Error 0xC0000034 during Service Pack 1 installations for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2

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.

  1. Boot from Windows Installation disc.
  2. Click on Next
  3. Click on Repair your computer
  4. Recover 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: drive
  5. Click Next
  6. Select command prompt from the below mention option
  7. In the command prompt the prompt would be on X:\Sources
  8. Change it to the partition on which the operating system has been installed, mentioned in step 4
  9. Type the following command: 
    • cd /d C:\windows\system32\config

  10. 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

  11. Change the working directory:
    • cd regback

  12. 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

  13. 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

UPDATE [16/5/2011] –  A Hotfix has been release by Microsoft to fix this issue – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2533552

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