[FIXED] “We Couldn’t Complete the Updates. Undoing Changes. Don’t Turn Off Your Computer”

If you’re reading this post, chances are you need information on how to stop the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes.” error. The error, which is displayed on a blue screen, usually occurs when Windows Update fails. 

This can happen due to files not being downloaded properly or other reasons like corrupted system files. As such, the user encounters the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error. 

You may encounter this error when you try to boot your computer. This can be quite frustrating since the computer repeatedly throws the same error message on every restart. 

This guide will show you how to fix the “Windows couldn’t complete updates” error. 

Let’s begin. 

Causes of the “Windows We Couldn’t Complete the Updates” Error

If you receive this error message, you must be eager to know what could have triggered it. Some of the well-known factors include:

• Incomplete Download:

If the Windows update files don’t download correctly, it can lead to the “Windows we couldn’t complete the updates” issue.

• Lack of sufficient disk space:

Usually, you need some free space to install the Windows updates. When you have insufficient disk space, the update won’t be installed, which can cause the error. 

• Corruption of system files:

If the system files are corrupted, the installation process won’t proceed as expected. As such, you’ll most likely get the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error message.

• The Windows update was interrupted during the file installation:

Some users asked, “What happens if I force-shut down my computer while updating?” First, the update won’t continue, and you risk corrupting some system files. Likewise, switching the PC off unexpectedly caused the incomplete download since some files were still downloading.

How to Boot in Safe Mode Before Applying the Fixes

Follow Instruction below or check our guide “How to Boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode?”

Reboot your computer and press F8, F9, or F11. The options vary depending on your computer’s model. If you don’t know which option works for your PC, press the power button to turn on your device. 

Next, in the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot and click Advanced options. Then, click on Startup Settings and select Restart.

After your device reboots, select option 4 to enable Safe Mode (choose option 5 if you want safe mode with networking).

Once your PC boots in Safe Mode, follow the steps below. Since the reasons behind the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error message affect computers differently, some solutions might not work on your device.

So, we recommend you try them all, one by one, in any order, until you resolve the issue.

Also Read: How to add Safe Mode to the Boot menu in Windows 10?

How to Resolve the “We Couldn’t Complete the Updates. Undoing Changes.” Error

If your computer keeps rebooting, you’ll need to boost in Safe Mode before you can implement any changes. We’ll show you how to reboot your PC before applying the fixes. 

Fix 1: Run the Windows troubleshooter

Before you try anything else, we suggest first running the Windows Troubleshooter. This built-in feature scans and detects possible issues that could be preventing you from updating your OS. 

It also attempts to fix the problems it finds automatically. The tool is quite effective, and it might be all you need to fix the “Windows couldn’t complete updates” Windows Update error.

To use this tool, follow the below steps:

• Press the Windows Key or click Start.
• Type in Troubleshooter and click on Troubleshoot Settings. This takes you directly to the Troubleshoot window in the Settings app

• Look for Windows Update in the right pane and click on it to highlight additional options.
• Click on Run the Troubleshooter and wait for Windows to do its thing.
• Check the results of the scan and apply the solutions, if any.

Check whether the “Windows couldn’t complete updates” error has been resolved. 

Related: Windows Update Troubleshooter: Fixing Windows Update Issues

Fix 2: Delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder

If the troubleshooter couldn’t identify the problem, deleting the files in the SoftwareDistribution folder might help. This folder stores all Windows Update files.

If damaged or corrupted, you might run into the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error message. Here’s how to delete the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder:

• First, stop the Windows Update services before proceeding. Here’s how: run the Command Prompt with administrative privileges and execute the commands below, one by one, in the presented order:

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptSvc
net stop msiserver

• Next, go to File Explorer and access the SoftwareDistribution folder, which should be located in drive C: – (C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution).
• Delete everything in this folder.
• With the contents deleted, restart the Windows update services. To do so, enter the commands in an elevated Command Prompt and press Enter after each command.

net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptSvc
net start msiserver

Restart your computer and try rerunning Windows Update.

