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Stuck in an auto update loop sp3 win10

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2026-03-29T08:02:42.3+00:00

Hello - i have the 2nd latest cumulative update hot fix : kb5078885. Id like to uninstall it. I attempted to uninstall but its stuck on autoloop. As soon as I uninstall and attempt to shutdown to restart. In between shutting down . And then again at restart, it just begins updating again so by the time I get into the system , its partially updated again - unable to successfully uninstall. Now im at that exact state. But now if I complete this update. It will auto update the latest update which I was avoiding because at every update- something tends to go wrong. Since 08/25 hot fix kb5063709 , that update broke my initial handshake connection to my type cover keyboard. I found a way around the auto update by turning off my wifi and it stopped the autoupdate and my keyboard miraculously worked getting rid of that update. However after all these auto forced updates since then, no matter what settings I do in service.msc , whether its windows orchestrator, windows update, disabling , pausing updates. U name it. I cannot stop the auto update. All I want to do is uninstall the updates!! So I can have my speedy active surface pro 3 back. Im Just stuck in this partial limbo situation at this time and its obv in a critical state having a partial update. But my laptop is sooo much faster. My mouse is no longer glitching where I had to press the heck out of my new Microsoft mouse for it to click. I dont have the issue anymore. The heating up issue is less. Kybd obv doesnt work yet and since the newer updates. Kb5063709 no longer even appears in update history. Changed cumulative updates to "security updates" . How confusing. But not sure what to do. Really need advice. If I complete the update now, itll just update the latest update and I just want to uninstall the one im on right now so if I install, itll install this partial update and the latest update and ill be stuck with another update I didnt want. Any advice. I dont want to do a hard factory reset. As I have no place to save all my files and pictures at this time. I just want to be able to use my computer before I had these updates because I had zero issues then. I mean literally none. No heat ups. No random shut offs. No Bluetooth issues. No app issues. No keyboard issues. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for reading.

Surface | Surface Pro | Install and update
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-29T08:03:04.41+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Use supported Windows recovery and update tools instead of trying to fight the automatic update loop through Services alone.

    1. Try uninstalling the problematic update from Windows RE If Windows keeps reinstalling the update when uninstalling from within the desktop, use the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) to remove it:
    1. Access Windows RE (for example, by interrupting normal boot a few times, or using the documented method in the reference below).
    2. In Windows RE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
    3. Choose Uninstall latest quality update first. If that does not help and the issue started with a feature update, use Uninstall latest feature update instead.

    This removes the last installed update without needing to boot fully into the OS, which avoids the auto‑reinstall loop you described.

    1. If uninstall is not enough, repair the update components If updates keep failing or looping, repair the Windows Update components and system files before trying again:
    1. Rename SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders (resets update cache):
      • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
      • Run these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
        • net stop bits
        • net stop wuauserv
        • ren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
        • ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
        • net start bits
        • net start wuauserv
      • Restart the device.
    2. Run System File Checker if seeing update errors like 0x80070057 or 0x80080005:
      • Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
      • Run: sfc /scannow
      • Let it complete and then restart.
    1. If the system is unstable after updates, consider an in‑place reinstall of the current version If uninstalling updates and repairing the update cache do not restore stable behavior (keyboard, Bluetooth, heat, random shutdowns), use the documented “reinstall the current version of Windows” approach. This keeps files and apps while refreshing system components and Windows Update. See the guidance in Fix issues by reinstalling the current version of Windows under “Information for IT professionals” for when this is appropriate, especially if updates are managed or certain update policies are configured.
    2. As a last resort for persistent update corruption If updates repeatedly corrupt the system and even in‑place repair does not help, a full reinstallation may be required. Before doing that, back up personal files to external storage or cloud, then reinstall and let Windows apply current cumulative updates cleanly.

    For now, the most direct way to break the loop and remove the partially applied update without factory reset is:

    • Boot to Windows RE → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Uninstall Updates → Uninstall latest quality update.
    • Then clear the update cache (SoftwareDistribution/Catroot2) and run SFC as above before allowing further updates.

    References:

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