Windows 11 Locked out of PC when trying to "repair‑install (in‑place upgrade)"

What’s happening (in plain English)​

Priority #1: Roll back (this is what you said you want)​

1. Enter the BitLocker recovery key (yes, again).
2. At Choose an option, click:
   Continue (to Windows Rollback)

• Plug in the charger.
• Let it reboot as many times as it wants.
• If it asks for the BitLocker key again, enter it again and let it continue.

If “Continue (to Windows Rollback)” just loops back to the same screen​

Option A (best fallback): Uninstall the pending update​

1. Troubleshoot
2. Advanced options
3. Uninstall Updates
4. Try Uninstall latest quality update (KBs are “quality updates”)

Option B: Startup Repair​

1. Troubleshoot
2. Advanced options
3. Startup Repair

Option C: System Restore (if you have restore points)​

1. Troubleshoot
2. Advanced options
3. System Restore

If you can boot into Windows again (after rollback)​

1. Back up the one thing you cannot lose (your work files) to any external location: OneDrive, Google Drive, USB drive, external SSD—anything.
2. Suspend BitLocker before retrying the in-place upgrade (this is exactly the missing Step 4 from the guide):
   • Open an admin Command Prompt and run:
     manage-bde -protectors -disable C:
   • After everything is stable again:
     manage-bde -protectors -enable C:
     (Those exact commands are in the thread you followed.) Windows 11 - [SOLVED] 2026-02 Security Update (KB5077181) (26200.7840) Failing

Two quick questions so I can give you the exact next click-path​

Step 0 (do this first): Back up your work files (fast + safe)​

1. From the Choose an option screen:
   Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt
2. In Command Prompt, type:
   notepad
   In Notepad: File → Open
   Change “Text Documents (*.txt)” to All files.
   Use this window like a file explorer to confirm you can see:
   • Your internal drive (with Users\...)
   • Your USB drive
3. If you prefer a faster copy (recommended), use robocopy (once you identify letters in Step 1 below). Example (replace letters and username):
   
   Code:

   robocopy D:\Users\YourName\Desktop E:\Backup\Desktop /E /XJ /R:1 /W:1
   robocopy D:\Users\YourName\Documents E:\Backup\Documents /E /XJ /R:1 /W:1

   (This is just copying files; it won’t damage anything.)

Step 1: Identify the real Windows drive letter in WinRE​

1. Run:
   
   Code:

   diskpart
   list vol

2. Look for the large NTFS volume (hundreds of GB typically). Note its letter (often D: in WinRE, not C.
3. Type:
   exit

dir D:\Windows
dir C:\Windows

Step 2: Stop the BitLocker recovery prompt loop (important)​

1. Check BitLocker status:
   manage-bde -status
   Find the entry that corresponds to your Windows volume (the one from Step 1).
2. If it says Locked, unlock it using your recovery key (replace with your 48-digit key):
   manage-bde -unlock D: -RecoveryPassword YOUR-48-DIGIT-KEY
3. Now suspend protection (this is what you missed originally, but we can still do it now offline):
   manage-bde -protectors -disable D:
4. Verify it took:
   manage-bde -status D:
   You want to see Protection Status: Protection Off.

Step 3 (main fix): Revert the “pending” servicing actions offline​

• Type exit
• Click Continue (or just restart)

Step 4 (only if still not booting): Repair boot files (UEFI)​

1. Find the EFI partition and assign it a letter:
   
   Code:

   diskpart
   list vol

   Look for a small FAT32 volume (usually 100–300 MB) — that’s the EFI System Partition.
   Select it (replace # with the volume number):
   
   Code:

   select vol #
   assign letter=S
   exit

2. Rebuild boot files:
   bcdboot D:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI
3. Restart and test boot again.

Step 5 (deadline fallback): “Reset this PC” but keep your files​

• This typically preserves C:\Users\... (your documents/desktop), but removes installed apps.
• Do this only after you’ve copied your work to USB (Step 0), because edge cases happen.

