Cumulative Updates failing to install on Gigabyte Z390 Motherboard

slcidea · Nov 17, 2022

All cumulative updates after KB5015882 fail to complete installation. Based on months of trying numerous things including uninstalling every application, clean boot etc. I've come to the conclusion that this is apparently a driver issue. A fresh clean install with a wipe is the only thing that works because Windows installs all new drivers. The problem is I've tried updating all the drivers as best as I could with what 3rd party driver update software found but nothing works. I even went back to a Windows 10 image and ran into the same issue during update. It seems that Microsoft put in something in all of their updates around the middle of July possibly related to security that's causing numerous problems on many machines out there. My last chat with their tech support was that MS was aware of it and recommended a fresh clean install. It's been several months, and every monthly update that has come out since August doesn't seem to address this problem. How can you break so many machines and not be able to revert back to what you did to break them? I just don't understand.

FreeBooter · Nov 17, 2022

Here are a few techniques to reset the Windows Update components to fix stuck updates trying to download and install on Windows.

slcidea · Nov 17, 2022

FreeBooter said:
Here are a few techniques to reset the Windows Update components to fix stuck updates trying to download and install on Windows.

Thanks, I've done all these things and several others, and nothing has worked. It appears to be driver related but identifying the problem driver is my issue.

fireberd · Nov 17, 2022

FWIW, I have a Gigabyte "Designare" Z390 motherboard. I have all the Win 11 updates. I had to do an in place upgrade to get 22H2, but others installed without problems.

I suspect my update problems are "self inflicted". The OS (and many recording studio programs) started out in Vista. Then upgraded to 7/8/8.1/10/11. I would like to do a clean install but I have recording studio add-ons and apps that cannot be recovered so I stick with the current install.

slcidea · Nov 17, 2022

fireberd said:
FWIW, I have a Gigabyte "Designare" Z390 motherboard. I have all the Win 11 updates. I had to do an in place upgrade to get 22H2, but others installed without problems.

I suspect my update problems are "self inflicted". The OS (and many recording studio programs) started out in Vista. Then upgraded to 7/8/8.1/10/11. I would like to do a clean install but I have recording studio add-ons and apps that cannot be recovered so I stick with the current install.

I tried different scenarios to do a complete 22H2 upgrade including manually uninstalling every program and Windows Upgrade "not keep any apps" and still got the spinning circle after the system rebooted during the update. The only thing that worked was if I told Windows to not keep anything including apps and personal files during a 22H2 Upgrade. Out of curiosity, what's the version of your BiOS on the Z390. I am running F10 on mine and there's nothing later than that for my MB. Can't go back to previous version because of some security vulnerability that Gigabyte BiOS Upgrade warns about.

fireberd · Nov 17, 2022

I have F9. Latest listed for my board.

slcidea · Nov 17, 2022

fireberd said:
I have F9. Latest listed for my board.

I looked at your MB on Gigabyte site and F9 is your latest BiOS. For mine it's F10 and the dates of release your F9 and mine F10 is around the same time in 2019. Since then there has been no BiOS update. The problem sometimes is that board vendors aren't current with their driver updates on their site. Once in a while Windows will find newer drivers and update them but if for some reason the update is not picked up then one can have an outdated driver causing problems during windows cumulative and feature updates.

spapakons · Nov 19, 2022

I had a quick look at Intel's support site and I could not find any chipset drivers for Z390, so you have to download that one from your motherboard manufacturer's support site. I did find latest graphics driver, you can download and install it. To make sure Windows Update won't replace your drivers you have to hide (block) them with Windows Update Show/Hide Tool or similar utility such as Windows Advanced Update manager (WAU). As soon as you have updated the drivers, run the utility to block all unwanted updates before they are installed automatically. With latest BIOS (Firmware version) and latest drivers installed you should have remedied any compatibility issues. You can then clean up your hard disk including system files and make sure you check the Windows Update cache box. After deleting the Windows Update cache try to search and install updates again.

