Hello Brian,
I am still sitting and studying registry settings, just to understand how exactly the windows update process works.
I just want to exploit your being a great specialist, to help me learn something, after I have tried to find information on the web for so many weeks by now ...
So, if you don't mind, I have a few more questions:
1. Trying to understand where in the registry is Windows storing the list of installed updates,
I discovered the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages
which indeed contains a long list of package names.
What is the difference between this key and the one you indicated:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\ApplicabilityEvaluationCache
I, of course, did not compare their content one-by-one, but I just looked after the KB4088875 (the update that caused the boot failure)
and it does appear in several entries under the first key above, but NOT under the second one.
2. Another question:
What is the significance of the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\SessionsPending
It exists on all my machines, with some 10 to 20 subkeys under it, so I don't think that it is directly related to the boot problem,
even if the word "pending" might suggest something in this direction.
3. And a 3rd question:
If I understand correctly, the hive files that we see in folder C:\Windows\System32\config are the storage files for the Registry information.
In other words, ALL the information regarding the Installed Updates is in fact stored in the registry,
so, while checking for available updates, Windows probably uses this registry information.
If so, then what is the role of the files in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and especially in the \DataStore subfolder in the Check Update process itself ?
I guess that the \Downloads folder is probably just a temporary storage for the new update files.
Or, otherwise put, how can the deletion of these files help in fixing an update problem, without making also some change in the Registry content itself ?
And now, to the culmination of this full 24-hours day that I spent at my computer !!!
At this very moment, while I am writing this post, the Check Update window popped up and it shows 1 important update of the last two missing ones,
namely the
2018-04 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems (KB4093118)
And this happens without having changed anything yet on my machine !!!
And it appears as being published yesterday ( Apr 12 ), though on the other machines it already appeared 2 days ago !
It also appears as Last Updated on Apr 12 on the
Microsoft Update Catalog page,
and now with a new UpdateID:
"3ca74ab7-d2bf-47aa-905f-108760444ef5" instead of the previous "b8c802bf-1c1d-4835-8083-e09937ca00db"
So, I can only guess that MS did change something in this update in the last two days,
and "opened it up" for becoming applicable on my AMD machine ... I simply don't have any other logical explanation.
This can also be a warning that the "first edition" of the update might have contained some bug,
that could have easily damaged any of the machines if applied immediately, just the same as it happened the last month !
The second update of this week though, KB2952664, still did not arrive on this machine (but did arrive on the 2 Intel machines).
And the same for the other 3 missing updates, that still did not arrive on this machine during this month.
( KB4088881, KB4100480, KB4099950 ).
This is simply unbelievable !
I should apologize for asking so many questions, and I would be really grateful if you could guide me a little bit
in also understanding somewhat deeper what happens.
As an experienced software developer myself, though not a Windows specialist, and already retired from active work,
I have the feeling that Microsoft keeps all these Windows internals information a little "covered in darkness",
so that only "Windows magicians" could help in solving these strange issues not just for the huge number of non-computer-professional users,
but even for software people specialized in other fields.
Now the question is whether it is safe to let this 2018-04 Monthly update to install itself.
Afterwards I think that I will wait a little bit more to see what happens further, before taking any other action.
Thank you so much for your patience, I do appreciate very much all your help and any valuable information :)
Best Regards,
Iudith Mentzel