Fix: We Couldn’t Complete the Updates Undoing Changes on Windows 10

The ‘We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes’ loop is usually caused if the Windows update files aren’t downloaded properly if your system files are corrupt etc. due to which users have to encounter an eternal loop of the said message whenever they try to boot up their system. This issue is frustrating because it keeps on promoting the same message over and over again on every bootup.

Nonetheless, the error occurs commonly and you will encounter it, most of the time when a Windows update fails. Users have tried to restart their system countless times, however, the issue remained the same. This article will help you to resolve your issue by applying a few simple and plain solutions. There’s not much you can do when your Windows isn’t able to boot up, therefore, to get out of the misery, follow the instructions provided below.

What Causes the ‘We Couldn’t Complete The Updates Undoing changes’ Issue on Windows 10?

Well, as we mentioned, the error is generic and is often due to the following factors —

To solve this issue, you will have to first boot into Safe Mode. If you have a dual-boot system, you can easily boot into Safe Mode by clicking ‘Change defaults or choose other options’ and then navigating to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings. Once you are in the Startup settings, press 4 to enable Safe Mode.

If you are not using dual-boot, you will have to press F8, F9 or F11 (varies in different cases) during the boot process to get yourself into the Troubleshoot screen. Afterward, follow the same instructions as above to get into Safe Mode. Once you have booted up your system in Safe Mode, follow the solutions down below. If you are still trying to figure out how to get into the Troubleshoot screen, just use a Windows bootable USB, DVD or CD drive and select ‘Repair your computer’ once the Windows Setup window appears and from there navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup settings.

Before moving on with the solutions, make sure your system drive has enough free space. If you are using a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, then disconnect the proxy/VPN and connect directly.

Solution 1: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Your first step should be, whenever you are dealing with Windows update issues, to run the Windows Update troubleshooter. The troubleshooter will search your system for any update related issues and try to fix them. It may not always be successful, however, there are times when the troubleshooter fixes the issue. Here’s how to run the troubleshooter:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Update and security.

   

3. Navigate to the Troubleshooter panel.
4. Select Windows update and hit ‘Run the troubleshooter’.

   

Solution 2: Delete the SoftwareDistribution Folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder is responsible for storing all the Windows update files. In some cases, if this folder is corrupted or damaged, it can cause the issue to pop up. In such a scenario, you will have to delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder. Here’s how to do it:

1. Before you jump into the folder itself, you will have to disable some Windows update services. Press Windows Key + X to open an elevated command prompt.
2. Type in the following commands one-by-one:

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptSvc
   net stop msiserver

   

3. Afterward, open the Windows Explorer and navigate to the following address:

   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

4. Delete all the files and folders.
5. Finally, start the services again by typing the following commands in the elevated command prompt:

   net start wuauserv
   net start bits
   net start cryptSvc
   net start msiserver

   

6. Restart your system and try updating your system.

Solution 3: Turn On App Readiness Service

App Readiness is a service that is required when you run a Windows update. Some users have reported that turning on the App Readiness service resolved their issue. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press Windows Key + R to open Run.
2. Type in ‘services.msc’ and press enter.

   

3. Locate the App Readiness Service and double-click it to open the Properties.

   

4. Set the Startup type to Automatic and click Start to run the service.

   

5. Click Apply and then hit OK.
6. Restart your system.

Solution 4: Disable Automatic Windows Update

You can also try to fix your issue by preventing Windows from updating automatically. For this, you will have to disable the Windows update service. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open up the Services windows as shown in solution 3.
2. Locate the Windows Update service and double-click it.

   

3. Set the Startup type to Disabled and click Stop to stop the service if it is running.

   

4. Hit Apply and then click OK.
5. Restart your system.

Solution 5: Manually Install the Update

Corruption of dependencies of Windows Update Components may cause updates to get stuck. A Windows Update is a collection of different modules working together. If any of them ceases to work properly, manually installing updates may solve the problem. To manually install Windows update, follow method 2 in our article on How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x800703e3?

Solution 6: Perform a System Restore

Most of the time, you can fix this issue by performing a System Restore. For this, you will have to access the ‘Troubleshoot options’ screen. If you do not know how to do that, you can learn how to access that by reading the paragraphs above Solution 1. Once you are there, follow the below instructions:

Note: All data or changes made to your computer after the restore date will be removed and will not be accessible. Consider backing up data/configurations and files.

1. On the Troubleshoot screen, choose Advanced options.

   

2. Select ‘System Restore’.

   

If nothing has helped you so far, then either reset your Windows PC or clean install Windows.