and create a restore point. Wait until
MS
fixes the update.

Everything appears to be working normally now and I can reboot,
shutdown etc without getting the dreaded updates installing. Hope this
helps someone!

And if MS finds that there's nothing to fix? If everyone running Vista was
encountering this problem, this newsgroup would be swamped and it'd be all
over the news and blogs.

I'm sorry to hear you and others are experiencing the problem but your "fix"
isn't really a fix. And please note that others here /have/ found a
resolution.

MS needs to know how many "dead bodies" are out there. Please open a free
support incident!
=============================
Start a free Windows Update support incident request:
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/de...spx?gprid=6527

Support for Windows Update:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/wusupport

For home users, no-charge support is available by calling 1-866-PCSAFETY in
the United States and in Canada or by contacting your local Microsoft
subsidiary. There is no-charge for support calls that are associated with
security updates. When you call, clearly state that your problem is related
to a Security Update and cite the update's KB number (e.g., KB123456).

For more information about how to contact your local Microsoft subsidiary
for security update support issues, visit the International Support Web
site: http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx

For enterprise customers, support for security updates is available through
your usual support contacts.

It certainly appears as if MS is barely aware of this issue. IF those whose
systems have been afflicted with this rebooting issue do not call it in then
imagine the carnage that will occur next month when Vista SP1 rolls out ?
Ouch.

There are apparently several people having this problem considering that
over 25,000 people had viewed one of the posts on technet about the problem.

Also if you Google it, several people have posted about it.

And the fact that I did not have a restore point is not my fault, Vista
Ultimate was intalled normally and I did not disable system restore. Also -
Windows Update is supposed to create a restore point every time it creates an
update.

ALSO - the fix you said people had posted was only "if" you have a restore
point to utilize, the one posted originally by Ernest on Technet actually
resolves the problem quickly so you can access the system.

My 90 year old father just brought over his Toshiba notebook with Vista that
has been in an endless update boot for days!!!

After Safe Mode failing for me and pulling the battery, I went on the net
and your post was the first I tried. Worked right away with your
instructions. I didn't even bother with the install disk, just the deletion
of pending.xml

Hello,

Please hold on deleting the pending.xml file for the time being. This is not a complete
solution, there are other things that may have to happen to the system as well, up to
potentially reinstalling the OS if this file is deleted.

Same/similar endless reboot started on my recently loaded HTPC this morning.

It was a clean install, New copy of Vista Ultimate SP1, less than a week old.

'Re: Stage 3 of 3 - 100% then reboots - TechNet Forums'

endlessly reboots.

Did the workaround as suggested here
ie delete/move "pending.xml" file

Disable updates

All ok

This was an authentic Microsoft Vista 64Bit Utltimate with SP1 DVD

And did you see?...

The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the
computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

My question is, I hope someone can help me, how can i do that pronmt, how
can i move or delete that file, i don´t know how to use ms-dos, please help
me

yes i got this many times but finally i was lucky and decided to boot with a boot cd i made using ghost boot wizard.... i have added an old version of partition magic on this cd and decided to look whats going on there.... partition magic found an error size on the disk partition and aks to fix it automatically what i did. and after it boot normally... i dont know why the partition size was corrupted but after i fixed it all was fine. this happen randomly!