Recently, Microsoft reported that the Windows 11 PC update process may fail when attempting to install the February 13th, 2024 security update (KB5034765), and the non-security preview update releason in February 29, 2024 (KB5034765). In this article, we shall discuss ‘Something did not go well as planned: Windows Security update fails to install”. See how to Create a Windows Server VM on HyperV, and how to install HyperV and Configure vSwitch on Windows Server with PowerShell
The installation error is prompted when the update download reaches 96% of completion. Thereby making the device roll back the previous update installed. This issue applies to Windows 11 v23H2; Windows 11 v2H2 and currently does not affect Windows Server.
Also, see Fix Windows cannot check for updates in Windows 8, 7, and 10, how to Create an App Service Plan with Continuous Deployment to deploy a .NET Application from GitHub, and how to Create and access a hidden share folder on Windows.
$WinREAgent Folder
The WinREAgent is a folder in the Windows operating system that is created automatically when updates or upgrades are made. It is created by the Windows Recovery Environment during the Windows update or upgrade process.
WinREAgent folder stores temporary recovery files to help WinRE recover or roll back the Windows operating system in the event of any failure during the update process.
To view this folder, you will need to enable hidden items to view this folder. This folder begins with the $ sign.
This means it is a temporary folder created by Windows, and sometimes it is automatically deleted 10 days after a successful Windows update.
This folder contains a subdirectory named scratch. These folders usually do not contain files, it will show a size of 0 bytes.
Please see how to fix “Error Code: 0x80070035: MDT unable to access the Log share, the Network Path was not found“, and How to Show or Hide File Extensions on Windows 11.
The root cause of Windows Security update failing
Resulting of this error, “Something didn’t go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes. Please keep your computer on”.
This error could be attributed to not having enough free space in the System Reserved partition from experience.
Also, this error might mean that your PC couldn’t connect to the Windows Update servers. If you’re using a VPN connection to connect to a work network, disconnect from the network and turn off the VPN software (if applicable) and try upgrading again.
Fix for Something did not go well as planned: Windows update fails
Note: This issue can be prevented by deleting the hidden folder C:\$WinREAgent.
Below are two possible ways to delete the C:\$WinREAgent folder. In any of the methods used, a restart is required.
Method 1: Manual Deletion
We will delete the hidden folder (WinREAgent ) in Windows 11, you need to first make the folder visible and then delete it as discussed above.
Launch File Explorer from the Taskbar, or by pressing Windows key + E. navigate to the three-dotted icon and select Options.
Proceed and delete the folder folder $WinREAgent in File Explorer if the action above was performed to see hidden folders.
Right-click the hidden folder C:\$WinREAgent and select Delete.
Method 2: Via the Command Line
Launch the command prompts an administrator by selcting ‘Run as administrator’.
On the command prompt, type the command rd /s /q "C:\$WinREAgent” and press enter.
Note: If no message is displayed, it means the command has succeeded and the folder has been deleted.
You can proceed to close the command prompt window. In this case, we recommend deleting the folder manually. As
But in our case, no error was prompted and the folder was deleted successfully.
At the time of writing this piece, Microsoft is currently working on a resolution to fix this issue.
Is it Safe to Delete the $WinREAgent Folder?
You can manually delete the WinREAgent folder. When having trouble updating your system, deleting the WinREAgent folder may be one of the solutions that can help you install the update.
If you have completed the upgrade through Windows Update or Update Assistant, you can safely delete the $WinREAgent folder.
But, if you have not completed the upgrade process, the $WinREAgent folder will contain various important files that support the update process. As long as the update process is not completed, it is best to leave this folder in place.
I hope you found the fix to this issue “Something did not go well as planned: Windows Security update fails to install” helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
