Issue w/Windows Installer on laptop.

[Draylo]

A while ago, like 5 months ago, I shut my laptop down during a windows update by mistake. When I turned it back on I had this error message saying the update was corrupted and it wouldn't let me log into the computer. I did some google searching and found a method that had me go into safemode and edit some files in temporary folder or something like that. It fixed the issue and let me log into the computer just fine but windows installer didn't work.

Windows Installer tries to install updates for windows every time I restart or shut it down and it won't complete. Anything that access windows installer is unable to finish installing because of it. No idea which file I edited to let me log into the computer but now windows installer doesn't work. Any ideas?

[xopher]

System Restore?

[Draylo]

Not an option, when it happened I looked For one and it had no restore points. This was like 5 months ago.

[orinthia]

System Restore would have been the thing to do back then at the sign of the issue, that is, if you left the option enabled. It was right there with the safe mode prompt, though not saying it's full proof. Which windows version?

You mention you did something to some registry entry - have that link still? it might have further help if it's trying to deal with a killed update-in-process. If it was trying to circumvent something else, probably nothing else on the site.

All else fails, you can do an in-place reinstall if you have a regular windows install disc. It should have an option to not wipe but replace the core of your windows stuff. I forget how the prompt looks; best to backup your shit first though. If you're on windows 8/8.1, there's an option for system refresh which does something like this without the disc and I think it can do it from the disc as well if it fails (haven't actually tried it yet though; hadn't needed it, so unsure).

[Isiolia]

Have you tried reinstalling the Windows installer?

I assume what you did before was clear pending updates by renaming the SoftwareDistribution folder?