How to Fix the "Undoing Changes" Loop in Windows 11

The Problem

Your PC reboots into We couldn't complete the updates. Undoing changes made to your computer. It sits there for a long time, restarts, and does the same thing again — sometimes on a loop that never reaches the desktop.

Windows tried to apply an update, hit an error partway through, and is rolling back. The rollback itself is working as designed; the job is to find why the update fails so the loop stops.

Reaching the desktop between attempts? Everything below is easy. Never reaching the desktop? Skip to Step 2 to get into Recovery, then come back.

Symptoms

• Blue screen text: We couldn't complete the updates. Undoing changes made to your computer.
• The same update reappears in Windows Update and fails again after every restart.
• Update history shows a failed install with a code such as 0x800f0922, 0x80070002, or 0x8007000d.

Step 1: Let It Finish Once

A rollback of a feature update can genuinely take 30-60 minutes, and interrupting it is what turns a slow rollback into a broken install.

1. Leave the PC powered and plugged in. Do not hold the power button.
2. Watch the drive-activity light. If it is flickering, work is happening — wait.
3. Only if the screen is unchanged and the drive light has been dead for over an hour should you force a restart.

Step 2: Get Into the Recovery Environment

Needed only if the loop never reaches the desktop.

1. Hold the power button to force off during the Windows logo. Do this three times.
2. On the fourth boot you land in Automatic Repair → Advanced options.
3. From here you can reach Startup Settings (for Safe Mode), Uninstall Updates, System Restore, and Command Prompt.
4. Full walkthrough: how to enter Safe Mode in Windows 11.

Step 3: Uninstall the Failing Update

1. From Advanced options → Uninstall Updates.
2. Choose Uninstall latest quality update first; use latest feature update only if the loop began after a version upgrade.
3. If you can reach the desktop instead: Settings → Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates.
4. More detail: roll back Windows 11 after a bad update.

Step 4: Clear the Update Cache

A half-downloaded update package will fail forever until you delete it.

1. Open Terminal (Admin) — or Command Prompt from Recovery.
2. Stop the services:

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc
   

3. Rename the cache folders:

   ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
   

4. Start them again:

   net start wuauserv
   net start bits
   net start cryptsvc
   

5. Restart and check for updates. Windows rebuilds both folders automatically.

Step 5: Free Up Disk Space

Feature updates need 20 GB or more free. Insufficient space is a top cause of rollbacks.

1. Settings → System → Storage and check free space on C:.
2. Run Cleanup recommendations → Temporary files and tick Previous Windows installation(s) and Windows Update Cleanup.
3. Deeper cleanup: free up disk space when the C: drive is full.

Step 6: Repair the Component Store

1. In Terminal (Admin):

   DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   

2. Then:

   sfc /scannow
   

3. Restart and retry the update. Full guide: repair Windows 11 with SFC and DISM.

Step 7: Disconnect Hardware and Third-Party Security

1. Unplug external drives, docks, printers, and USB hubs. Feature updates routinely fail on an attached external drive.
2. Uninstall third-party antivirus with the vendor's removal tool — it is the second most common cause.
3. Restart and try the update again with only keyboard, mouse, and monitor attached.

Step 8: Install the Update Manually

Bypassing Windows Update often works when the delivery path is the problem.

1. In Settings → Windows Update → Update history, note the KB number that fails.
2. Search that KB on the Microsoft Update Catalog and download the version matching your architecture (x64 for most PCs).
3. Run the .msu file directly and restart.
4. For a feature update, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant from Microsoft, which does an in-place upgrade and keeps your files.

Step 9: Pause Updates While You Work

1. Settings → Windows Update → Pause updates for a week.
2. This stops the loop restarting while you fix the underlying cause.
3. Long-term control: stop Windows 11 automatic updates.

What Not to Do

• Don't power off during the rollback. That is how a recoverable rollback becomes an unbootable install.
• Don't delete files inside C:\Windows\WinSxS. It is not junk, and removing it breaks servicing permanently.
• Don't hide the update forever without fixing the cause — you will miss security patches.

Still Not Working?

If the same update fails after a cache reset, DISM repair, and a manual install, run an in-place upgrade repair: download the Windows 11 ISO, mount it, run setup.exe from inside Windows, and choose Keep personal files and apps. It rebuilds the OS without touching your data — see reinstall Windows without losing data.

Related: fix Windows Update stuck, fix Windows 11 update errors, and fix the automatic repair loop.