Two things I need from you to choose the single best next step​

• diskpart → list vol (just the table)
  2) manage-bde -status (just the section showing the OS volume letter and status)
  3) The “Root cause found” lines from:
• notepad D:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt (or whichever drive letter actually contains \Windows)

1) Is C: your Windows drive in this environment?​

• Volume 1 C Windows 475 GB This is your main Windows (OS) partition.
• Volume 2 SYSTEM 260 MB (no letter) This is almost certainly the EFI System Partition (boot files) on a UEFI system.
• Volume 3 Windows RE 755 MB The recovery environment partition.
• Volume 0 D CDROM WinRE often shows a tiny “CDROM” ramdisk like this; normal.
• Volume 4 E The Recovery 4657 GB This is very likely your external drive (the size matches), especially since you used it to copy your work.

2) Can you just unplug the external drive (E:)?​

1. Make sure any copy command has finished and you’re back at the X:\...> / command prompt.
2. Wait ~10–20 seconds after the last copy finishes (or until the drive activity light stops, if it has one).
3. Then unplug it.

Proceed to Step 2 (with the correct drive letter)​

Why you’re seeing 0x80070490 Element not found​

Do this next (the real “unstick” step): revert pending actions offline​

• Let it finish even if it takes a long time.
• If it says it completed successfully, immediately follow with:

chkdsk C: /f
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

Quick check (optional but helpful): list protectors​

If Windows still won’t boot after the DISM/SFC run​

Reply with:​

“Revert of pending actions will be attempted after the reboot.”

Click to expand...

About the BitLocker 0x80070057 during -protectors -get​

• The OS volume is Unlocked
• DISM/SFC/CHKDSK all look clean
• The revert is queued for the next boot

Next click-path (do this now)​

• Continue (or if it keeps bouncing you around, choose Turn off your PC, then power it back on)

• If you see any “Working on updates/Undoing changes/Restoring…” type screen, let it run.
• Keep it plugged into AC power.

If it still loops back to the same WinRE menu after reboot​

diskpart
list vol
select vol 2
assign letter=S
exit
bcdboot C:\Windows /s S: /f UEFI

Tell me what happens after the reboot​

• A) It booted into Windows
• B) It showed “undoing/restoring” and then booted
• C) It still loops to the same “Choose an option” screen

0xC1900101-0x20017 = usually a driver issue
failed in SAFE_OS phase during BOOT operation = it died during the reboot portion of setup (not while you were logged in)

Click to expand...

1) Reclaim the “lost” disk space (safe cleanup)​

• C:\$WINDOWS.~BT (can be several GB)
• C:\$WINDOWS.~WS (sometimes)
• temporary setup files, logs, etc.
• plus your ISO (~7+ GB)

Recommended cleanup (GUI)​

1. Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files
2. Check items like:
   • Temporary Windows installation files
   • Windows Update Cleanup
   • Delivery Optimization Files
   • Temporary files
3. Click Remove files

Easy win: delete the ISO (if you don’t need it right now)​

2) Getting from 26200.7171 → 26200.7840 (KB5077181 path)​

Step A — Try Windows Update normally (now that you can boot)​

1. Reboot once (fresh boot)
2. Plug in power
3. Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates
4. Install everything offered (including any Servicing Stack updates), reboot when asked

Step B — Do the repair-install again, but reduce the chance of 0xC1900101-0x20017​

1. Back up your work again (you already did once—keep that safety net)
2. Suspend BitLocker (important this time) from within Windows (Admin CMD):
   manage-bde -protectors -disable C:
   (After you’re stable again, re-enable with manage-bde -protectors -enable C:.)
3. Disconnect non-essential USB devices (printers, hubs, external drives, dongles—leave only power + mouse if needed)
4. Uninstall/disable third-party antivirus temporarily (if you have any)
5. Update HP drivers/BIOS via HP Support Assistant (especially storage/chipset/BIOS)

Critical check: confirm your ISO actually matches Home Single Language​

3) If the repair-install fails again: grab the one log that tells us why​

• C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setuperr.log
• C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log

Two quick questions (so I can give you the cleanest next move)​

What your current symptoms point to​

• 0x800f0993 on a cumulative update after it reaches 100% install is very often “servicing stack / component store can’t commit the package cleanly.”
• On this specific KB, WindowsForum has already seen “DISM/SFC look fine, but the LCU still won’t install” cases where the durable fix is an in‑place repair upgrade using same-branch, newer build media.
• Also, you having ESET matters. We’ve seen at least one user report that simply disabling NOD32 wasn’t enough—they had to uninstall security software before the KB would go through.

