Windows Update fails with “Something went wrong – Undoing changes” unless installed via ISO
Hi everyone, I'm facing a strange issue with Windows Update on my laptop and I wanted to know if anyone else experienced something similar. Problem: When I install updates through Windows Update, the update downloads normally and during restart it goes up to 100%, but then I get the message: Something went wrong. Undoing changes. After that, Windows rolls back the update. Observation: Interestingly, updates that start directly from the “You're there” stage sometimes install correctly. Policy change I made: Previously Windows would automatically download and install updates and frequently ask for restarts. Because of that behavior, I changed the policy to manual download and install so updates would not start installing automatically. Thermal precaution I tried: Since my laptop has a faulty CPU fan, I also limited the maximum CPU state to 99% in Power Options to prevent aggressive turbo boosting and reduce potential thermal throttling during the update process. Another important observation: If I install the same update using a Windows ISO (in-place upgrade / repair install), the update installs successfully and does not fail at 100%. Possible hardware issue: My laptop currently has: A broken battery A faulty CPU fan So I'm wondering if the update process might be failing due to power or thermal issues during the installation phase. System info: OS: Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview Channel: Release Preview Current build: 26200.7840 Update that fails: KB5077241 (Build 26200.7922) Questions: Can hardware issues like a damaged battery or faulty CPU fan cause Windows Update installation failures? Why would updates succeed when installing from an ISO but fail through Windows Update? Which logs should I check to identify the exact cause? (CBS.log, WindowsUpdate.log, etc.) Any suggestions, troubleshooting steps, or similar experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!
Insider Program watermark
Having never enrolled in the insider program I was surprised to find that there was a watermark after a recent update. Every solution I have found either wipes your computer, disables wallpapers completely, or uses a third party that for some reason breaks file explorer. Every day I become more and more annoyed with windows and they don't seem to be able to think of the simple things like a button that just hides or disables the watermark from appearing. If windows wasn't required for the programs I need for my job I would switch to Linux so fast. Anyone have a solution that doesn't disable some other part of the computer or require me having to back up all my files?