Related: How to Delete SoftwareDistribution Folder from a Windows 10 PC? 

Fix 3: Disable automatic Windows update

Disabling automatic Windows Update works for some users and might also work for you. You must stop the Windows Update service via the Services window. Here’s how:

• Press the Win + R keyboard shortcuts, type in services.msc in the Run box, and press Enter.
• Navigate to the Windows Update service and double-click it to open its Properties.

• Click the Startup Type drop-down list and select Disabled.

• Check if the service is running next to the Service Status option. If it is, click Stop to stop it.

• Hit the Apply button and then click OK.

Restart your PC and try updating the system if the “we couldn’t complete the updates undoing changes” error has been resolved.

Related: [FIXED] Windows Update Error 0x80073701

Fix 4: Activate the app readiness service

The App Readiness service is required by Windows when installing updates. Check if it’s turned off, and if it’s, turn it on. Here’s the process:

• Open the Services window as outlined in Fix 3 above.
• Navigate to the App Readiness service and double-click it to open its Properties window.
• Click the Startup Type and select Automatic from the drop-down list.
• Click Start under Service Status.
• Click Apply and OK, and restart your system.

Still encountering the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error? Move to the next solution below.

Fix 5: Delete recently installed updates

We mentioned that Windows files might not have downloaded properly or the Windows update was interrupted during installation.

If that’s the case, you can try to delete the problematic Windows update files using the steps below:

• Press the Win + I keyboard shortcut and select Update & Security. Then, click Windows Update.
• Click the View update history link.

• Choose the Uninstall Updates option, look for the problematic updates, and uninstall them.

Also Read: Windows Update Cleanup: A Comprehensive Guide to Free Up Disk Space

Fix 6: Run DISM and SFC tools

If system file corruption causes the error, try running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) and System File Checker (SFC) tools. The DISM feature effectively resolves various issues affecting your system files. 

The SFC tool, on the other hand, checks for corrupt or damaged system files and replaces them with good copies.

Here’s how to run the SFC tool:

• Open the Command Prompt with administrator rights. To do so, press the Windows logo on your keyboard and type cmd. Select Run as Administrator in the right pane.

• Type sfc /scannow in the command, and hit Enter.

• Once completed successfully, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.

Restart your system and check if the error has been resolved. If the DISM tool can’t obtain files online, insert the installation media and type DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:RepairSourceWindows /LimitAccess in the command.

Fix 7: Restore your PC

In most cases, when nothing seems to work, restoring your Windows system to a previous good point when everything was functioning correctly does the trick. In this case, it would help resolve the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error.

Since you can’t access your PC, you must run a system restore from the Advanced Options screen.

Here’s how:

• Reboot to Safe Mode. Click Advanced Options and select System Restore.
• You may be asked to input your account password to the System Restore window.
• Click Next.

• Choose the appropriate restore point. If the restore point you are looking for isn’t displayed, check the Show more restore points checkbox.

• Once you find the restore point, click Next.
• Confirm your choice and click Finish to begin the process.

Fix 8: Reset your PC

If everything else fails, resetting your PC to factory defaults is the last resort. To do so, follow the guide below:

• Boot to the Safe Mode, and when you get to the Choose an Option screen, select Troubleshoot and click Reset this PC.
• Choose whether or not to keep your files and follow the prompts to finish the process.
• Once your PC is reset, updates should install without running into the “We couldn’t complete the updates. Undoing changes” error message.

Related: Easily Reset Your PC: How to Factory Reset a Windows 10 & 11 Computer

Conclusion

The “we couldn’t complete the updates undoing changes” error can be frustrating. This error frequently results in a loop of unsuccessful restarts with the same error message because of problems, including incomplete downloads, a lack of disk space, or corrupted system files.

However, this guide offers a thorough set of fixes to address this problem successfully. You can go through them and find the one that works for you.

You can run the Windows Troubleshooter, wipe out the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder, turn off automatic Windows Update, etc.

Remember that the best solution for you may depend on the specific circumstances of your computer. So, trying each solution separately until the problem is fixed is best.

FAQ