Windows 10 update jammed and won't reinstall

[Mr Optimistic]

I have the problem aired in the national press in that a couple of recent updates keep failing. I tried every nostrum advised on the web. Dsim won't run cause of pending operations even though I used it to stop pending operstions. Update cache folder cleared out. SFC won't run. Trying to reinstall ends with windows 10 installation failed ( at a very late stage). Windows won't allow reinstall in safe mode...
The windows installation is from Windows 7 when it was free.
Every now and then on shut down and reboot it goes into the reconfiguring windows routine so clearly there is a pending operation which can't complete or get out if the way. More an annoyance than anything crucial but I daren't try a full install in case that fails too!
Any ideas?

Edit: think this is the one
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1230490/Microsoft-Windows-10-update-patch-KB4534273-issues/amp

[Ancient Observer]

The PC person that installed my version of W10 on to W7 said that to ensure that it worked, he had deleted all the security software (anti-virus, scanning stuff and etc) that was on my W7, other than malwarebytes. He said that lots of bits of software that worked OK with W7 did not wprk with W10, or one of its many updates. Have you got stuff that you can clear out?

[Mr Optimistic]

Hmm. I did 'suspend' the virus checker but those things get their fingers everywhere. Good idea, Ill uninstall it then have a go.

[Ancient Observer]

If you are confident about your back ups of important stuff, (photos, Docs etc) you could try "Fresh Start" in Windows Security/Device Performance and Health. I am no expert!!
On the virus checkers, I am assured that Spybot, Avast and so on are not needed with W10.
Some website suggest keeping Malwarebytes, so I have. The rest, I no longer use.

[Mr Optimistic]

Nope, not that brave since I'll be replacing this 10 year old machine this year money wife permitting! Do wonder if it would work though so you never know. From what I think I gave read, it's not a clean install so you keep personal files but not programs ( aka apps).

[ciderman]

I had this issue. The only solution was to forget the upgrade and install a full Windows 10. It was impossible to get upgrades. However I have just come across another problem. I use Windows live Mail on a Yahoo mail server. I cannot get mail on that from 1230 UTC yesterday. Apparently people knew about it but nobody, certainly not my Internet provider (Sky) mentioned it as a possible cause. Anyone else suffering?

[jimjim1]

I use Windows live Mail on a Yahoo mail server. I cannot get mail on that from 1230 UTC yesterday.... certainly not my Internet provider (Sky) mentioned it as a possible cause. Anyone else suffering?

Hmm, in retrospect I guess I don't know what this means exactly. "I use Windows live Mail on a Yahoo mail server.".

"Windows Live Mail is a discontinued freeware email client from Microsoft" If that is what you mean then the following is good:-) Otherwise, who knows?

Yahoo are going under - slowly but they are going under. I recommend getting off of Yahoo Mail ASAP in case one day it simply stops for ever. Native MS or Google are the only free options that I am aware of. Neither are going anywhere soon. Of course google for sure read all your mail and I guess will sell it to law enforcement (and who knows who else) if they ask.

I am sure they would argue that they are not selling it but if they get money for it and hand it over, what else could you call it?

[Alsacienne]

Fun and games when I started up my computer this morning - sites wouldn't open, or kept disappearing .... needed to use the restart (after being told to by Microsoft) and it took ages ... so probably caused by updates. Hubby's computer, next to mine, started like normal without anything crazy.

[jimtherev]

Fun and games when I started up my computer this morning - sites wouldn't open, or kept disappearing .... needed to use the restart (after being told to by Microsoft) and it took ages ... so probably caused by updates. Hubby's computer, next to mine, started like normal without anything crazy.
Ah, it's because the UK left EU last night.
Ye're dooooomed, I tell you. Doomed!

[ciderman]

Thanks Jim. I can't load my gmail account on to Live mail to get round it that way. Nobody at Sky has fessed up[ to this but your advice much appreciated.

[Geordie_Expat]

Native MS or Google are the only free options that I am aware of.

And AOL Mail.

[Mr Optimistic]

Well I admit defeat. Been through any number of online forums supposedly dealing with the frustrated update issue to no avail. The machine won't run SFC or dsim, or do a repair/ partial install of Windows 10 from media creator. Looking at the event viewer error log issue seems to have started in December. I did manage to juice the WiFi adapter driver somehow, cured by unticking a ' jumpstart' box in the connection settings ( how did that get there?), that at least was a helpful suggestion off the web, couldn't bind the TCP/IP stack of some such thing.
Judging by the number of posts online, seems to be a widespread issue with the hint that it might be AMD machines mostly. All I need now is for Microsoft to stop telling me my machine may be at risk as it isn't up to date. Cheers for that.

[jimjim1]

The machine won't run SFC or dsim.

They need to be run in an Administrator command window.

"C: \Users\XXXX\Downloads>sfc /scannow

You must be an administrator running a console session in order to
use the sfc utility."

Ah, wait a min. SFC wont run if updates are in progress - as I recall.

[Mr Optimistic]

Did run as administrator. The pending updates thing did arise, indeed perhaps it was that.

[Mr Optimistic]

Couldn't find a solution to this: assume it's a pending update log jamming it. Anyway, having read that it is still possible to get windows for free, I found an old drive with windows 7 on and used that. Sure enough, it updated nicely so I'll slowly migrate across to this.
Don't be quick to discard any windows 7 partitions you may still have but not use!

[Mr Optimistic]

Now I'm rebuilding the computer with this new installation of windows 10( very surprising how many updates I'd missed), stalling on reinstalling McAfee virus checker. Despite having paid for it, I wonder if Windows defender and firewall might be good enough. Any opinions? The machine is used for banking.

[PJD1]

Any opinions?

Yes, avoid the likes of McAfee, Norton etc like the plague, they are bloated and unnecessary software that are little better than the viruses they are supposed to prevent. Windows Defender is the only anti-virus software that you need on a W10 computer.

[treadigraph]

I got rid of Avast last year and switched to Defender - glad I did as it is far less intrusive.

[Mr Optimistic]

Good. Thank you both. That's what I'll do too.