Monday, August 29, 2016

Hyper-V VM with Server 2012 R2 won't boot with "We couldn't complete the updates" message

By Steve Endow

I was just minding my own business, trying to install and configure the GP 2016 Web Client on a fresh Server 2012 R2 VM.

When I connected to the new VM, I saw this message.


"We couldn't complete the updates.  Undoing changes."

The machine just sat there and didn't appear to do anything.  It was stuck.

After finding a few useless suggestions relating to the same problem but for Windows 8, I finally found a reference to this TechNet thread.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/e58c8b30-b91a-4d90-a1b5-8859ffc3b92c/kb2920189-fails-to-install-on-generation-2-vms?forum=winserverhyperv


Unfortunately, the suggestion to turn off Secure Boot on the VM didn't help.  The thread discusses other workarounds, but I didn't know how to install BitLocker on a VM that wouldn't boot.

So then I saw the link to this post:

http://andyparkes.co.uk/blog/index.php/category/hyper-v-2/


And it is there that I learned that using Server Manager, you can install roles or features onto a VM just by pointing to the VHD!!!

MIND BLOWN.



I followed the instructions, and it appears to have resolved the issue.  The VM actually booted up and started applying the updates.


The update message started at 30%, and is now sitting at 100%.  Unfortunately it's now just sitting at 100% and it has been several minutes, so I may have more than one problem to push through.

Fingers crossed.


UPDATE:  I let it sit at 100% for several minutes, but couldn't tell if it was doing anything or stuck again.  So I turned it off, then turned the Secure Boot off again, then restarted.  It then showed the "Undoing changes" again, but after a few minutes, it said "Preparing Windows" and actually finished booting.

Unfortunately, after it finally booted up, this was still showing in Windows Update.  Ugh.  Only 205 more to go.





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