Pass 1 (fast attempt): uninstall ESET + reset Windows Update components​

• Settings → Apps → Installed apps → ESET Internet Security → Uninstall
• Reboot

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv

Pass 2 (most likely fix): repair-install (in-place upgrade) with the RIGHT prep​

A) Confirm your ISO is actually newer than your installed build​

B) BitLocker (do this first this time)​

C) Remove upgrade blockers​

• Keep ESET uninstalled for the repair-install attempt (you can reinstall afterward)
• Disconnect non-essential USB devices (printers, hubs, external drives)
• Make sure you have ~30 GB free on C: (more is better)

D) Run the in-place upgrade correctly​

• Run setup.exe from the mounted ISO inside Windows
• Choose Keep personal files and apps
• When prompted about downloading updates during setup, I usually choose Not right now for the repair pass (we want the baseline rebuild first), then do Windows Update after the OS is back up.

• Re-enable BitLocker protectors:
  manage-bde -protectors -enable C:
• Then run Windows Update again—this is where KB5077181 typically finally installs.

Your question: will a repair-install change settings / file associations?​

If you want the “most accurate” next step​

• Your PC: 26200.7171 (installed update baseline from Nov 11, 2025, per Microsoft’s update history list for 25H2). (support.microsoft.com)
• Your ISO: ServicePack Build 6584, created 2025‑09‑15.

What to do next (best path)​

Step 1 — Don’t use that ISO for a repair-install​

T before trying either the KB or the repair-install​

1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps → ESET Internet Security → Uninstall
2. Reboot

Step 3 — Try installing KB5077181 using the Microsoft Update Catalog package (bypasses “normal” WU)​

1. Download Windows11.0-KB5077181-x64.msu from Microsoft Update Catalog (linked from the KB article). (support.microsoft.com)
2. Put it in e.g. C:\Packages
3. Run Command Prompt (Admin):
   DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\Packages\Windows11.0-KB5077181-x64.msu
4. Reboot, then check winver (KB5077181 should land you on 26200.7840). (support.microsoft.com)

Your question: will a repair-install change settings (file associations etc.)?​

One quick clarification question​

Why the ISO you just downloaded looks “old” (ServicePack Build 6584)​

Best next move for your situation (KB5077181 failing with 0x800f0993)​

Step 1 — Uninstall ESET (don’t just disable)​

Step 2 — Install KB5077181 via Microsoft Update Catalog + DISM (bypasses Windows Update’s orchestration)​

If DISM/MSU still fails: use Installation Assistant (not the ISO) for the repair-install​

• ESET uninstalled
• BitLocker protectors suspended
• minimal USB devices connected

Will a repair-install change your settings (file associations, etc.)?​

Quick question so I can give you the cleanest exact sequence​

Phase 1 — Minimal change attempt (recommended)​

1) Temporarily uninstall ESET (not just disable)​

• Settings → Apps → Installed apps → ESET Internet Security → Uninstall
• Reboot

2) Reset Windows Update’s working folders (SoftwareDistribution + Catroot2)​

net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start cryptsvc
net start bits
net start wuauserv

3) Try KB5077181 again via Windows Update​

Phase 2 — Still failing? Install it offline (next least disruptive)​

Phase 3 — If it still won’t take: the fix that usually “sticks”​

• Do notoaded (ServicePack Build 6584). It’s older than your installed 7171, so it’s not suitable as “same-or-newer” repair media.
• Use Windows 11 Installation Assistant or the Media Creation Tool from that same Microsoft page (these are more likely to pull newer bits than the “base” ISO download).

• Keep ESET uninstalled
• Suspend BitLocker protectors (this is the step you missed originally and it triggered the recovery-key nightmare):
  manage-bde -protectors -disable C:
  After you’re stable:
  manage-bde -protectors -enable C:

One question (so we don’t waste another attempt)​