The KB3194496 update was like a cancer on my system for this time period following the commencement of the push of KB3194496 through Windows Update. Because of this mandatory push for Windows 10 Home users it was difficult to keep the update uninstalled. I tried using Microsoft’s wushowhide (“Show or hide updates” troubleshooter), a tool to choose updates not to install on Windows Update but my Windows 10 Home Edition wouldn’t populate KB3194496 into the selectable list!

I couldn’t stop Windows Update from pushing the install, then “undo the changes”, but the undo would leave:
– a shadow as if the update had been installed (at least it made KB3194496 uninstallable)
– Start Menu not functioning; and
– Microsoft Edge unusable with explorer.exe “class not recognised” error.

I tried everything to fix this including nearly all fixes recommended online and analysing the windowsupdate.log for the culprit error which these days Microsoft requires users to decompress/reconstruct.

Without Start Menu available I could uninstall using Win + R control – control panel – Programs – Installed windows updates. The time that took plus the time taken when the KB3194496 tried to reinstall, then “can’t complete update undoing changes” (really slow), was significant. I found the best way to keep the windows update cancer at bay for a few days so as to let me do things on my computer was too postpone the restart after the uninstall of KB3194496 and then to switch user to another user (like Administrator) then shut down. Again, without Start Menu, this could be done with Ctrl Alt Delete.

After around two months checking and trying out solutions I combined the solutions on this blog in the following way – for the moment my KB3194496 is in remission and no sign yet it will return. My fingers are crossed.

Downloaded the Media Creation Tool as described above.

Before running it –

switched off Windows Firewall

deleted C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\XblGameSave on the system. (Please note that you can only do so with elevated privileges.)

Delete the Registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\Microsoft\XblGameSave

as recommended on this page.

Deleted the contents of C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download

Switch off resident anti-virus software (I am using BitDefender)

Then ran Media Creation Tool to reinstall Windows 10 over the top of my Windows 10 installation that has the problem with the Windows Update.

Seems to have worked.

What a torture.

Delete the folder
C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\XblGameSave on the system. (Please note that you can only do so with elevated privileges.)

Delete the Registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree\Microsoft\XblGameSave