Error Message: "A reboot is pending. Please restart before starting Visual Studio

Question

Error Message:

"A reboot is pending. Please restart before starting Visual Studio".

I installed Visual Studio (Visual Basic 2015 and SQL 2015) and after what looked like a successful install I then got the "Reboot" window.

Not expecting it I had a bunch of things open. So I closed a bunch a bunch of things, and did the reboot myself.

Now I cannot run Visual Basic because it ONLY gives me the above error message in the pop-up window. It won't even let me do a re-install.

All it does is keep giving me the above error message.

If you have any advice that's better than a complete uninstall/reinstall I'm sure everyone in my situation would benefit from it.

How can I resolve this issue?

Answer 1

I'm sure this answer is no longer reliant to OP but for any other people with this problem instead of selecting the 'Shut Down' option use the 'Restart' one. Apparently there is a difference between the two when it comes to installing updates (which in this instance is whatever Visual Studio needs to do to finish installing).

Answer 2

I had the same problem after installing VS2015 Update 1 on Windows 10.

I went to System Settings → Windows Update Settings → Clicked the Restart button which caused my computer to restart and apply pending windows updates.

Answer 3

I had a similar problem after installing Exchange Server; and while I know it's not the same problem you're having, it put me into a continual pending reboot pattern.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc164360(v=exchg.80).aspx

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\PendingFileRenameOperations

I had to delete this key in order to continue the reboot and make everything work. The actual steps are listed in the technet article I posted above.

Answer 4

There are two methods:

• Use Ignore-Restart.bat script to temporarily override "restart" requirement.

or

• Restart PC (not shutdown)

Answer 5

In the registry...search for "rebootreq" - it should come up with one or more keys that have RebootRequired in it. Delete those (keep F3ing till it stops finding more). That should do the trick.