How To Fix Undoing Changes Made To Your Computer

Isn’t it infuriating when Windows prompts you to update it before you can completely shut down the device? It becomes more of a headache when your system displays a message like Undoing Changes and then it takes forever to update. This generally happens if your update process is somehow interrupted.

If you wait for a while, Windows will run automatic repair and your issue will get solved on its own. However, if the problem persists and you get stuck in the same loop again, try out the various methods in this article to successfully get out of it.

Why Windows Displays Undoing Changes to Your Computer

There are various reasons why your system is displaying the undoing changes message. Here are some of the most common ones.

Abruptly shutting down the PC while updating Windows
Corrupt system files
System files affected by a virus or a malware
Update download interrupted due to poor internet connection

How to Fix Undoing Changes Made to Your Computer

Many users face this issue while updating Windows. In such cases, a simple restart fixes the problem so you should try it before moving on to the other fixes.

However, you don’t need to worry if that doesn’t fix your issue as we have covered several other methods like starting the PC in safe mode, running system file checker, and many more.

Start PC in Safe Mode and Uninstall Recent Updates

Safe mode is a Windows diagnostic mode that boots the system with the most basic operating system files and essential device driver only. It is used in specific cases where the operating system faces problems while booting up.

Since some fixes mentioned below depend upon entering safe mode, you must start with this fix. Here’s how to start your PC in safe mode:

First turn off and then turn on the PC. When the Windows logo appears, turn off the PC by holding the power button for at least 5 seconds.
Repeat the above step for three times and you will enter the Advanced startup screen.
From there, go to Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
Click on Startup settings.
Press 4 or F4 to choose the Enable Safe Mode option.
Press Windows + R key and type Control.
Go to Programs > View installed updates.
Select the recent Windows update. You can figure it out by looking at the Installed On category.
Click on Uninstall.
Click on Yes.
Restart your PC and see it works now.

Run the System File Checker

You can use this method after entering the safe mode. The system file checker checks for corrupt system files and fixes them. If your issue was caused due to corrupt system files then this method can fix your issue. Here’s how to run it step by step.

Press Windows + R key and type cmd.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter key to run Command Prompt as an administrator.
Now, run all the commands below in sequential order:
- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Checkhealth
- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
- sfc /scannow
Wait for the scan to complete.
Restart the system and see if your issue has been resolved.

Note: If you are unable to boot in safe mode, you should first enter into the Advanced Startup. Then navigate to Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command prompt and enter the above commands.

Rename or Delete the SoftwareDistribution Folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder contains the temporary files which are essential during the Windows update installation process . Since corruption of any one file inside it can cause the booting issues, it could be the reason for displaying undoing changes. Hence, you need to either rename or delete it to resolve the issue.

Once you enter the safe mode, you can continue fixing with this method.

If you are hesitant on deleting the whole folder, you can just rename it. This will force Windows to recreate a new folder instead of it. Here’s how to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder in Windows.

Press Windows + R key and type cmd.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter key to open cmd as administrator.
Upon UAC(User Account Control) prompt, click on Yes.
Enter the following commands one by one and press Enter for each.
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
ren c:\windows\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
net start wuauserv
net start bits

However, if you don’t mind deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder, navigate to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and delete all of its contents but do it after entering the commands net stop wuauservandnet stop bits. Also, don’t forget to run net start wuauserv andnet start bitsafterwards.

After renaming or deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder, restart your PC and see if it works now.

Using in-built Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows has an in-built troubleshooter to fix update issues. Here’s how you can run the troubleshooter after entering the safe mode.

Press Windows + I key to open the Settings app.
Click on Update & Security.
From the left-sidebar, select the Troubleshoot option.
On the right-pane, click on Additional troubleshooters.
Then, choose the Windows Update option and click on Run the troubleshooter.
Go through the troubleshooter’s fixes.
Close the troubleshooter.

Using the Startup Repair

Sometimes Windows can run into startup problems which can cause undoing changes error. To fix using startup repair, you can do the following steps.

Enter into the Advanced startup screen.
Click on Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair.
Wait for the repair process to finish.
Restart the system and see if it works now.

Restore the PC

Windows has an in-built feature called System Restore. Since it returns your system to an earlier point where your system was working fine, your issue will likely be solved with this method. However, you must have already created it in order to use it. You can also follow our comprehensive guide on system restore.

Here’s how you can use system restore inside the safe mode.

Press Windows + R key and type the command control to open the control panel.
On the top-left corner of the window, switch the View by field to Large icons option.
Click on Recovery.
Navigate to Open System Restore.
Click on Next and select an earlier restore point when your PC was working fine.

If you are somehow unable to boot into the safe mode, you need to first enter the Advanced startup screen and navigate to Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore. From there follow the on-screen instructions and select a restore point.