UPDATE [16/5/2011] – A Hotfix has been release by Microsoft to fix this issue – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2533552
The recent SP1 for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 was pushed out via Microsofut Updates. There has been a plethora of posts from users stating that their installation has crashed their PC with the error above.
EDIT [14/3/2011] – A KB Article has been released by Microsoft on this – http://support.microsoft.com/KB/975484
A blog from joscon (Microsoft Support) suggests the following workaround/fix – http://blogs.technet.com/b/joscon/archive/2011/03/09/error-0xc0000034-during-service-pack-1-installations-for-windows-7-and-windows-2008-r2.aspx.
Option 1 (Win7 client only): Use a system restore point to recover the system
- This one is pretty self explanatory. Boot your machine into WinRE and pick a restore point before the service pack was installed. This should get you back up and running.
- This doesnt work on server
Option 2 (Win7 client and 2008 R2 server): Delete the poqexec entry
- Boot into WinRE and choose a command prompt then run the following commands and restart the computer:
- Reg load HKLM\BaseSystem C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM
- Reg Delete “HKLM\BaseSystem\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager” /v SetupExecute
- Reg add “HKLM\BaseSystem\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager” /v SetupExecute /t REG_MULTI_SZ
- Reg unload HKLM\BaseSystem
- If you’re more graphically inclined, you can use this method:
- Boot into WinRE
- Open Registry Editor using regedit.exe
- Now you will have the WinRE registry loaded so you need to load the “ System ” hive
- To do that : Highlight HKLM then Click on File > Load Hive > Browse to C:\windows\system32\config (assuming C:\ being the system drive )
- Name the Hive as TEST
- Browse to HKLM\TEST\select and check the value for “ Current “
- Assuming the value as (1) browse to HKLM\TEST\ControlSet001\Control\SessionManager
- Locate and double click the key “SetupExecute ” at the right panel
- Delete any value inside the key and click OK
- Highlight TEST and then Click on File > Unload hive
- Type exit at cmd
- Reboot the machine
[EDIT 15/3/2011] – Another suggestion from a MS Support Engineer via email was received.
Boot from Windows Installation disc.Click on NextClick on Repair your computerRecover Environment option will come, Keep the first option selected on a small window and check on which partition windows 7 has been installed, most probably C: driveClick NextSelect command prompt from the below mention optionIn the command prompt the prompt would be on X:\SourcesChange it to the partition on which the operating system has been installed, mentioned in step 4Type the following command:- cd /d C:\windows\system32\config
Rename the following files by typing the following:- ren default default.old
- ren sam sam.old
- ren security security.old
- ren software software.old
- ren system system.old
Change the working directory:- cd regback
Copy the files from this directory to the previous directory as follows:- copy default c:\windows\system32\config
- copy sam c:\windows\system32\config
- copy security c:\windows\system32\config
- copy software c:\windows\system32\config
- copy system c:\windows\system32\config
Restart the machine
[NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS AN ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT AND WILL LEAVE THE PC IN AN UNKNOWN STATE]
The following recommendation from a user (thiswoot) in the Technet forums also suggests a fix which may work – http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproinstall/thread/1c9a7151-b48c-4a98-aae7-a4b82682ea8e#bcabda57-7338-499f-aee2-d708e76df315