Patch is preventing the system from starting, need to manually uninstall Windows 7 update

Last night windows updated itself with some kernel drivers related patches and as a result today morning my Windows 7 won't even boot in safe mode.

It tried to repair itself, but no good

Root cause found:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
a patch is preventing the system from starting

Repair action: System files integrity check and repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x4005

I know which updates it installed, particularly I want to remove KB2160329 and KB981852. All I can get is Console...

Any ideas how to remove those updates?


Faced that issue today, my way to solve it:

  1. Start up with F8
  2. Run in safe mode
  3. Windows should uninstall dubious KB2160329
  4. Make sure that you will restart back to safe mode
  5. Restart to normal mode
  6. Windows will revert the update here as well

Hope that helps..

By the way, I've spotted that in C:\Windows\System32 I have now the 6.1.7600.16585 version, while the latest available in the system is 6.1.7600.20738 (check C:\Windows\winsxs). Might it be some case of signature overwriting?


Just had this problem today after a BIOS update. The update process changed the SATA mode from ACHI to IDE. This prevented Win7 to start. I tried to go in recovery mode or use the installation disk without any success.

Then I changed back the SATA mode to ACHI and all worked back without any issue. Just want to post in case this can help anyone to have back a working system ASAP.