Solved Strange Windows 11 Update Problem

Hi all, for weeks now I’ve been struggling with a weird problem updating one of my Windows 11 partitions.

Let me begin by stating I use both Legacy ( CSM ) and pure UEFI OS’s on the same machine but different drives. I cannot say for certain but I believe the problem started when I ran the latest firmware MEUpdate tool from Asus.

Windows 11 runs perfectly on both CSM and UEFI but it is when I try to use Windows update that the problem starts to show. Windows on CSM will update with no problems at all but Windows 11 on UEFI always ends with the dreaded “ Something went wrong,,,, “ message.

I have even tried with a fresh clean installs and on various drives and partitions and tried to update before doing anything else but it’s always with the same result under UEFI. Windows 11 simply will not update.

Just out of interest, I also found I can no longer run Windows 8.1 on CSM but it still runs fine under UEFI.

I believe it was the MEUpdate that caused this problem but after some investigation I have not found any safe way of uninstalling the MEUpdate to rollback to the previous drivers, so if the MEUpdate is what is causing the problem it might be time to change the motherboard.

I’m just posting to see if anyone might have any other ideas.

Thanks

I don't believe UEFI or CSM mode will affect Windows updates, many people use those modes without problem, is there an error message number?

No, no error number that I could find. In CSM Windows updates, then restarts and carries on it's merry way with no problems.

In UEFI mode however, Windows updates first downloads and installs the updates, then asks for a restart, after which it goes through the windows updating routine as the machine is booting doing the update count of 1%, 3% etc until it reaches 99%. Then It gives the " Something went wrong, don't worry we're undoing changes" message. After a awhile the machine restarts and if I go to check Windows update it lists all the updates it failed to do with a "retry" options beside each one. On retry it does exactly the same thing again.

CSM Windows installs will update fine, UEFI will not update at all. This is why I think the firmware MEUpdate has in some way currupted one of the UEFI modules in the Bios. I have tried flashing to earlier Versions of the Bios but it made no difference and have since read that the Intel ME modules although part of the boards bios, are updated independently by the MEUpdate tool. I don't know if that is true or not.

Use the option from utility on my video to repair Windows Update.

Here's how to fix all Windows update problems with Reset Windows Update Tool.


You can download Reset Windows Update Tool from Reset Windows Update Tool | Troubleshooting for Windows Update | Repair System Files, Registry, and Winsock

Welcome to the forum. One of these suggestions should fix you up.
1.run troubleshooter-settings-system-troubleshoot-other troubleshooters-windows update-RUN.

2. Reset Windows update using Brink's tutorial Reset Windows Update in Windows 11 Tutorial

3. Run sfc (if you haven't already done) but do it again after resetting update components.
Open a command prompt as administrator and type sfc /scannow
Pay attention to the scan results to see if SFC found anything it could not repair. If it found corruption it could not fix followup with this command (note the spaces)
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Restart computer

4. CLEAN UP COMPONENT STORE - from command prompt as admin dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
Analyze and Clean Up Component Store (WinSxS folder) in Windows 11 Tutorial

5. There are times one has to resort to doing a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade Tutorial

Thanks for your replies.

FreeBooter : I downloaded and ran the Windows update repair tool as you suggested selecting option 2. I Tried updating after it had finished and got exactly the same result as before. After restart the update counter reached 96% then gave me the "Something went wrong " crap.

Glasskuter : Of your suggestions I've already tried them all in the past but thanks for the suggestions though.

As I noted in my OP I have done clean installs, so I know there is no curruption or missing componants and tried to do Windows update as soon as the Windows install program ends. The results are always the same "Something went wrong,,, ". I've tried two different install ISO's and tried installing on different hard disks, all to no avail. On my machine Windows 11 runs fine under UEFI it just will not update. That is why I'm suspecting a currupted Intel ME module in my chipset.

kelper said:

Please can you correct the link? It points to Youtube and is broken too. A URL link should point where it say it will.

Click to expand...

Thanks for letting me know, i corrected the link at my post.

I'll delete my post as it contains the old link

Odos said:

Thanks for your replies.

FreeBooter : I downloaded and ran the Windows update repair tool as you suggested selecting option 2. I Tried updating after it had finished and got exactly the same result as before. After restart the update counter reached 96% then gave me the "Something went wrong " crap.

Glasskuter : Of your suggestions I've already tried them all in the past but thanks for the suggestions though.

As I noted in my OP I have done clean installs, so I know there is no curruption or missing componants and tried to do Windows update as soon as the Windows install program ends. The results are always the same "Something went wrong,,, ". I've tried two different install ISO's and tried installing on different hard disks, all to no avail. On my machine Windows 11 runs fine under UEFI it just will not update. That is why I'm suspecting a currupted Intel ME module in my chipset.

Click to expand...

Hi @Odos,

You should try all the options from that utility and let us know how it went.

Hi FreeBooter, as I said in my previous post, even a fresh copy of Windows 11 that had only just finished installing so it was pristine in every way, not missing any files or having any part of it corrupted, failed to update. For that reason I suspected a hardware problem which would mean the utility you suggested would not make any difference.

Today I bought and fitted a new NVME to try replacing my existing drives one at a time to see if it would update. When I changed out one of the Samsung units I have in my machine, Guess what, a clean install of Windows 11 updated with no problem with the new drive and the old one removed.

So now I know for certain it was some sort of conflict between Windows update running under full UEFI and one of my NVME hard drives. I believe, and I have no proof of this, that this behaviour is a flaw enhancement within the UEFI architecture simply because Windows 11 running under CSM using that same drive fitted in that same machine, would update with no problem.

Thanks for your time
Odos.

Very odd as the Microsoft advances of UEFI in Windows 11 in order to offer enhanced security for users. This means that Windows 11 MUST run with UEFI and is not compatible with BIOS or Legacy Compatibility Mode.