Dru2 · Nov 20, 2022

slcidea said:
All cumulative updates after KB5015882 fail to complete installation. ....

What version of Windows 11 - Insiders or RTM?

I too have a Gigabyte Z390 (Aorus Xtreme), as shown in my system specs, and I have no issues installing any Windows Updates. I'm running Windows 11 Pro x64 RTM 22H2 (build 22621.819). Don't have the issue you do.

BTW, what board - "Gigabyte Z390" doesn't say which model. Also do you have the latest BIOS for your board?

And you need to get the chipset drivers from Gigabyte's site. That's where I've gotten mine, and again... no issues.

SIW2 · Nov 20, 2022

I doubt that missing chipset "drivers" have anything to do with your updates issue.

Win11 on my gigabyte b365 had only this missing description in device manager. So to make it look pretty I installed the inf which adds the description.

Looks prettier but makes no difference otherwise.

glasskuter · Nov 20, 2022

This issue may have nothing at all to do with your hardware and/or drivers. Some folks began having problems with cumulatives back in the spring and there is no rhyme or reason to why some have the issue and when, nor what fixes the issue for one does not work for the next. I have closely followed the complaints about this both here, on the Microsoft forum, and in the feedback hub. The kicker is once one cumulative fails, every cumulative afterwards will also fail so waiting for the next one doesn't do any good.

The normal troubleshooting flow for update problems is as follows:
1. Turn off all AV, including MWB, and leave it off during troubleshooting.
2. run troubleshooter-settings-system-troubleshoot-other troubleshooters-windows update-RUN.
3. Reset Windows update components using Brink's tutorial Reset Windows Update in Windows 11 Tutorial
4. From administrative command prompt type sfc /scannow If SFC finds any corruption it cannot fix follow up with
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
5. Download update from Microsoft Catalog and attempt to manually apply it Microsoft Update Catalog
6. Restore a backup image and manually apply update.
7. Do a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade Tutorial
8. Clean Install Windows 11 Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

All that said, my machine is one that this issue consistently affected each month and it only happened on cumulatives. You will notice I stressed that the above is the normal troubleshooting process, but in my case I narrowed it down to MWB being the culprit on the initial cumulative failure. What fixed it for me was to restore a backup from BEFORE the initial faiIure, disabled MWB and stopped all its processes, manually downloaded the update from the update calalog and applied it. I spent many hours and much testing to come to this conclusion. Others here who did not have backups available have gotten a repair install to fix it while still others have resorted to a clean install. Like I said, no definitive reasoning behind it.

I now make backups every week and have it on my calendar to make sure Malwarebytes is turned off before every update Tuesday. I then download and manually apply each month's cumulative. Doing so seems to have solved my problem. In my case, I am confident that having third party AV on when a cumulative comes down the pike is what causes the issue as I proven this to myself 3 different times. Once a cumulative fails, no number of attempts will make it (or those that come after it)install until Windows is repaired or a backup is restored.

Hopefully, in your case, it is only a one-time fluke and one of the other troubleshooting steps will work but I wouldn't bet on it.

spapakons · Nov 20, 2022

Probably third party antivirus consider the cumulative updates as malwares because they make changes to system files. Just disable any third party antivirus before searching for updates. I don't have any, I trust Windows Defender and want to keep my system as fast as possible. Too many real time checks from third party antivirus slow down the system.

glasskuter · Nov 20, 2022

spapakons said:
Just disable any third party antivirus before searching for updates

Yes, that would seem logical, wouldn't it? If a cumulative update fails to install, common sense would tell me I should then be able to disable MWB, install the update, and keep on trucking. But it doesn't work that way for me. If one of these updates fails one time, it will continue to fail until I repair Windows. I think some sort of bit is getting set somewhere. Over a 4 month period I've worked many hours doing extensive testing on this using different scenarios of real-time MWB installed, MWB completely uninstalled, MWB disabled, doing repair installs, using a backup of a clean install of bare bones Windows and another of my Windows with all my apps and files.

