Windows 11 installation royally messed up 😔

Trying to update the Nvidia drivers to the latest 552.44 I realized my Windows installation is royally fxxxed...

1.
- The drivers installation failed. And then it suddenly removed the 552.22 version I had installed, removed the RTX 4080 device in Device Manager, created a "VGA compatible" basic device instead and switch my resolution to 1024x768...

- Trying to update/change the driver for that "VGA device" detects it is the RTX 4080, but ANY driver installation says "Access denied", no matter it is from the Device Manager or any Nvidia installer, no matter it is autodetected or a manual .inf...

2.
- Going back to a previous Macrium backup only showed me that I've been using a 'corrupted' system for some time:

- Windows Update does not work, there are ALWAYS errors:


- Reinstallation do not work, the option is not even available:


- SFC /scannow do not work:


DISM /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth do not work either:


- Trying to install ANY Windows version on top do not work, not even any Insider builds, 24H2 or whatever... they ALL fail.

Tried many 'Repair' and 'Fix' softwares and tools and none did anything at all...

WURESET ( Reset Windows Update Tool | Troubleshooting for Windows Update | Repair System Files, Registry, and Winsock ), etc...


Any suggestions? I'm losing my mind here... if I have to clean install a Windows 11 and reinstall and reconfigure every software I have installed I'm gonna kill myself...

Holy cow! One thing you might try is to create a new user profile w/Admin rights. Log in to that new profile and see if things remain the same. Might just be your normal user profile is corrupted.

Don't kill yourself! Try a inplace repair install instead. I'd give you a link but I'm on my cell phone. You can do a search on Eleven Forums to find it.

Winuser said:

Don't kill yourself! Try a inplace repair install instead. I'd give you a link but I'm on my cell phone. You can do a search on Eleven Forums to find it.

Click to expand...

Already tried but no go...

This is from the same Windows.11.Professional.23H2.22631.3447.EN-US.X64 I already have installed:


This is from 22631.3527.240416-1719.23H2_NI_RELEASE_SVC_PROD3_CLIENTPRO_OEMRET_X64FRE_EN-US:


And this is from 26100.1.240331-1435.GE_RELEASE_CLIENTPRO_OEMRET_X64FRE_EN-US:


Seemed hopeful, but shortly after...


It doesn't even get to the restart step.

Also, tried downloading the KB5036980 update ( windows11.0-kb5036980-x64_6bfd0dfab47b1e42a5235ebff07e37700b72269c.msu ) directly from Microsoft Update Catalog and when I run it...





It's like every single thing I try is a "Nope. Fuxx you, pal... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "

Sounds like hardware failure.

Take your PC to a computer repair shop to find out what's wrong and fix it. Reinstalling Windows doesn't work.

BamaInArk said:

Holy cow! One thing you might try is to create a new user profile w/Admin rights. Log in to that new profile and see if things remain the same. Might just be your normal user profile is corrupted.

Click to expand...

Tried with the 'Administrator' system account and everything happens exactly the same.

NormanF said:

Sounds like hardware failure.
Take your PC to a computer repair shop to find out what's wrong and fix it. Reinstalling Windows doesn't work.

Click to expand...

It's not. I did a clean install of 22631.3527 and it works ok, Nvidia driver then installs ok and everything looks fine... but that leaves me with a barenaked OS and like a full week of installing and configuring apps, programs, tools, ... a huge pain in the arse process that I would prefer not to suffer.
So yeah, clean install would be like the very last resort in case everything else fails and nobody has any idea how to fix this.

Trying to understand so maybe a redundant question. You're mounting ISO from the buggered OS, including the newest ISO release, and running setup. If you click to install, not repair, it will not let you choose to keep everything, or if it does then fails?

Milincho said:

a full week of installing and configuring apps, programs, tools, ... a huge pain in the arse process t

Click to expand...

