How do I prevent KB5036893 from installing without disabling updates

KB5036893 has completely ruined my one PC. All attempts to fix failed. I ended up having to reformat the drive and reinstall Windows and the apps, and restore the data from backup.

On the other computer, it downloaded, asked to reboot to install, rebooted and then got stuck on a black screen. After a few hard reboots, I get into the diagnosing, choose the repair options but none work, apart from the system restore. (I always create a restoration point before the patches are downloaded).

After one week, it downloaded and installed it again, and again crashed after the reboot. It never gets to the point where it continues, nor does it let me boot into Windows.
CTRL+ALT+DEL does not help.
In the repair options, the uninstall option is useless because you cannot uninstall "pending" updates. (Why, oh, why would anybody in their right mind exclude those?)
I again had to do a system restore.

So, I want to permanently skip this cumulative patch.

I downloaded the tool to hide updates, but it does not find KB5036893. So, that is no good either.

What can I do?

Following for other advice! I'm pretty sure you can specifically block certain updates however the issue will be included in next months updates. Since each month they issue new/updated cumulative updates the previous months update will be included which is why they're called "cumulative." So in effect you can only block a specific KB update for a short period. Once it's included in the next update it will be installed the next month.

Since you have 2 systems which seem to have issues with this update that has me more curious. I have updated around 10-12 systems with KB5036893 without any issues. So there must be some specific hardware/software combo causing your systems to be affected negatively.

One is an Acer laptop, the other a custom-built PC with an Asus motherboard. So, hardware is unlikely. Hardware drivers are unlikely too for that reason. Though it could be the HP printer driver... That they do have in common when it comes to hardware drivers.
They also both had external USB 3 hard disks attached.

While the option to exclude certain updates was built-in into older versions of Windows, in 23h2 that does not seem to be the case.
It is now a separate tool that has to be downloaded, but it doesn't find that update.

I also got KB5036893 10 days ago, no issues seen.

I doubt this particular update is actually causing you problems. This is probably a symptom of some underlying system corruption somewhere. Have you running DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth?

mlamiroy said:

In the repair options, the uninstall option is useless because you cannot uninstall "pending" updates. (Why, oh, why would anybody in their right mind exclude those?)

Click to expand...

How can you uninstall something which hasn't been installed yet? You should be able to revert any pending updates using DISM [...] /RevertPendingActions, although, the update will just been applied again at a later time.

mlamiroy said:

I downloaded the tool to hide updates, but it does not find KB5036893. So, that is no good either.

Click to expand...

That would suggest that the update hasn't been installed yet.

You say this update "ruined your PC" yet gave no detailed information. Since the majority of users have not had an issue with this update, that's a good indication there is nothing wrong with the update itself but something specific to your machine but without more information we would be guessing.
Did the update apply successfully and then you had issues with your machine. If so what issues specifically. If failure to boot, what boot error?
Did the update fail to apply? If so, what messages or error codes did you get?
We need details.

AS a stop gap, if the hide updates tool does not find the update, for now you can pause updates.
That is a cumulative update. Therefore, even if you pause updates without fixing or finding the underlying issue as to why the update is causing problems, next month's cumulative may well cause the same problems as it will include everything that is in KB5036893. You can pause until next month's cumulative is released and hope you do not experience the same issue but be prepared with a backup image in case you need to restore it. You can not always rely on using restore points to work.

I always run scf /scannow and dism /online /Cleanup-image /RestoreHealth the day before the updates as a safety measure.

From the repair options, running dism from the command prompt does not offer the option. It also doesn't offer the option to restorehealth there. And you can't open an elevated command prompt either from the repair options.

And it makes perfect sense that one should be able to uninstall the 30% that was done in case something goes wrong and prevents booting into windows.

mlamiroy said:

And it makes perfect sense that one should be able to uninstall the 30% that was done in case something goes wrong and prevents booting into windows.

Click to expand...

You can if you use /RevertPendingActions but that sometimes can fail too if the system has become corrupt.

So, you aren't able to boot into Safe Mode w/ Networking? Do you use any third-party security programs or disk cleanup tools?

To use SFC and DISM commands the Command Prompt has to be opened/Run as Administrator.

glasskuter said:

You say this update "ruined your PC" yet gave no detailed information. Since the majority of users have not had an issue with this update, that's a good indication there is nothing wrong with the update itself but something specific to your machine but without more information we would be guessing.
Did the update apply successfully and then you had issues with your machine. If so what issues specifically. If failure to boot, what boot error?
Did the update fail to apply? If so, what messages or error codes did you get?
We need details.

AS a stop gap, if the hide updates tool does not find the update, for now you can pause updates.

Disable Automatic Windows Updates in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to disable Windows Update from automatically downloading and installing updates in Windows 11. Windows Update keeps Windows 11 updated by automatically downloading and installing the latest updates, drivers, and hotfixes released by Microsoft. Option One...

www.elevenforum.com

That is a cumulative update. Therefore, even if you pause updates without fixing or finding the underlying issue as to why the update is causing problems, next month's cumulative may well cause the same problems as it will include everything that is in KB5036893. You can pause until next month's cumulative is released and hope you do not experience the same issue but be prepared with a backup image in case you need to restore it. You can not always rely on using restore points to wo

Click to expand...

The Acer laptop failed in its doing a system restore. After that I tried resetting windows, after all other efforts had failed, and even that resulted in failure as it couldn't complete the reset. Probably the failed system restore corrupted the boot sector. Anyway, that's no longer the issue as on that computer I reinstalled windows and then the update went through.
It's the other computer that still is a problem. It installed the .Net and Malicious software removal tool without a problem. Rebooted, everything still worked perfectly.
Then this dreaded update. Downloads, asks for a reboot, installs 30% before actually rebooting, reboots and then hangs once it starts loading windows. Just a black screen. No error message. Nothing. No error message or anything. Waiting an hour. Still nothing.

Then hard reset.

This scenario happened on both computers and still persists on the one.

x BlueRobot said:

You can if you use /RevertPendingActions but that sometimes can fail too if the system has become corrupt.

So, you aren't able to boot into Safe Mode w/ Networking? Do you use any third-party security programs or disk cleanup tools?

Click to expand...

I use Norton 360 and Malwarebytes.
trying to boot into safe mode didn't work either, nor the option to bypass boot ... software. (I don't remember the exact phrasing. It was option 8). In both cases, it doesn't get to the login screen.

I would suggest that you disable or remove (preferably) Norton completely as it is known to cause issues with updates, particularly with updates which require a reboot. Have you got a backup image you can restore to?

I use MWB and Defender. I completely disable MWB every month before cumulatives apply. 3rd party apps that alter the GUI can also cause problems.

Berton said:

To use SFC and DISM commands the Command Prompt has to be opened/Run as Administrator.

Click to expand...

Which is not an option when accessing it from the command prompt in the repair options. (SFC does work from that prompt dism doesn't

glasskuter said:

I use MWB and Defender. I completely disable MWB every month before cumulatives apply. 3rd party apps that alter the GUI can also cause problems.

Click to expand...

What options do you switch off in MWB, all of them? (I've got Web, MWB, Ransomware, and Exploit).

I always test an update on my one of my mobile workstations. If there are no issues found, I update the other one.

NormanF said:

I always test an update on my one of my mobile workstations. If there are no issues found, I update the other one.

Click to expand...

I've got 4 machines. I had no problems on the first two.

mlamiroy said:

I've got 4 machines. I had no problems on the first two.

Click to expand...

You might have third party software that messes up the update. That can happen.

If you know what it might be, you could update it or uninstall it and see if your issue goes away.

mlamiroy said:

Which is not an option when accessing it from the command prompt in the repair options. (SFC does work from that prompt dism doesn't

Click to expand...

True, Command Prompt has to be opened as Administrator before entering the commands. Same for Terminal/PowerShell.

x BlueRobot said:

you aren't able to boot into Safe Mode w/ Networking?

Click to expand...

Most of us who who connect wirelessly can't. Only those using ethernet. From what I can tell, it depends on the bios and/or the wireless adapter being used.
In another thread about this you mentioned changing the registry to add a driver into the safeboot settings in the registry which I could not figure out how to do.
The last time I had to use network with safe boot, I ran a 75 ft ethernet cable thru my house to reach my access point router. It was easier than moving this PC to the other room.