Critical ASUS Vivo AiO Windows 11 PC Frozen After Update – Must Fix Without Data Loss!

Hi everyone,
I’m in a very serious situation and need urgent help. This is not just my personal computer – it belongs to a doctor, and it contains critical, sensitive medical files that cannot be lost. Without this PC working, it will severely impact their work and patient care.

The problem:
• Device: ASUS Vivo AiO (all-in-one)
• OS: Windows 11
• After a Windows Update, the PC froze during the process.
• Now it gets stuck on the ASUS logo (boot screen) – sometimes the spinning circle freezes.
• I tried “Startup Repair” but it didn’t work.
• I also tried entering Safe Mode, but it still freezes at the ASUS logo.
• From the recovery options, when I try to “Uninstall latest Quality Update,” it says there’s “an update pending,” so it won’t proceed.

What I need:
• I must get the computer back to the last working state (before the failed update).
• This has to be done without losing any files, as they are extremely important and irreplaceable.
• I have access to another PC to create a bootable USB if needed.
• The BIOS/boot menu is accessible.

What I’ve tried so far:
• Forced shutdowns to trigger WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) – no success.
• Startup Repair – failed.
• Safe Mode – freezes at logo.
• Tried uninstalling the latest update – blocked by “update pending” message.

Please, any step-by-step guide or proven method to remove the pending update or roll back to the last working Windows version without wiping the files would be a lifesaver.
Time is extremely critical because this is affecting a doctor’s work. I’m desperate for help – any advice with exact commands, tools, or methods will be hugely appreciated.
Thank you.

viceyeti said:

it contains critical, sensitive medical files that cannot be lost. Without this PC working, it will severely impact their work and patient care.

Click to expand...

Any computer that has sensitive files that cannot be lost, should have a current backup. A Windows System Image saved to Network Drive or External USB HDD.
If no backup, on another computer, download the Windows 11 ISO image, burn the image to a USB Flash Drive with the Media Creation Tool on that same page.
Place the USB Windows installer Flash Drive in the computer, Start the computer and press the ESC key continuously. You should see a one time Boot menu.
Choose the USB Flash drive. This should boot to the installer.
Choose your Language, then Repair Your computer. This should start the Troubleshooting menu. Click Advanced.
Here you can again try Startup Repair. If that fails, try a System Restore to a time before this happened.
You can also try Removing the latest Update.

All though you tried these things before, they will be a little different when you boot off of the flash drive and do them outside of Windows.
There are other options that can be run from the Command Prompt.

The drive may have failed on this computer.

If you recover, we strongly suggest to make an Image File of your computer, which we endlessly suggest on this and every forum. Search the tutorials for instructions on how to do this.

basically, an install disk (usb) gives the option of only writing over the system files and not writing over data. Above is giving you a way to save the data before you fix the system files.

I suggest copying off the files before attempting any repairs.

It's not something I've ever done, personally. I do backups instead.

By courtesy of MS Copilot:


It may have to modified if there are files outside the Documents folder.

An alternate possibility:


I believe that the image file can be mounted using Reflect on the other PC as a virtual drive. You can then copy off the files as needed.

I'm shocked that a critical PC like that of the physician has no backups. I hope that he/she is more careful in the medical practice.

If the disk is viable and not bitlocked, You can boot from any live Linux distribution to recover files to external media.. I prefer Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu. This is by far the easiest way to recover files.

Or use Bobkn's idea of imaging the sick computer and mounting the image on a good computer.
It is beyond my realm of thinking that a doctor's files would not be backed up multiple times and backed up daily.

The more you mess with the ailing computer, the higher the chance files won't be recoverable..

If it weren't an All-in-One, I suggest removing the HDD/SSD and accessing its files using a USB enclosure - but having recently rescued a HDD from an old AiO, I know how 'locked in' the drive may be. I think none of us can quite believe that something as important as medical records could be kept on such a device without backups.

If you're able to get to a command prompt try

DISM /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActions

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

DISM /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

SFC /ScanNow

As Stated, it is not easy, but you can disassemble the AIO, and you can remove the HDD/SSD and attach it to a working computer via a USB Adapter to save your User files, and replace the drive with an SSD if it has failed.