We receive a lot of requests on how to convert a SearchReg.txt - created with FRST64 - to a Fixlist.txt to remove an update or it's remnants. This FAQ is a brief explanation of the risks and why this method is not extensively documented in a public tutorial.
First of all, forcibly removing updates is not the 'ultimate' solution to resolve issues with Windows Updates. It's only an effective solution for specific problems and even then the core issue may differ - which require other steps first to examine the issue(s) further.
Windows has several (safe) options for uninstalling updates, as described in the links below:
When these instructions do not succeed, bear in mind that removing an update with FRST is not a common alternative even though it sometimes seems that it is.
Please note: Some updates for Windows cannot be uninstalled, a good example is the Servicing Stack Update (SSU)! This because an SSU is necessary for the system to work properly, so you cannot remove them. There are also updates which will only be rolled out on Patch Tuesdays along with regular updates and aren't available in the Windows Update catalog as stand-alone updates (MSU-packages).
In concrete terms; this means that forcibly removing updates may result in other issues or even worse: an unstable / irreparable installation of Windows.
The CBS log also shows a lot of information and not all of those lines with an error message are real issues. Below, an obvious example of just an info line with a error code and KB-number. With this example, we only want to demonstrate that forcibly removing updates is not without any risk, particularly if you try to remove updates that are not the core issue!
Q: I've created a SearchReg.txt file, but how can I do the conversion myself?
A: With some reverse engineering it should be possible, but we certainly don't recommend that! Here at Sysnative, we use a tool that has been tested long-term and developed by a Windows Update Expert. However, this tool is not publicly available, particularly because of the reasons described above.
Q: I found a similar Fixlist for the same KB-package can I use that?
A: No, e.g. when an update has been partially removed, a fixlist for another system will always differ with the results from another system. That's why we warn in such fixes not to use them on other systems.
Q: I have dozens of systems with exactly the same issue, can I use the same fixlist which is provided?
A: If all systems are based on the same image / template with exactly the same issue it would be possible. Note: This applies mainly to (broken) VM images with a specific issue, which was already present when this image was deployed to other environments.
If you need help with problems with Windows Update, please always follow the Windows Update Forum Posting Instructions
First of all, forcibly removing updates is not the 'ultimate' solution to resolve issues with Windows Updates. It's only an effective solution for specific problems and even then the core issue may differ - which require other steps first to examine the issue(s) further.
Windows has several (safe) options for uninstalling updates, as described in the links below:
- How to uninstall a Windows update from the settings screen / control panel.
- Description of the Windows Update Standalone Installer in Windows
- How to Roll Back an Update via Windows Recovery Environment
When these instructions do not succeed, bear in mind that removing an update with FRST is not a common alternative even though it sometimes seems that it is.
Please note: Some updates for Windows cannot be uninstalled, a good example is the Servicing Stack Update (SSU)! This because an SSU is necessary for the system to work properly, so you cannot remove them. There are also updates which will only be rolled out on Patch Tuesdays along with regular updates and aren't available in the Windows Update catalog as stand-alone updates (MSU-packages).
In concrete terms; this means that forcibly removing updates may result in other issues or even worse: an unstable / irreparable installation of Windows.
The CBS log also shows a lot of information and not all of those lines with an error message are real issues. Below, an obvious example of just an info line with a error code and KB-number. With this example, we only want to demonstrate that forcibly removing updates is not without any risk, particularly if you try to remove updates that are not the core issue!
Rich (BB code):
2024-03-07 07:52:31, Info CBS Exec: Processing complete. Session: 31092827_81729441, Package: Package_for_ServicingStack_5441~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~17763.5441.1.1, Identifier: KB5034863 [HRESULT = 0x80073712 - ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT]Q: I've created a SearchReg.txt file, but how can I do the conversion myself?
A: With some reverse engineering it should be possible, but we certainly don't recommend that! Here at Sysnative, we use a tool that has been tested long-term and developed by a Windows Update Expert. However, this tool is not publicly available, particularly because of the reasons described above.
Q: I found a similar Fixlist for the same KB-package can I use that?
A: No, e.g. when an update has been partially removed, a fixlist for another system will always differ with the results from another system. That's why we warn in such fixes not to use them on other systems.
Q: I have dozens of systems with exactly the same issue, can I use the same fixlist which is provided?
A: If all systems are based on the same image / template with exactly the same issue it would be possible. Note: This applies mainly to (broken) VM images with a specific issue, which was already present when this image was deployed to other environments.
If you need help with problems with Windows Update, please always follow the Windows Update Forum Posting Instructions