I've used real-time MWB for many years and have a perpetual license for it but like Windows, it has changed drastically in the way it works. I've seen posts of other third party AV causing the same issue so I can't say if the issue is with the third party app or with windows update. It's the craziest thing I've ever encountered and over the last 30 years I have run into some doozies when it comes to windows update. Windows Update is one thing MS has never been able to get right. They're doing better, but still not up to Apple's standards when it comes to updates.

BrianInEngland · Nov 20, 2022

glasskuter said:
Yes, that would seem logical, wouldn't it? If a cumulative update fails to install, common sense would tell me I should then be able to disable MWB, install the update, and keep on trucking. But it doesn't work that way for me. If one of these updates fails one time, it will continue to fail until I repair Windows. I think some sort of bit is getting set somewhere. Over a 4 month period I've worked many hours doing extensive testing on this using different scenarios of real-time MWB installed, MWB completely uninstalled, MWB disabled, doing repair installs, using a backup of a clean install of bare bones Windows and another of my Windows with all my apps and files.

I've used real-time MWB for many years and have a perpetual license for it but like Windows, it has changed drastically in the way it works. I've seen posts of other third party AV causing the same issue so I can't say if the issue is with the third party app or with windows update. It's the craziest thing I've ever encountered and over the last 30 years I have run into some doozies when it comes to windows update. Windows Update is one thing MS has never been able to get right. They're doing better, but still not up to Apple's standards when it comes to updates.

I don't use paid MWB but I have the free version installed. Updates are working ok, have done since July when me and others had issues. It's possible the July one was caused by MWB as I'd recently done a clean install of Win 11 and was still within the two-week free trial period of MWB Full version so it was running at the time.

I ALWAYS make a Macrium image backup before updating - I check this site first and if an update is available I do a backup then check for/install updates. If the update fails I restore the backup. On Patch Tuesday I do a backup at 5.55 (UK time) so it's bang up-to-date when the updates drop at 6pm.

Every update since 22621.232 has worked without issues since July when it failed to go from .169 to .232.

spapakons · Nov 20, 2022

The trick is to disable third party antivirus before even searching for updates. Not after the disaster. The free version of MWB is for scanning in demand while the paid version enables real time scanning.

slcidea · Nov 20, 2022

glasskuter said:
This issue may have nothing at all to do with your hardware and/or drivers. Some folks began having problems with cumulatives back in the spring and there is no rhyme or reason to why some have the issue and when, nor what fixes the issue for one does not work for the next. I have closely followed the complaints about this both here, on the Microsoft forum, and in the feedback hub. The kicker is once one cumulative fails, every cumulative afterwards will also fail so waiting for the next one doesn't do any good.

The normal troubleshooting flow for update problems is as follows:
1. Turn off all AV, including MWB, and leave it off during troubleshooting.
2. run troubleshooter-settings-system-troubleshoot-other troubleshooters-windows update-RUN.
3. Reset Windows update components using Brink's tutorial Reset Windows Update in Windows 11 Tutorial
4. From administrative command prompt type sfc /scannow If SFC finds any corruption it cannot fix follow up with
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
5. Download update from Microsoft Catalog and attempt to manually apply it Microsoft Update Catalog
6. Restore a backup image and manually apply update.
7. Do a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade Tutorial
8. Clean Install Windows 11 Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

All that said, my machine is one that this issue consistently affected each month and it only happened on cumulatives. You will notice I stressed that the above is the normal troubleshooting process, but in my case I narrowed it down to MWB being the culprit on the initial cumulative failure. What fixed it for me was to restore a backup from BEFORE the initial faiIure, disabled MWB and stopped all its processes, manually downloaded the update from the update calalog and applied it. I spent many hours and much testing to come to this conclusion. Others here who did not have backups available have gotten a repair install to fix it while still others have resorted to a clean install. Like I said, no definitive reasoning behind it.

I now make backups every week and have it on my calendar to make sure Malwarebytes is turned off before every update Tuesday. I then download and manually apply each month's cumulative. Doing so seems to have solved my problem. In my case, I am confident that having third party AV on when a cumulative comes down the pike is what causes the issue as I proven this to myself 3 different times. Once a cumulative fails, no number of attempts will make it (or those that come after it)install until Windows is repaired or a backup is restored.