I feel you. We've all been there. Do you not have a backup image that you could restore?(a backup solution can save you without days of work) If not, just bite the bullet and clean install. It will not only fix your current problem but anything else that ails you. As much as I dislike doing it, I usually see an increase in performance. Plus, it always feels good to know I'm running 100% clean. Of course I don't get to that point until all the real work of installing everything is done and all the cussin' is over.
I hope your personal data is either in the cloud or backed up locally.

steveg said:

Trying to understand so maybe a redundant question. You're mounting ISO from the buggered OS, including the newest ISO release, and running setup. If you click to install, not repair, it will not let you choose to keep everything, or if it does then fails?

Click to expand...

Yes, only the newest 24H2 Insider 26100.1.240331-1435.GE_RELEASE_CLIENTPRO_OEMRET_X64FRE_EN-US offers me the option to 'Keep personal files and apps', but then it fails without finishing the installation:


All the other versions do not offer the option to keep anything, they say "Your files, apps, and settings can't be kept because your current version of Windows might be installed in an unsupported directory or you're trying to install an older version of Windows"... which is the first time I ever see that kind of message, and of course I'm not "trying to install an older version":

glasskuter said:

I feel you. We've all been there. Do you not have a backup image that you could restore?(a backup solution can save you without days of work) If not, just bite the bullet and clean install. It will not only fix your current problem but anything else that ails you. As much as I dislike doing it, I usually see an increase in performance. Plus, it always feels good to know I'm running 100% clean. Of course I don't get to that point until all the real work of installing everything is done and all the cussin' is over.
I hope your personal data is either in the cloud or backed up locally.

Click to expand...

Yes. I had to do clean install a month ago, and spend many days installing and configuring everything. Then I did a Full Backup with Macrium and several Differential and then Incrementals each 2 days...

2 days ago I realized something was really wrong when trying to update the Nvidia drivers to the new 552.44 version, as I described:
- The driver installation failed. And then it suddenly removed the 552.22 version I had installed, removed the RTX 4080 device in Device Manager, created a "VGA compatible" basic device instead and switch my resolution to 1024x768...

- Trying to update/change the driver for that "VGA device" detects it is the RTX 4080, but ANY driver installation says "Access denied", no matter it is from the Device Manager or any Nvidia installer, no matter it is autodetected or a manual .inf...

Which is also a new for me: "Access denied" installing a driver as an Administrator...

But ok, "no problem, I have my backups..." that's what I thought. I recovered 4 or them until 2 weeks back and ALL had the same problem.

Went as back as one from April 24, then tried to go to the first one from April 16... and IT DISAPPEARED. Just at the worst moment Macrium automatically purged the old backups, consolidated the Incrementals, and left me with a bunch that ALL have the same problems...

I even tried to recover the deleted backup images with R-Studio, EaseUS Data Recovery, DiskGenius and others and it was impossible, Macrium says that all recovered files are 'corrupt' and refuses to read them.

So yeah, that was the final straw on top... now I have 3 Full Backups (and some Differentials and Incrementals) and ALL of them have the same problem, less than a month after spending a week doing clean install...

Another recovery option is similar to a reset save files.

Files are saved to Windows.old.

Drivers and applications must be reinstalled.

A clean install can be performed too.



Custom Install: installs a fresh version of Windows and saves files to Windows.old:

Milincho said:

Tried with the 'Administrator' system account and everything happens exactly the same.


It's not. I did a clean install of 22631.3527 and it works ok, Nvidia driver then installs ok and everything looks fine... but that leaves me with a barenaked OS and like a full week of installing and configuring apps, programs, tools, ... a huge pain in the arse process that I would prefer not to suffer.
So yeah, clean install would be like the very last resort in case everything else fails and nobody has any idea how to fix this.

Click to expand...

You don't have anything to lose by ruling out the hardware. At least get an opinion from them. If everything checks out ok, then do a clean install of Windows.

You'd rather want to do an in place upgrade but you can't.

Milincho said:

Trying to update the Nvidia drivers to the latest 552.44 I realized my Windows installation is royally fxxxed...

1.
- The drivers installation failed. And then it suddenly removed the 552.22 version I had installed, removed the RTX 4080 device in Device Manager, created a "VGA compatible" basic device instead and switch my resolution to 1024x768...

