Windows Server 2012: Pending restart but after restart it still says pending restart endlessly.

Question

Guru and Advance Troubleshooter needed.

Problem:
Windows Server 2012: Pending restart but after restart it still says pending restart endlessly.
Restart required
Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB4571736)
Status: Pending restart

I have tried many Windows Update tools such as:
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Reset-WindowsUpdateps1-e0c5eb78
https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/Reset-Windows-Update-Agent-d824badc
https://www.yourwindowsguide.com/2015/12/reset-windows-update.html

A user having similar problem but is for Window 10. The user having luck and fixed it, but mine does not.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-pending-restart-but-after-restart-it/0c4ddfde-dd78-4f59-99ac-7864ff2b03a8

I have tried to uninstall this particular update but failed with error:
"An error has occurred. Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled."
screenshot:
https://www.mediafire.com/view/qogj1gz88o0j35v/Screen_Shot_2020-12-12_at_1.26.26_AM.png/file

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-recovery-environment--windows-re--technical-reference#entry-points-into-winre
I have tried to restart to WinRE so that I can uninstall this particular update, but restart also has error.
Method: From the login screen, click Shutdown, then hold down the Shift key while selecting Restart.
Screenshot:
https://www.mediafire.com/view/vmqs2g1x9iq93jd/Screen_Shot_2020-12-11_at_11.21.07_PM.png/file

Your help is appreciated in advanced. Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Please try to delete the following folders or rename those folders, after that restart computer again to check.
C:\windows\WinSxS\pending.xml
C:\Windows\WinSxS\cleanup.xml

If the issue persists, try to uninstall this update package with the measure below:

•  Create folder C:\temp\cab  
•  Download the update KB4571736 from http://catalog.update.microsoft.com to C:\temp  
•  Expand the .msu file to extract the .cab file by running below command in CMD: 
•             expand -F:* C:\temp{.msu file name with extension} C:\temp\cab
• You will get a .cab file from last step. Use the following DISM command to remove package: 
Dism /online /remove-package /packagepath:c:\temp\cab{.cab file with extension}

Then we could install the latest update package KB4592468 which released on December 8, 2020 instead of this one, as this one has been replaced by the latest.

Bests,

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