Hopefully, in your case, it is only a one-time fluke and one of the other troubleshooting steps will work but I wouldn't bet on it.

I tend to agree with you that there is no rhyme or reason why updates fail in one system and not others with or without MWB. I've tried so many things including in-place upgrade and only keeping personal files which meant wiping out all installed apps and that too didn't work. This could be because something may still be retained in the registry or there is a driver issue. The error message that I got when the changes were undone was "We couldn't install... 0xC1900101 – 0x30017. The installation failed in the FIRST BOOT phase with an error during BOOT operation". This error is related to driver issues based on my research. Which is why I am suspecting some driver that is preventing the upgrade to fully complete after the restart occurs partway through the update. I even went back to an old Windows 10 backup that I had and tried to upgrade to Win 11 and that too got hung up with the spinning circle. The only thing that has worked was a complete clean install which is not really identifying the cause of the problem. When you do that Windows installs all fresh drivers and everything works fine. I suspect some driver anomaly that started to occur for me in August when KB5016629 came out. I then went back to KB5015882 and that went in fine. All subsequent cum updates have been failing with the same infinite spinning circle. I too make periodic backups with Macrium because you have no idea when MS may unintentionally break something while fixing something else.

slcidea · Nov 20, 2022

spapakons said:
The trick is to disable third party antivirus before even searching for updates. Not after the disaster. The free version of MWB is for scanning in demand while the paid version enables real time scanning.

I did all that and also uninstalled it but same infinite spinning circle after 30% restart. Something and likely a driver issue is preventing the update to complete is my guess.

fireberd · Nov 20, 2022

I don't think its a driver. As noted previously, updates were installing OK, then 22H2 came along and it was failing. All the suggestions were tried without success, including disabling Malwarebytes and Windows Defender. I finally did an in place upgrade and was successful and updates after that have all installed without problems.

I have the same drivers I had before 22H2.

On my Windows Insider Windows 11 installation (dual boot on same Gigabyte motherboard) I had problems with a new version upgrade, similar to 22H2 failing. I fell back to an older version (Macrium Reflect disc image) and then the new upgrade worked. I don't keep any non recoverable data on the Insider install so I didn't lose anything by falling back to an older version.

slcidea · Nov 20, 2022

fireberd said:
I don't think its a driver. As noted previously, updates were installing OK, then 22H2 came along and it was failing. All the suggestions were tried without success, including disabling Malwarebytes and Windows Defender. I finally did an in place upgrade and was successful and updates after that have all installed without problems.

I have the same drivers I had before 22H2.

On my Windows Insider Windows 11 installation (dual boot on same Gigabyte motherboard) I had problems with a new version upgrade, similar to 22H2 failing. I fell back to an older version (Macrium Reflect disc image) and then the new upgrade worked. I don't keep any non recoverable data on the Insider install so I didn't lose anything by falling back to an older version.

Only reason I suspected driver related issue is because of the error message when the upgrade fails and it restores back the original. Error 0xC1900101 - 0x30017 is related to driver based on my findings. It could be that drivers themselves may be o.k. but something in the registry associated with a particular driver is corrupt. Troubleshooting anything in the registry is beyond impossible and that's why the copout fix is to do a complete clean install. Which is what I wound up doing. I still would like to know the real cause since numerous people have had updates failing for the last several months now.

spapakons · Nov 20, 2022

I miss the good old days you could repair Registry by loading an older instance. It was done in Windows 98 by running the scanreg command with the appropriate parameters. From Windows Me and later you can use System Restore to go back to an earlier restore point, provided you have enabled System Restore (it is disabled by default in Windows 10 and 11) and there is a suitable point to return to. Once you fix it with an in-place upgrade or with a clean installation, make sure you enable System Restore and you create a restore point. If anything goes wrong again just return back to this point. Your data are not affected.