- Trying to update/change the driver for that "VGA device" detects it is the RTX 4080, but ANY driver installation says "Access denied", no matter it is from the Device Manager or any Nvidia installer, no matter it is autodetected or a manual .inf...

2.
- Going back to a previous Macrium backup only showed me that I've been using a 'corrupted' system for some time:

- Windows Update does not work, there are ALWAYS errors:
View attachment 95898

- Reinstallation do not work, the option is not even available:
View attachment 95899

- SFC /scannow do not work:
View attachment 95901

DISM /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth do not work either:
View attachment 95902

- Trying to install ANY Windows version on top do not work, not even any Insider builds, 24H2 or whatever... they ALL fail.

Tried many 'Repair' and 'Fix' softwares and tools and none did anything at all...

WURESET ( Reset Windows Update Tool | Troubleshooting for Windows Update | Repair System Files, Registry, and Winsock ), etc...


Any suggestions? I'm losing my mind here... if I have to clean install a Windows 11 and reinstall and reconfigure every software I have installed I'm gonna kill myself...

Click to expand...

I had the same problem and its solved. Please check here.

NormanF said:

You don't have anything to lose by ruling out the hardware. At least get an opinion from them.

Click to expand...

And you don’t need to take it to a computer store to check hardware. Nobody here I know would advise that as a real option.. The only time it goes to a computer store is if :

A) The person in trouble is constitutionally incapable of receiving help.
B) The PC is being returned.

Who knows, it could turn out to be a hardware option. Strange but I have seen stranger things. But it still doesn’t need to be taken to a store at a co$t.

There are people in here, like zbook , or any number of members here who are able to guide people through the process and Milincho appears to be more than capable.

Bug locker said:

I had the same problem and its solved. Please check here.

Click to expand...

Thanks. Some progress at last!

Did the SFCfix with that SFCFixScript.txt as @x BlueRobot described

x BlueRobot said:

"Class is not registered" , error 0x80040154

@Bug locker It looks like your SSU versions are mismatched under those COM keys, could you please run the following command from an elevated command prompt? reg export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SideBySide\Winners %userprofile%\Desktop\SxS.hiv You should see a...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

which showed:

SFCFix version 3.0.2.1 by niemiro.
Start time: 2024-05-12 00:32:03.372
Microsoft Windows 10 Build 22631 - amd64
Using .txt script file at C:\Users\Jesus\Desktop\SFCFixScript.txt [1]

RegistryScript::
Successfully took ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully took ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully took ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.

Successfully imported registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully imported registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully imported registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.

Successfully restored ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully restored ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
Successfully restored ownership and permissions for registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{0823B6F8-F499-4d5e-B885-EA9CB4F43B24}\LocalServer32.
RegistryScript:: directive completed successfully.


Successfully processed all directives.
SFCFix version 3.0.2.1 by niemiro has completed.
Currently storing 3 datablocks.
Finish time: 2024-05-12 00:32:03.460
Script hash: 6Y/I0XvZbie9UnZFIkH0voUaRAQe0OdX9DpERfIt14o=
----------------------EOF-----------------------

But SFC is still not working:


And neither does DISM /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth

BUT now the reinstall option is available:




...but it still doesn't work. Windows Update still fails trying to download and install it:

FRST64 gives me the same "ERROR: Access is denied." errors as to you.

Anyway... just seeing SOMETHING changing already gives me *hope*.

So where should I go from here? maybe I do need a different SFCfix script than you, even if we are using both the same Windows 11 22631.3447 version?

Have you tried the Fix11 app from TheWindowsClub site? I’ve had WU issues that this has repaired when others wouldn’t. Just an extra option, if you haven’t tried it.

Also, your dism repair.. did you boot from installation media and do it offline or did you run the online repair from inside windows?

Aaaand... still the same rubbish with the Nvidia drivers:


Failed 552.44 installation.

Previous 552.22 driver gets removed anyway.

And the GPU is turned to a not very nice 'VGA Compatible' device, which is *impossible* to update: