Fix for Blank or Empty Windows Features List in Windows 7
If you’ve uninstalled a program in Windows Vista or 7 from Control Panel, perhaps you’ve noticed “Turn Windows features on or off” in the left pane. When you click on it, the Windows Features dialog will appear asking you to “Please wait” and it will start searching for a list of windows features such as games, indexing service, internet information services (IIS) and other system components that you can turn on or off. Vista and 7’s Windows Features list is actually pretty much the same as Add/Remove Windows Component in Windows XP. You can also run Windows Features by typing “optionalfeatures” at the run dialog or command prompt.
One of the most common problems that many people are facing with the Windows Features dialog is the window comes out empty or blank and the features list doesn’t appear. You can see “please wait” initially as it tries to make up a list but then it totally blanks out.
Microsoft of course is well aware of this problem and they’ve created a knowledge base article 931712 to acknowledge the problem and also provided 2 solutions to resolve this issue. The first method is to run the sfc /scannow command to scan all protected system files and replace incorrect versions with the correct Microsoft versions. If that didn’t work, they recommend a System Restore.
There’s also another method on Google that claims to fix it by running the command “reg delete HKLM\COMPONENTS /v StoreDirty”. We can assure you that all these above solutions don’t work. One of the only known recommended solutions that will fix the blank Windows Feature is to re-install Windows but that’s rather overkill just to fix a blank window.Don’t worry though, because we’ve found a REAL fix for the empty Windows Features problem without re-installing Windows. What we’ve found is that this problem is most often caused by missing or corrupt files in a folder called C:\Windows\Servicing\Packages. The reason why SFC or System Restore don’t work is they don’t restore anything in the Packages folder and therefore miss the problem altogether. Here’s how to get your features window populated again.
1. Download the System Update Readiness Tool from Microsoft. Expand the Download Center by using the “+” and download the correct version of the tool according to your operating system. For convenience, the links to the Vista and 7 Readiness Tool are provided below.
Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista 32-bit
Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista 64-bit
Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 32-bit
Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 64-bit
2. Once you have finished downloading the file, close all running programs and run it, the Readiness Tool has an extension of .msu. Click OK to install the KB****** update for Windows. You will see that it looks as though an update is being installed, but actually it’s trying to fix any problems that it finds on the system in the background using checksur.exe. This will take a while, up to 10 or 15 minutes is possible, so be patient and let it finish.
3. When installation has completed, click Close and restart your computer. Once Windows has booted, try running Windows Features (optionalfeatures.exe) again and see if the list loads into the window or not. IF not, continue to the next step.
4. Go to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\ and open the CheckSUR.log file with notepad. The following steps are possibly going to be a little tricky because everyone gets different results in the log file.
5. Take note of the section that says “Checking Package Manifests and catalogs” in the CheckSUR.log file. If there are errors, you will see a line starting with (f) followed by an error code and path. If you see (fix) on the next line below the (f), it means the tool managed to fix that particular error.
As you can see in the image above, the fourth and eighth (f) lines highlighted in pink don’t have (fix) on the next line and are therefore not fixed as the checking continues. You need to make a note of all the unfixed “MUM” entries in your log file (line 4 above is a MUM error that wasn’t fixed).
6. Now you will need to manually delete the related registry keys according to what you see in the CheckSUR.log file. Run regedit and go to the following location.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages\
As an example, the fourth line error in the CheckSUR.log file above shows the file:
Package_2_for_KB2757638~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.1.1.2.mum
So you’ll need to look for that key in the registry at the location stated above and then delete it. There won’t be a need to use the .mum extension in the registry. As long as the whole name matches without the extension, you can delete it.
7. You WILL need to set full control permission before you can delete the corrupted registry key. Refer to this article on how to set the permissions for the key.
After deleting all the corrupted registry keys, the Windows Features should start to show in the list. The good thing about running the System Update Readiness Tool is it might fix some other problems which you are probably not aware of.
Thank you so much for leaving this article posted. It just helped me solve a windows update issue in Windows 10. Instead of your steps about using the System Update Readiness tool, I first cleared the cbs log file ( in C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\ ) than ran dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth which did not complete successfully. It failed at about 80% completion. But then the cbs log file listed problem packages just like you mention in your article. I found these in the registry and deleted following your instructions. In my case their was one problem package … looking at the details of the registry entries it was pointing to the D: drive in my computer which I replaced quite awhile ago. After that then the Windows Features worked again, so I tried windows update and it worked! Problem solved thanks to you!
As I had 300+ language files missing.
Solved it taking ownership of folder c:\Windows\servicing\Packages\ and copying from a working installation (ideally both with all updates on it) all missing filres without overwritting anything.
Great job. Thanks. It works. 65 registry errors found.
To help others, remember to run as administrator whatever registry editor program you will use ( I used free version of registrar ) otherwise you’ll be prompted with an “access denied” or something like that message when you try to delete the key
Thank you! This worked for me, took the program ~90 minutes to run. Initially I had 130 errors. They all seemed to be related to the same package that was missing. Instead of deleting the registry entries I followed the steps in this article to download the missing package, re-run the readiness tool, and it resolved those errors (and the features list is also showing!)
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/deployment/errors-in-checksur-log
It works.
Part of the process of freeing up HDD space on the Windows install is to remove all the files in this folder of the language(s) that one doesn’t use … ie the files with ~ar-SA~ to ~zh-TW~ in the title. If you are using the english versions, make sure to leave the ~en-US~ and the ~en-GB~ and the default root of the files, ~~
I did that, but forgot, until now, to remove the registry entries for each file.
Also, to be able to delete these keys needs setting ownership permissions – Windows 7/8
– right click ‘HKLM…Packages’ left click ‘Permissions…’ left click ‘Advanced’. Ensure the checkbox ‘Replace owner on subcontainers and objects’ is checked. left click ‘Owner’ select one/highlight of names listed in the ‘Change owner to:’ box, and then left click ‘Apply’
Back on the original ‘Permissions for Packages’ window, select ‘Administrators’ from the ‘Group or user names:’ box.
In the bottom box, the title will have changed to ‘Permissions for Administrators’, left click on the check box for ‘Allow’ ‘Full Control’ and then left click ‘Apply’ It will take a few minutes to allow the permissions to be implemented. At this stage, one can delete whatever key they wish.
thank you. it works!!!
It’s really works!!! Thank you! I deleted more than 500 regestry keys)
I add to do all the process including registry deletion to make it work. Thanks!
I read a lot of different threads concerning this issue and all the various recommendations/solutions, and only this thread and information allowed me to fix the problem, which ended up with me having to download the Registrar Registry Manager and delete two corrupt HKLM entries. Very thorough, accurate, and easy to follow instructions with very useful figures. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this information.
Thank you – deleting those keys referring to the .mum Packages listed in the CheckSUR.log restored the Windows features list!
Very comprehensive and clear tutorial.
Can you please advise the same issue ” Windows Search missing in windows-features-on-or-off ” in Windows 10.
Should we follow the above steps 1 to 7? Please advise.
Yes!!! It works!!! Thank you very much for this nice tutorial :)
Thank you so much. The instructions were clear and even talked about the pitfalls I encountered along the way. This solve my issue!
Everything in your reply easy to follow and laid out very nicely…however…The Hotfix KB947821 which you state may take 10-15 minutes has now been running for over an hour…the green bar grapg has been stuck at about 90% for at least 50 minutes…I don’t want to abort or reboot as that may really mess things up. Any suggestions please?
Same here, solved disabling sleep and leaving overnight. It’s a really slow process. (Even in a fast machine as I did it on a quad core with SSD HD).
Thanks, it works.
Thanks, it worked.
For people who got blank CheckSUR.log. Just install the System Update Readiness Tool properly at first it may take some time just be patient. It took almost 2hr+ for me.
Thanks for the information, but the blank windows features dialog problem still persists. I followed the steps, but 3 of the errors found were different and not fixed. Here’s the log:
=================================
Checking System Update Readiness.
Binary Version 6.1.7601.22471
Package Version 26.0
2019-10-08 13:59
Checking Windows Servicing Packages
Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs
(f) CBS Catalog Missing 0x00000002 servicing\Packages\Package_for_KB2509553~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat
(fix) CBS Catalog Missing CBS File Replaced Package_for_KB2509553~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.mum from Cabinet: C:\Windows\CheckSur\v1.0\windows6.1-servicing-x64-2jan13.cab.
(fix) CBS Paired File CBS File also Replaced Package_for_KB2509553~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat from Cabinet: C:\Windows\CheckSur\v1.0\windows6.1-servicing-x64-2jan13.cab.
Checking Package Watchlist
Checking Component Watchlist
Checking Packages
(f) CBS Registry Error 0x00000005 Package_for_KB2509553~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2 Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages\ Failed to open store sub key
Checking Component Store
(f) CSI Missing Deployment Key 0x00000000 972ba38c73e..ce13c14fc1d_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.23796_3e189994e37eab05 HKLM\Components\CanonicalData\Deployments
(f) CSI Missing Deployment Key 0x00000000 a5dc2733df9..77e66cbacbd_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.23769_844f07cd5d4f0240 HKLM\Components\CanonicalData\Deployments
Summary:
Seconds executed: 650
Found 4 errors
Fixed 1 errors
CSI Missing Deployment Key Total count: 2
CBS Catalog Missing Total count: 1
Fixed: CBS Catalog Missing. Total count: 1
CBS Registry Error Total count: 1
Fixed: CBS Paired File. Total count: 1
Any ideas about how I can fix these errors?
Thanks again
I did all the steps you wrote above. Inclusive the step 7. So I started the regedit and found only one ‘mum’ failure. Here you can see a copy of the CheckSUR.log:
Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs
(f) CBS MUM Corrupt 0x800F0900 servicing\Packages\Package_470_for_KB3185330~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.mum Line 1:
(f) CBS Catalog Corrupt 0x800B0100 servicing\Packages\Package_470_for_KB3185330~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2.cat
The problem is, I can’t delete the registry key ??? I don’t know why? I tried it more times, also after rebooting the system.
Do you have an answer?
Regards from Germany
I had to go in an delete 2 packages. I expected to find 1 entry. There were 20-30 entries. Delete them all. I did an features came back. Great tutorial.
The instructions should mention this but they don’t.
my CheckSUR.log fiel returned ~2400 errors. Is there any way automated method to delete them? With so many manual deletions it would be difficult to check the names of each one carefully.
The same to me!
Thank you very much! Finding and deleting the MUM in regedit was the only thing that worked after running the system readiness tool.
I went through re-adding all of the missing mum files, but system check insisted there was one that was still missing. The MS KB articles on fixing the empty box fails to mention that if you’re still stuck with something in SUR log to go ahead and remove the key. That was the fix, the removal of the registry key of the last mum still causing an error that I was unable to fix. Definitely related to a crappy MS update.
You’re a GOD!
I tried EVERYTHING for DAYS, and your solution WORKED!!
FINALLY !
THANKS THANKS THANKS
Oh, man. Your solution is so perfect and content is so nice. The problem is solving!!!!!!!!
Raymond – Whatever you are selling, I’m buying. Well presented, professional fix to the blank Windows Features screen. Ran the Readiness Tool, which appears to have fixed some other flaky stuff happening on my machine as well, followed by finding the MUM registry entry to delete in the CheckSUR log followed by backing up the registry (for safety sake) with Registry Backup and Restore followed by deleting the offending registry entry using Registrar Registry Manager, then rebooting and, voila, I’ve got the Windows Features List window populated. Nice Work.
You wrote: “The good thing about running the System Update Readiness Tool is it might fix some other problems which you are probably not aware of.”
Well, I had run that before, and I still had the blank list problem, as well as not being able to get any Windows Updates to work. But after editing the registry as suggested (had to use the Registrar Registry Management tool, other things mentioned didn’t work), the above problem is fixed AS WELL AS Windows Updates! Amazing, I had tried a bunch of stuff I found suggested, none of it worked. Windows so-called “Help” said I’d have to reinstall. THANK YOU!!!
Oh WOW, It actually worked! After countless searches and and blogs read and numerous attempts to correct this problem and after 4 LONG years, my Turn Windows features on or off box actually has programs in it again!
Thanks Raymond, you Rock!
Microcrap, you suck!
This seems to be the only blogpost describing a method that actually works. All other methods -and believe me, I have tried many- fall in the “snake oil” category.
That being said, I would like to add the caveat that the stated runtime of 10 to 15 minutes might be a tad optimistic. In my case the program ran for 3 hours and 48 minutes.
Since the program reported 1621 unfixed errors, I had to write a program to delete them all. After deleting a further 53 keys related to the infamous KB4093118, Windows Update is also working again.
Thanks for your help. This, with the raymond.cc/blog/full-control-permission-to-delete-or-edit-restricted-windows-registry/ allowed me to fix this issue.
RunAsSystem did not work for me. It would launch RegEdit but for reasons unknown, it did not show me anything under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages\.
However, using Regedit started normally, I was able to change ownership of Packages and all below it so I was able to follow the rest of the instructions in this article, which did solve the problem.
Thank you for that!
Thanks a lot!
Non of the other except removing items mentioned in CheckSUR.log didn’t help.
Awesome article!
Worked like a charm. End of progress bar took some time (2 min’s) but after that, window with features was populized again (even without reboot). Thanks!!
thank you, it worked :-)
christian from prague
Thank you!
Installing System Update Readiness Tool fix the problem!
Hello, I’ve the same problem and followed the step above, still nothing works. I’m desperate because I need IE for IP Camera Access. I have try sfc /scannow, it’s still not working, Any Ideas how to fix it? I read the CheckSUR.log and the regedit for the key under Packages, it’s empty, nothing there. It’s still blank tho. Thanks you for read my comment, if anyone have any idea how to fix it, I need your help. I’m using Windows 7 Ultimate OEM from ASUS.
Great article! It worked for me!
Thanks, worked getting my windows features back, nice one :)
Thanks for this easy to follow guide. Luckily the log file only showed one error; getting rid of that in the registry, no reboot required, now I can edit the Features list.
Thank you very much! It Worked!
Thank you so much! This only worked with the Registrar Registry Manager tool.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked for me. I’m trying it all again. The first time, when the checksur stopped running in the background, it just disappeared. I went to the logs and there were no errors in the “Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs” area, but plenty of missing files in the ones below. Windows features box still won’t populate, nor can I install IE 11. Any other suggestions?
Amazingly, it worked !!!!!!
I just took ownership of the keys and subkeys in RegEdit as a local Administrator and changed their permissions to Full Control before deleting the key. System: Win 7 x64 Ultimate SP1
I have done what is said here, however after 10 mins it still says “preparing for installation”.
Is this meaning its still preparing to install or – actually installing and scanning as mentioned in the instructions?
Thank you for all advice. Kaye
This did work for me using the regristrar software. Quite a lot of fiddling but solved the persisting problem. Thanks so much!
Seriously man, this is amazing!
Yep. This did the trick for me. The “Run as System” tool from the article whose link is provided here, proved to be no good at all, but I managed to fix the permissions for the registry key manually.
As a side thought, it’s awfully annoying not to be able to do whatever I please with any computer entries right away, as long as I’m logged in with an administrator account. As far as the computer is concerned, I’m (or should be) God Almighty, and if I so wish (or if I’m dumb enough) I should be able to make the OS even completely inoperable.
Vera good. You fixed my problem!
Hi all
Looks like this has resolved most peoples issues.
When running regedit as the system account, the component based servicing folder does not contain the packages folder, did anyone else have this issue ?
Happened to me too. But if I ran regedit as the system account via PSexec AND as administrator the folder, it once again included all the packages.
I still could not delete the keys, but another user here posted about using the right-click “permissions’ from inside regedit to give SYSTEM full access. After doing that also I was able to delete by corrupt keys. Good luck.
I’ve got the whole “Checking Package Manifests and catalogs” paragraph empty!
Thank you SO MUCH! Without your detailed instructions, my only option would have been to reinstall Windows (and I’d have needed help with that too). This was a much better solution!!!
Yes, it works. While enabling registry in system user mode, no need to download a tool though, go to the second page of that article and see how to change owner permissions. Rest all works.
Will this work for windows 10 home?
Thank you very much for these hints! With that I could fix the problem on my WIN7. Thank you!
Thank you for the article. My section “Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs” in the CheckSUR.log file is blank. Any ideas how to proceed?
I did everything but I can’t find any of the keys to delete in fact I don’t even have a Packages folder under Component Based Servicing. I also did several searches for a few of the keys I need to delete and couldn’t find them in the entire registry. I have 35 things listed with (f) and none of them were fixed I am assuming because they aren’t there. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
I CAN’T BELIEVE IT ACTUALLY WORKED!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO HEAVENS!
GOD BLESS YOU. AAAAA it gave me a nightmare
Hi,
Is there a windows 10 version of this fix as the system update readiness tool isn’t available?
My hero
This is great! You saved me weeks of time. Just was about to reinstall the system. Thanks a million!
Thanks you Raymond – It’s guru’s like you who take the time to write such precise instructions that are able to help those of us who bang our heads against the wall and frantically search for any shred of hope that will point us towards the solutions to our problems. Many other solutions I’ve researched only get us 3/4 of the way but only your method finally pushed all the way to completion. Keep it up, Kudos and thanks very much. GP.
Thank you! I’ve had this issue for about 1½ years!! It’s finally fixed :D
It fix the problem, thanks :-)
Thank you very much , after days trying to find a solution , your instructions are spot on.
regards
It worked!! Thank you so much!
I had tried all the other fixes with no luck. The last step was to restart the Windows Modules Installer service. For some reason it had changed from Automatic to Manual.
On a side note (for reference), I had tried uninstalling the most recent security update KB4022722. It didn’t fix the problem. I did NOT reinstall KB4022722 prior to following the above procedure. BTW I’m a “type B” updater (security only updates). The update that had caused the problem was KB2952664. I had previously installed and uninstalled it.
You are a WIZARD!!! <3
Thank you so much!
It is a shame Microsoft does not have a System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 8.1. i believe it could have fixed my Windows Features blank box . I tried the Vista and Windows 7 tools but it said they were not for my version of Windows. Thanks anyway. You did help many people.
enable “windows modules installer” in services worked for me
A big thank you! Worked like a charm :)
Wanted to remove internet explorer, but the features page was blank. I ran the readiness tool as described and that fixed the issue! Adios explorer.
Thanks!
Thank you so much, from all the post on the internet, this is the that really solves the issue. Maybe it’s worth to mention that, when dealing with the registry keys deletion, one of the ways to solve the issue when getting the cannot delete key error, it’s to change the ownership to yourself and give full control to the system account and to yourself over the key and then try to delete it agai
I am rarely post comments on any blog.. but this time, I swear to god that YOU SAVE MY LIFE dude!!
indeed it really work! after 2 days to figure out this error, finally it solves..
thank you again! may god bless you!
Hot damn.
I had zero confidence, but this worked – straight after deleting those registry keys, no restart even needed.
Thanks a heap
I took PCHunter64 to go onto, just to make it short, awesome, can’t belive that it’s solved my issue, to solve the other issue. :)
Thanks alot!!!!!!!
unbelievable, I spent so much time on microsoft pages trying many different things without any success.
Your blog is great, problem is solved, thanks a lot!
I dont normally leave messages but for you Raymond, you really deserve it. Telnet in cmd is pure love, man. Just couldnt live without it, I was so disappointed when the local IT sent me a replacement laptop without telnet.
When I demanded for telnet, they just keep on offering me a mfkin Putty. Not hating on Putty but come on, really? Anyway, Microsoft should (MUST!!!!) pay you for your great work and research.
Thank you so muuuuuuuuuuuch!!!!
The info here, and hours and hours, allowed me to fix the problem – in my case, had to modify somewhat the instructions – my ‘corruption’ was in the last part of Chksur – the Checking Component Watchlist section. Deleting keys in the registry section indicated seems to not be the solution as I guess the catalog and manifests are there.
I was able to fix most of the missing files using Microsoft Tech Net article by placing the .mum and .cat files into \windows\temp\checkSUR\servicing\packages and running Checksur again.
There was a .mum/.cat pair I couldn’t locate to replace, and I had to delete both the key in the section indicated in the article AND the same key in the PackageIndex hive (the immediately preceding key section ).
After doing this, magic – the missing Windows components appeared!
(See support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2700601 but there is a critical missing backslash in the instructions of the path to place the .mum/,cat files in…. also see
technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee619779(v=ws.10).aspx
Thank you very much for good explanation. Finally something works :-)
To fix this I found this page: computerstepbystep.com/windows_modules_installer_service.html
Check Windows Modules Installer is started. On my computer it was not. I started it and the problem was solved.
/Glenn
This was excellent and cleared me right up, thank you very much!
Thank you for this!
Worked like a charm, a lengthy process but it beats reloading.
Excellent solution. I have ” turn windows features on or off went blank.
(a) Downloaded from microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=20858
(b) Installed, (c) Then let the system boot.. In Control Panel clicked ” turn windows features on or off” and wala all the options popped up.
(d) Configured codeproject.com/Tips/365704/Install-IIS-on-Windows
Thanks Raymond CC and Piyush Singh. Now I ran Inetmgr. IIS is running. Happy camper.
I hardly ever post comments, but this was gold! Thanks, worked great.
Tip for others: To delete keys easier, give yourself ‘Full Control’ permission in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages if you are able to do so.
Thats worked for me..After instaling this te list gets populated.
It works!!!!!! Thank you guys a LOT!!!
Thanks a lot; worked perfectly on a TP Z61p..
This actually worked. Well done and thank you so much. The problem I had, for those it might affect, were particularly related it seems to a security update for .Net 3.5.1 – KB3135988.
From me, too: Thanks a lot!
btw: In Win 7 it is posible to change the permissions of registry entries without tools:
– just set yourself or admin group as owner
– then you can change permissions to “full” for yourself or admins
– now you can delete the key
With the two tools you mentioned in the other article, i cant see any subkeys under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing
I have Windows 8.1 and the same problem, can someone help me?
I dont now what to do. Tryed anything..
Respect! That worked well for me!
My respect to your instruction.
It worked also in the case of a laptop where the unresolved (f) lines in CheckSUR.Log read like
—
(f) CBS MUM Missing 0x00000002 servicing\Packages\Package_…~x.x.x.x.mum
—
because they weren’t any longer available according to CheckSUR.persist.log.
Deleting those keys (after exporting them to be on the safe side) for all
packages where later versions than x.x.x.x. existed resulted in reappearing
windows features again. And not in a crashed NT.
Great. Apologies, if this has yet been posted (no time to read all of them, online time is money for me, pardon).
One question remains: Why doesn’t Redmond publish solutions for its problems instead of shingi-bingi-install-again voodoo? Our lives will not last longer for the amount of time sacrificed for this deus ex machina.
Might there be some way of getting those components- in optional features- enabled or disabled without those alterations of the registry?
I dont need that screen per se. Only its functions
I did see the DIMS commands to be made at cmd.exe. but I think those might be only for windows 8 or 8.1. They all draw up error readings for me in Win 7 SP 1
Are there perhaps other ways?
This worked perfectly and was made easier by using the “Run as system tool” to delete the
offending registry keys. Thank You very much!
thanks so much
Cheers, worked wonders but bloody oath, I’ve never had to fight the registry as much as I did just now!
Legend.
You’re the best! Your standalone update program really works!!!!!! God bless!
Worked like a champ ! Nice job!
Thanks A lot Man. U saved my life. Worked perfectly
thanks so much deleting the corrupt registry worked
Thank you very much, Raymond! It works like a charm after deleting the offending registry entries. Microsoft own solution was not complete at all.
That a bit complex, but well expained instruction solved my problem.
No matter how many computers I do this on Im always back on this site. thanks so much for this fix. I wont bother saving this offline just to give you more views.
Yayyyy! A fix that actually worked without having to do a full reinstall! Thank u!
It worksssssssssss! IT’S LIVESSSSSSSS
Thank uh so much!!!!!!!!
Hi, I don’t see any error on the log but still don’t have list shown up in the feature window after restarting the remote connection. What else can I do?
just did as recommended, but, there were 69 errors and only 4 were fixed. now what?
Great Articles… Thank you… very much.
-Param
Fantastic !!
Thank you! It works perfectly.
The hotfix download worked. Thank you!
Install the update Windows6.1-KB947821-v34-x64. The problem disappeared, everything works.
Thank you so much. Greetings from Russia.
Thank you very much
THANK YOU MAN VERY MUCH
Great! It works!
This is working 100 percent and it is mind blowing
I worked after I installed the hotfix. Thank you so much!
Thank you – after many failed attempts this is the only thing that worked for me.
I could not delete the reg key without changing the Permissions on the key first (from the context menu) so SYSTEM has full control. But after deleting corrupt keys all is well.
EXCELLENT !!!!!!
Hello i managed to return the functionality only by opening another same brand pc (Acer Veriton X2630G) with Windows Features window open and exporting registry from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS the whole registry location “COMPONENTS” and importing the registry file to another failing Acer Veriton SFF machine and after restarting the Windows Features & Windows Update was working again!
OMG! This actually worked! Amazing! Even though it took me so much time to be able to get the necessary permissions. Thank you so much!
Thanks a lot!! I have been trying so many things to resolve this windows update issue and this one really works.
Thanks you so much.
installed the hot fix, checked the log, under”Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs” there are no errors and media center is still not in windows feature,
Thanks anyways
I used the Registrar Registry and was pleasantly surprised that it worked as I was doing this blindly after backing up the Registry. I tried the RunAsSystem but was not having much luck and nearly did not read the Registrar Method. Maybe this should be given as first (and possibly only solution as it is quick). This was my last try before attempting to reinstall Windows as I needed the IIS. I had tried everything (mostly in safe mode) but none seemed to have worked.
Thank you again and as a community we much appreciate it. Needless to say Microsoft is too big to care about these bugs.
thanks a lot !!! great post
Thank you! Worked perfectly!
I used the Registrar Registry Manager method, and it worked! Given all the other things I have tried, I am frankly amazed that it did; as soon as I completed deleting the corrupted files, I had immediate success. I am irritated with Microsoft that they do not reference this information on their website. Microsoft’s methods do not work. I’ve been trying to fix this problem for months and then came across this. Thanks so much!!!
It Works!!! Thank you so much!
Thanks a lot
I had 97 errors and had some problem to remove:
-Metod 1 (RunAsSystem): don’t show keys with error at all, so is impossible to delate
-Metod 2 – don’t remove, complicate
-Metod 3 (Registrar Registry Manager) -perfect
-Metod 4 (Manually Edit Registry permissions) give error and don’t allow me to change permition
Kris
I ran the readiness tool and rebooted but no errors in log. My Feature list is still blank.
Thank you anyway for posting. This did help me fix another instance of the same issue.
Pure Genius, It works man. Many Thanks for saving many people a lot of trouble n headache..
It really works!!!
I have been trying to fix this windows features blank screen for a year and a half and thanks to you it is back :)
Thank you so much
Rubi
It worked!
Installing KB2749655 worked great on W7!
Size is 0.3 MB compared to 228 MB for the System Update Readiness Tool.
Patch: support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2749655
THX! it works
GENIUS! Worked perfectly when nothing else would.
Thanks so much!
Thank You.
After following instructions from one web site then another, including Microsoft’s, your instructions, the problem is fixed.
Thank you again.
Tony B.
Thanks
Done
But Checking Package Manifests and catalogs was empty and a line was under Package Catalogs only.
i deleted it and the problem was fixed!
Good for the successful troubleshooters – but for me not so much. My registry does not have “Packages” at the lowest level – only a folder called “Versions”. I searched in the Registry for “Packages” – no joy. Am I to ADD an empty “Packages” folder to my Registry? Does this article cover Win7 SP1 as well? Maybe the Packages folder is called something else in my Registry. Comments and guidance appreciated – I’d rather fix this than do a fresh Win7 install…
I have this issue but none of the suggestions work for me.
The command sfc /scannow refuses to complete even in admin command window.
Nor does “reg delete HKLM\COMPONENTS /v StoreDirty”
SUR installed a hotfix but still nothing shows up int the windows features dialogue.
System restore does not work either.
CheckSUR.log does not show anything that is unfixed.
Are there any other solutions to this issue?
MickM,Use the registry fix he has suggested. I tried ALL of what you have tried among other things to try to fix the windows features being blank. I just finished his registry fix solution and it totally worked! it took me about 4 days to figure it out (registry fix solution),but it did work perfectly. I had 26 registry errors to fix for the darn thing. Thanks Mr Raymond,although it was a tedious and long process it did work as you stated.
Addition: Yikes!
Summary:
Seconds executed: 2109
Found 75661 errors
Fixed 20 errors
CSI Payload File Missing Total count: 20
Fixed: CSI Payload File Missing. Total count: 20
CBS Registry Error Total count: 1
CBS Watchlist Package Missing Total count: 30803
CBS Watchlist Component Missing Total count: 44837
In my CheckSUR file, there was nothing under “Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs”, but there was one package under “Checking Packages”. I decided, at my own discretion, to delete this package anyway (after making a backup, of course). To my great surprise, it worked as if it should have! Great thanks for the explanation, man!
This worked for me too!! I had no errors under “Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs” … but I had 2 errors under “Checking Packages”. Deleted those two registry entries and voila!!! THANK YOU!!
I went through the process and this did FIX it, thank you.
Removed KB3032323 from registry which showed up as not fixed in my CheckSUR.log file but the feature list is still blank.
System restore did the job for me. None of these were necessary for me.
hello John, did the process, but I am in doubt, it is also error ,for me these are appeared
Checking Packages
(f) CBS MUM Missing 0x00000002 servicing\Packages\Package_1_for_KB3009736~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.0.mum
(f) CBS MUM Missing 0x00000002 servicing\Packages\Package_for_KB3009736_SP1~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.0.mum
(f) CBS MUM Missing 0x00000002 servicing\Packages\Package_for_KB3009736~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.0.mum
Thanks man, this worked like a charm..
Thanks for posting this! It is a bit tedious and I always hate playing with the registry, but your steps are thorough and accurate. Following the link for manually setting permissions was also necessary to delete the key that was causing the error. Those worked well too.
I followed this guide yesterday, there was one key in the registry I had to give myself full control of to delete from the log, after that it was fixed. Thank you.
Thank you very much for this article. Purchased new PC (Custom Built W7 64) and had this issue right out of the box. Found the culprits and it worked right away. All I needed to do was take ownership of the registry files I wanted to delete (Last option/page 2 on link page for registry editing, Ownership and add to Admin, deleted file(s)) and it worked.
I use telnet often and even trying to add it via command line didn’t work until I found this page.
Thank you for this information, this is the ultimate fix.
This worked for me…
Not only did it restore the Windows Features Options check-boxes, but more importantly it restored the list of Windows Updates installed on my Vista laptop, because I wanted to uninstall KB3013455 from last week (until they get it right!!) – which messed up my fonts.
All now sorted – thanks.
Thank you so much for the clue with C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CheckSUR.log
I deleted all the keys connected to the corrupted update and problem solved.
Running sfc /scannow idd doesnt help.
Installed the SUR, rebooted and tried optionalfeatures.exe. Still empty.
Under C:\Windows\Logs\CBS there is no CheckSUR.log, only a CBS.log
Tried to install Windows6.1-KB2749655-x64.msu as suggested above, but to no avail. It said it wasn’t suited for my system (Win 7 ultimate SP1 Build 7601).
I’m running out of options, especially the options to change windows features ;-): because there are none at the moment.
Any other suggestions are still welcome.
Thanks a lot! It works!
if deleting the RegKeys does not work (insufficient Rights etc), Run RegEdit as administrator
Take ownership of the specific Key, After that Grant full control permissions to the Administrator.
After these steps you can delete de RegKeys
The option number 5 working for me Thanks excellente support page / La opcion numero cin co trabajo para mi Gracias Excelente pagina de apoyo.
Guillermo PUERTO RICO
Thanks, dude! Great work !!!! All works !!!!
If nothing works above, try download and install Windows6.1-KB2749655-x64.msu, restart the pc.
Happened to me
this one work for me, after failed following raymond suggestion. thank you VenumadhavK.
I did not detect any errors but I still do not load are out the window. Who can help me with
Your links for Vista-32-bit and Vista-64-bit are swapped. Should probably fix that so as to not confuse anybody.
Thanks, it’s fixed now. Those pages used to be correct but for reasons known only to Microsoft, they switched them around.
Great! Worked for me.
It worked for me. However I had to use the 3rd party registry editor to delete the keys. Both RunAsSystem and PSExec didn’t work. They did run regedit but when I looked in task manager the user column didn’t have an entry and the packages parent key was almost empty (no read permission probably). While my normal user account (local admin) did allow me to see all the packages (sub keys) but not delete them.
Thank you
Phil
OMG! It works! THANK YOU RAYMOND! You are great! – thanx, and thanx, and thanx!!!!!
Worked for me, too!!! My log showed the following. I set user as EVERYONE and full permissions for that folder, deleted the keys I could find, and it worked!!! Now hoping I can resolve my other updating issues.
Package_1_for_KB2952664~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.5.3
Package_1_for_KB2968294~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
Package_2_for_KB2968294~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
Package_2_for_KB3000061~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2 (didn’t find it)
Package_3_for_KB2952664~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.5.3
Package_3_for_KB2968294~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
Package_3_for_KB3000061~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2 (didn’t find it)
Package_for_KB2952664_SP1~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.5.3
Package_for_KB2952664~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.5.3
Package_for_KB2968294_SP1~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
Package_for_KB2968294~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.1
Package_for_KB3000061_SP1~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2 (didn’t find it)
Package_for_KB3000061~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.1.1.2 (didn’t find it)
Well, crud. What happens when you run it and open the log, and there aren’t any errors…but Windows Features still won’t populate?
(Don’t say it…don’t say it…) :: shudders ::
Reinstall the OS.
My logfile reported “Summary: Seconds executed: 6345. No errors detected”
But it also said “check key to be repaired: wcm://Microsoft-Windows-CoreOS?blahblahblahblah&VersionScope-nonSxS&scope=allusers\metadata\elements\computername”
Running SFC before indicated that I have a corrupt sxs.dll file (corrupt straight from my retail disk – as I extracted it to replace the bad one…but had the same outcome). If this solution avoided checking the SideBySide portion of my OS installation (&versionscope=nonsxs)…and this is a known problem…could that be why I still cannot populate my Windows Features window?
This is so frustrating. I really hoped this would be the magic solution.
Thanks mate, good trick
Worked like a charm. Took a while due to many registry entries which needed to be deleted, but worth the effort and time. Thanks.
I, MGP, being of sound mind and body, in declaring my last will and testament, do hereby bequeath all my worldly goods to whomever it was that figured out a solution that WORKS! Especially since I was close to being “not of sound mind” after trying so many suggested fixes that didn’t fix.
Gotta run. (Gotta find out the process for nominating someone for sainthood.) :-)
Thanks again!
Thanks for the article, helped me a lot!
Thank you! Been so frustrated with a brand new Lenovo w540. WIth your fix, I can finally select Windows components. Should have started with that rather than loading other programs I need, would have been easier to restore/reinstall Windows. So glad you posted this.
Very good job! This worked for me as well.
Great work! I’m glad I stumbled across this site after going through the dozens of other sites listing fixes that don’t work.
Got the permissions to work – but after deleting the registry entries – Turn Windows Features On or Off is still blank
You are great!
GREAT!
After more than a week and became to be crazy….your solutions works!!!!
Thank you!!
This works ( unlike sfc ). Many thanks.
You are a genius. This was killing me! Thanks!!
It works!
I got sidetracked because I didn’t see “CBS MUM Corrupt” but only “CBS MUM Missing”. After rerunning the System Update Readiness Tool the rather extensive log was reduced to three lines with unfixed packages. Deleting those three did it. Thanks!
We had same issue and got it fixed.
On the machine having issue we found that HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages\ was empty and had no values
So we exported the reg file from another similar machine from the same path. and imported to the affected machine after taking the appropriate registry permission.
And we got it fixed and working after the import
So, what are the values?
Started to get discouraged as none of the solution worked until I tried Registrar. I got past the blank window, but I still can’t turn on Windows features – DISM says that “The referenced assembly could not be found”. So much for Windows 7 being stable.
Really really really thank you; if i had found this solution earlier i would not have had spent 8 hours nonstop trying to solve the problem, thanks very very much!
It does work~ Thanks a lot.
Thankyou so much,it worked.browswer hack in ie,but box was blank.now i have switched off iexplorer.thanks again
THANK YOU! Downloaded the Registrar Registry Manager Software (Home Edition) and deleted the corrupt files. I had been experiencing .NET Framework v2.0 errors on Windows 7. Now I can finally see the .NET Framework 3.5.1 stuff under Windows Features on/off.
Again, many thanks!
Thanks very much! Your solution really helps!
After some hours googling and trying, this one Worked very well.
A “Solved” in my case.
Brilliant, elegant, and perfect screen shots.
Works absolutely perfect.
Thanky you for this How-To.
worked for me.
thank you very much. 4 days waisted and did this in 20 minutes.
deleting the keys took ages though
Brilliant!
Thanks for all the answers given. I had the same issue with FOUR NEW Win 7 PRO installs… both the 32 and 64 bit versions. I do not know why this is happening – I guess is one of those MS “gotchas”.
Thanks for a wonderful forum.
Best regards to all,
Nestor
I agree with Fabio – it worked, but I had to use the Register Registrar Manager (the other tools wouldn’t delete the keys) and I had to delete all the related values in other keys.
TRY THIS FIX: Windows6.1-KB947821-v31-x64.msu
My system works fine after this update
Thanks Raymond,
I have been trying to update a new install of Win7 x64 to SP1 for a couple of weeks. I thought the issue was DotNet related. However I noticed that the Features list was blank and applied your fix. Now I have a features list and I am installing SP1. A far better solution than another wipe and reload!
This just made my day, worked like a champ.
AHH FINALLY! it works! thank You so much for this article
You made my day, and saved me from a complete new Windows-Setup !
Beside the feature-list issue, it resolved another widespread problem with IE-Update to newer version not working.
The System Update Readiness Tool was the solution, where sfc /scannow failed to do the job.
Works like a Charm. Many Thanks for the excellent and comprehensive instructions.
A very effective fix. I can confirm this works 100% – and, as others have noted, is much easier/quicker than the alternative Windows reinstall. Many thanks!
Cool!!! I didn’t believe it will help before starting but it works! Thanks a lot. Great article!
hi,
I am trying your fix however HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\Packages\
is empty yet I have a massive list in the log file
WOW that was a great solution. I’ve stumbled into this article while trying to to fix the 9C47 error – unable to upgrade to IE11 on W7 SP1.
It really worked, I’d only add that not only I had to remove the KEYS in the registry, I had also to delete all the VALUES referring to the corrupt packages (copying and pasting their names from the CheckSUR.log file, to the regedit “find” box).
Thanks!
This is the great advice!
Thanks! Not only did it fix my empty list issue, but it also resolved installed updates not showing and my WSUS server thinking the PC needed IE9 even though it was already installed!
Rocks.. Works perfect now..Thank You…
Absolutely no need to do re-install
This article seems to be working for most W7 user but it didn’t work for me. Can anyone help?
I’m using Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 3 and the System Update Readiness tool didn’t work for me. It didn’t show any issues in the log file, and the Windows Features is still blank.
WOW IT`S WORK 100% Terima Kasih :D
Bravo Dude … it works like charm
Totally awesome, fixed a problem where Vista wouldn’t update. Microsoft’s only solutions were the System Update Readiness Tool and if that didn’t work an in-place upgrade. But with SP2 installed there was no way to do an in-place upgrade without uninstalling SP2, as the only Vista disks I have are SP1, and the list of Windows Updates was blank, so I couldn’t uninstall it. I thought I was going to have to do a complete format and reinstall, which I didn’t want to do. This fix cured the blank Windows Update page, but also cured the issue that caused updates to fail so I no longer needed to uninstall SP2 and do the in place upgrade. I can’t thank you enough!!
THANKS! Worked like a charm. This also fixed a very annoying problem where KB2676562 was being installed over and over again by windows update. I can’t even tell you how many different solutions I tried to fix that one.
Thanks, It worked after installing the Update.
WORKED LIKE A CHARM! Thanks!!!!
Thanks it worked
Absolutely wonderful! thank you!
thanks mate, that’s awesome, fixed my issues.
Regards, Pat.
This did the voodoo that you do!
Thanks!
worked like a charm. been struggling with this for days until I saw this article
Thank ! You solved my empty list problem !
Thank you, my problem was solved. I used the Registrar Registry Manager and it worked.
Thanks – worked for me too.
Raymond,you are a saint. works well, thank you.
Thanks, very helpful!!
Nice, works again. Thanks for this posting.
Thank you very much!!
finally was able to get the box to show the features. in my case, only Registrar Registry Manager worked.
Thank You Raymond. Great to get something that follows the problem from start to finish.
worked for me, thank you so much!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
Found a different fix, so if this one above and the other common fixes don’t work, give this a shot.
This and all the other articles did not help me, but there was a note that referenced using DISM. This tool threw an error message 0x800b0101
C:\Windows\system32>dism /online /Get-Features /format:table
The sent me on the track to look for MS updates that had certificates that were out of date. I found on and fixed it with these articles. (note setting the time back get the “Turn Windows Features on or off” working for me too, but now it works all the time.
windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows7/windows-update-error-800b0101
resque.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/deployment-image-servicing-and-management-dism-exe/
-> Security… the great dis-abler….
Kind Regards Chris
Wow, never expect too much that this solution will actually solve my problem as I have tried out tons of solution which did not work. Good solution, keep up your good work! Work like a CHARM :)
Right on man! Worked for me!
I didn’t have to use the 3rd party registry editor though. I just took ownership of the key and i was able to make permission modifications.
wow! Registrar Home v7 is a great and powerful tool! I like the way it worked! Thank you for the walkthroughs. Now maybe I can update media center and internet explorer in Windows 7. IE10 and 11 are the safest browsers at the moment.
Thank you very much!
I was realy amazed when after 100 found solutions that weren’t useful, Your one solve my problem.
In my case deleting register keys was an option.
THANK YOU
thank you so much! it saved me a lot of time!
Works Like a charm,
-Thanks a Ton!!!
Excellent …
i tried Windows Update but it the problem still.
but when followed this great article it got fixed.
You save me re-install windows.
thanks a lot
I thank you very much Raymond, you have really sorted me out. I couldn’t delete the registry easily and had to go to the other article you linked here and finally the 4th try , Manually Edit Registry permissions, got me sorted. I have bookmarked you blog. It’s easily to follow and isn’t overwhleming with techie speak. I’m happy to say my Windows Features are now populated, yipee!
Wow. I’d love to know how you figured out this fix. Needless to say, even though I had to take manual possession of every problematic registry key to delete them, as neither PSExec or RunAsSystem worked for me, I was successful in getting my Win7 box fixed with your instructions. Great job. Thanks a bunch.
Thank you so much! Have been scouring the internet to get a fix for days now!
Remarkably excellent article. Easy to follow – screen views absolutely match what I came up with following the directions. I did not have to go any further than step three to get the Windows features window to open with a list of services.
Awesome guide. Seriously, awesome. Fixed my issue! Kudos to you.
Great Article
Great JOB
Thanks…
WOW amazing, I tried everything – this fix works and the guide is so comprehensive.
Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
Outstanding article. Detailed, ACCURATE, instructions for fixing this obscure problem. Many thanks.
Hello Raymond,
You did a VERY good job! That’s the kind of articles I like – it’s based on a deeper knowledge and not just on ‘try this or try that’. Your article has helped me in fixing one of a couple of problems on my neighbor’s PC… In the end, it indirectly helped me to finally upgrade from IE9 to IE10 on that Windows 7 (64 bit) system.
Thank you very much and keep up the good work!
Guido
This fixed my issue…thanks!
thanks a lot for the posting! i got my defragmenter back.
The RunAsSystem didn’t work for me because when I ran the regedit command using this tool the packages didn’t show up in the registry for some reason. I just took ownership of the keys (right click – permisssions) then gave myself full access and was able to delete it. That worked!
Thanks…
Great work !
Belay last. Apparently 7th time is the charm. Populated list now.
Raymond you are the best. It’s been 3 days that I’m working to get back optional features reappears but nothing of the solutions of Microsoft works neither the sfc /scannow. Anyway, I have tried all the solutions even WINFIX who says it has been fixed; you restart your computer and nothing the list is still empty!
Your solution was the hardest but effective. The most difficult is to delete the corrupted registry because of the permissions. Anyway your solutions saved me.
Thanks a lot Raymond and BRAVO!
I love you! It worked! Hurrrrayyyyyyyyyy! ^^
It worked. Thank you so much Raymond.
Great help, thank you very much!
It worked ,,,, thanks a lot.
Microsoft’s solutions did not work
AWesome! I spent so much time trying to fix it, but nothing worked.. Except this one! Thanks a ton
Thank you very much. Your solution worked perfectly. I’m very impressed with your knowledge and troubleshooting ability.
thanks again,
Don
I just needed a little extra patience. The hotfix finally worked. I took a long time, but it worked.
THANKS.
Success!!! Thank-you!!!
Raymond… your facts and knowledge are infinitely admired.
AWESOME dude!!! My Windows feature list has shown now! Thanks
This not only fix my features problem but also the problem while upgrading to windows 7 sp1….
Many Thanks to you!!!!!!
Keep up the great work!
It’s working 100%. Great solution. Many thanks, you are STAR.
You rock man you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you’re just incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very much.
Great job.
A big thank again
Ohh my god, this actually works…
Every site of microsoft i checked and nothing worked, but this really works.
You helped me so much, thank you !!!
You saved my day guy.
Thank you!
Yeah! You’re the man! THANKS SO MUCH!!
Awesome job man, big thanks to you!!!
Microsoft tech. guys should learn from you. Awesome!
Thank you so much. I followed the procedure patiently and had to manually delete 23 corrupt registry entries. I’m happy the hard work paid off!
Thank you SO SO SO much!
I have been bashing my head on the keyboard for 2 weeks on this one.
You are AWESOME!!!
DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u ROCK! did this with very high doubts, but it worked!!!!!
thanks,
Thank you thank you! It took so long to find a fix I have forgotton why I went to Win features in the first place!!!!
First time that I have been able to use a pure MS tool to actually repair a MS product! Incredible.
Thanks!!
I had the same problem with W7…and thanks to your instructions, the list is displayed again
a big thank you.
Thank you!!!
This was the only thing that work.
Very useful solution. Thanks
Worked!! You good man, you!
Brilliant! A bit tedious, but worked for me. Win 7 Ultimate SP7
Holy crap, it worked! I’m so used to using Microsoft articles to try and fix stuff, and they never work I was shocked, surprised, almost giddy with excitement when the list started to populate.
Wow – thank you so much.
Was a bit of work, but now its fine!
merci!
Thanks a lot. I was searching for this solution for a long time. This worked for me.
You sir should be payed big bucks by M$ for fixing the crap they can’t figure out.
Thanks a lot….
it works for me also
You are a god, thank you so much i tried at least 6 solutions and was ready to give up
You saved me hours! Thank you!
Worked for me too! Thanks a bunch!
excellent instructions, thanks
I can’t believe this actually worked for me! Thank you so much for this!
an explanation i could make sense of! thanks. this should be posted on Microsoft site…..they need help explaining things!
Your solution fixed a Windows Update problem which was preventing Internet Explorer 9 from installing correctly. Kept failing to update 3 patches for IE8 and IE9.
Windows 7 hiccuped on the migration from IE8 to IE9 leaving no means of installing/uninstalling/reinstalling etc. hence a blank Windows Features menu.
Windows update immediately started working again after running your fix.
Great solution, well documented. Bravo.
Worked for me!! Now if I could find the errors for no sound….
Works for me………..a thousand thanks
Add me to the list of grateful.
Amazing…. This worked perfectly. Surprisingly, it didn’t even need a restart.
Well done. This (deleting corrupted registry entries), fixed it, when so many other alleged solutions didn’t.
THANK YOU!!!
AMAZING! This has worked a treat.
THANK YOU :-)
Works like a miracle.
Respect!
(Windows Vista Home Basic, SP2, Ver.6.0)
It did it. Great job. Perfectly described! Thx.
Thanks, it worked!! Perfect!
Ran Windows6.1-KB947821-v22-x64 on WIn7 64. Worked perfectly. Thank You!
You are AWESOME! worked after deleting reg keys
Works for me (Windows 7, 32 Bit). Thanks so much
Would just like to add my own note of thanks. Took me ages messing around with other solutions, but this one worked like a charm. Scary changing the reg, but your step be step instructions aid off. Thank you!
DUDE! Totally Awesome +1 to you!
Thank you so much for finding this fix. I had to delete over 70 registry (so much permission setting! >.<) but it worked in the end. You the best!
Thanks a ton. This worked.
Working fine dude
You sir, are a god damn star! I wish i had found this post 6 months ago. Awesome, works a treat. THANK YOU SO MUCH DUDE.
Thanks a million, this fixed the issue
System Update Readiness Tool Solved the problem for me. Thank you very much for your great help.
Nice work Raymond. This did the trick. Thanks for taking the time to post this!
This worked AMAZINGLY well. Not only fixed the Features window but also finally allowed me to install an update that kept failing ! So much thanks!
Great… did work for me. I have windows 7 home basic 64 bit
Hello Raymond. Thanks for the information. However, I had to go through a few more steps to get this working, and wanted to contribute some information I found while resolving this issue.
After finding the error messages in the CheckSUR.log, and deleting the relevant registry entries I was still getting an empty “Windows Features” window after rebooting. I went to the Microsoft site, and downloaded the related patch that was showing the error in the CheckSUR.log, and then used this file to delete this ‘fix’ from my system using a elevated-privilege command prompt and the command:
wusa /uninstall (e.g., C:\Temp\Windows_xxxx_KBxxxx)
Once uninstalled, I rebooted and now my “Windows Features” window has returned.
Thanks for putting me on the right track, and hopefully others may find help with these extra steps if the above doesn’t completely fix their issue.
S
Thanks, man! It worked!! Amazing :))
Works after running Windows6.0-KB947821-v4-x86.msu.
Thanks a million.
It worked, thanks a lot
It works for Windows 7(32-Bit)
Thank you so much for this post. You are a savior!
Thank you SO MUCH, this saved me having to restore… seriously, THANK you.
Worked like a charm; thank you very much!
Worked for me on windows 7 :o)
Thanks Ray it worked.
Thanks a lot you are genius :) ..
Raymond CC – you are the man! I spent 2 evenings trawling the web for solutions till i found this. Thank you.
You are my hero, this actually worked, after trying just about everything else available on the Net!
thanks Ray! worked for me.
You are the man!
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much Raymond! The last part worked for me and the guide for Full control as well. Thank you!
Solution did work- I can see windows features.
Qba
Thank you so much!! The only solution that worked! You saved me.
great. problem solved.
Spot on, the only bit of advise that I have found to work on this! Thanks
Excellent! Fixed problem with failing Windows Update as well as the Turn Windows Features On or Off box being empty!
After pulling out my hair I found this information. I had a corrupt CBS file so I granted myself full rights and… Presto! deleted the reg link, ie9 was then visible, uninstalled it. Good to go! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Great Post, solution worked for me :D
Great solution, it worked perfect for me, i’m runnig w7.
thanks
Excellent Article. Thanks so much!
it work!!! thank you!
Absolute hero. This had me stuck for days! Thank you
Wow…didn’t expect it to work but it did. Thanks a lot!
Worked for me when all other steps had failed – deleted 2 registry keys as identified in the log and add/remove populated.
wonderful, worked perfectly, it has also sped up the system immensely
Thanks a lot, this worked for me on Win 7 SP1 x86!
Thank you so much it worked perfectly!
Excellent article… worked for me!
Perfect! Thanks Raymond
Thank you, Raymond! This worked perfectly. I followed your instructions carefully and found a corrupt entry (which I deleted) and now I see things to activate instead of a blank screen! Happiness followed. I would buy you lunch if I could!
Success!!!!
Raymond…You are a genius, truly!!!!
Thank you so much for all this!
Just fixed my issues by manually removing problematic features.
Guys this works 100%.
One more thing to add:
Check “Unavailable repair files:” section in CheckSUR.log cause even though it had (f) it could not find repairs for those. So went in a removed the packages as Raymond suggested and voila!
Thank you so much Raymond!
Worked beautifully. Thanks Raymond
It worked perfectly. Tedious? Yes. Time consuming? Yes (at least a bit). Worth it. Very much so.
Worked beautifully! I don’t usually comment on the repairs I find on forums like these but this tutorial fixed a very annoying problem with ease. Very well written, detailed instructions. I will be sure to check your repair posts FIRST in the future. Thank you thank you thank you!
Wow , never thought i would have to use this method today. Did everything like you said and it works brilliantly. What a relief. Good tool to have in my usb toolbox. Thanks for this tip Ray. :)
Thanks – worked straight off with no registry changes
This has also fixed another long-standing headache of mine: the inability to uninstall the release candidate of IE9. Since running this fix I now have the IE9 release candidate listed in Windows Updates to uninstall, which I did not have before. So this fix should be posted to the many forum posts where people are having that problem. Thanks again.
Thanks for this blog post – it is the only solution that actually worked and much more helpful than Microsoft’s sfc /scannow which they think is the answer to everything!
Awesome Mate It Works…
I Tried In Windows 7 x64 …I Had Same Problem Its Fixed Now Because Of You.. :D
Thanks A Lot..
First Time regedit Was unable to delete files after giving permission also but later i deleted it using Tune Up Utilities 2010 Registry Editor.. :D
Hey, thanks for this well explained solution. Works perfect and does not require a system restore.
thanks a lot buddy it worked for me
Thank you so much. The first method with download and update, resolve a problem.
Respect …
Hadn’t thought of using the Update Readiness Tool to troubleshoot. Thanks, your how-to gave me the tools to fix the issue for a friend.
Paul
registered user 515705
Raymond,
Great post! My problem was getting a Service Pack installed. This fix allowed me to do that. The more I have to do these types of things to Windows, the more I want a Mac.
J
You are THE MAN ;)
Being lazy and sceptical I tried the “sfc.exe /scannow” and not only did it fix the error of windows features w empty list, it fixed a general update issue w my Vista Ultimate Windiw update. Thanks a lot!
Many Many Thanks, that worked for me.
It sorted a few other problem out as well, I can now see a lot more installed programs/updates.
Thank you so much for posting this and help people, nice one, cheers :-) thumbs up :-)
Yan
excellent article and it worked!! Thanks for info
Thanks for the solution dude………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Microsoft support sucks.. their technicians are sleeping i guess :D
Thank you for the Solution. Worked like a charm in windows 7.
Genius, many thanks.
Running the update did not work, but deleting the registry keys (after taking ownership of the key from system) fixed the problem.
YOU ARE THE BEST ! ! !
100% working perfect ! ! !
Thank you so much !!!!! I was about to reinstall Win 7 when I came to this page.
Hi all, mine was vista home premium showing blank, but the logs file was showing “checking package manifest and catalogs” was also vacant(no errors). But “checking component store” was having 5 errors with their detailed summary report at bottom. So i found those 5 files and deleted them which worked for me. It was also having (w) along with (f), deleted (w) as well. only deleting (f) didn’t worked. Use ctrl+f in notepad find corrupt. copy whole file name and go to registry ctrl+f paste and delete as above procedure(which saves time). I wasted 3 days behind these but finally solved. THANKS a lot Raymond
this fixed it i just run that update file and don’t even restart my computer and it was fixed thanks a a lot
Great article. One helpful suggestion:
Run the Windows tool once, then delete or backup the CheckSUR.log file.
Run the Windows tool again. Now the CheckSUR.log file will only contain items NOT fixed.
Thank you so much for this fix!
It is slightly ironic that Microsoft failed to mention their own program in the KB article, but I’m glad you discovered it nonetheless!
Thank you! This also worked for me! You rock!
woo hoo! you are my hero!
Thank you, this solved my problem.
You are great if you are the original author of this article. It fixed my problem easier. Microsoft Kb article to resolve the same problem seems useless. I solute you!!!
Thanks!! Worked for me without having to go to the log file. Spent 3 hours trying Microsoft fixes and this worked in 15 minutes.
Thanks!! worked for me as well….wow..
I have Windows 7 64bit and your suggestion of downloading the System Update Readiness Tool from Microsoft worked, after I had already tried the other suggestions from Microsoft with no success. I wonder why MS didn’t suggest their program that actually fixes the issue?
Thanks for the correct answer!
Thank you! This solved my problem, when the MS KB article did not.
Thanks again!
I have windows 7 64 bit and ……
EXELLENT!!!
This guide has solved my problem.
Thanks
I’ve been rending my hair out about this all morning with Microsoft’s non-working fixes, finally found this solution and it fixed it straight away. Thanks so much!
(Win7 x64)
Ahh Reymond,
Amazing, this is the answer I’ve been searching for, you’re solution just saved me having to rebuild my machine.
Many thanks!
Many thanks, Reymond!
The problem is solved thanks to your detailed recommendations. You – well done!
Windows 7 Professional x64 [Version 6.1.7600]
THANK YOU!! this fixed it for me.
i can’t believe Microsoft’s solution to so many problems is either “System Restore” (which i have no interest in using) or “reinstall”.
When launching Checksur it was stuck at “searching for updates on this computer” and no log files were generated. Found this post to brute force it:
social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservermanager/thread/0ca90e27-251f-4ddb-9cc9-0484d9bace84/#504493e7-e56b-4b54-a0f3-d824ecbaacaa
Logs were generated, found the corrupt registry key, deleted and Bob’s your Uncle. Features are now showing up.
Ahhhhh! It’s a beautiful thing. Worked for me after several hours Googling and following MS KBs. Thank you.
Not only did this fix the Vista SP1 32 bit Windows Features problem, it actually let me install Vista SP2 and got Windows Update to work again! Thanks so much!
I am really thankful to you for providing this solution. I was almost ready to format my own system. Many thanks again!!
Dude, worked like a charm. You rock! thanks for coming through with a solution. Microsoft didn’t have crap about trying this, nor did any other sources. Seriously awesome, worked great!
Fantastic, worked for me when nothing else did
Thanks so much! I’ve been struggling with this problem for a while, but this worked perfectly. :)
You’re the man. Thanks!!!
Thanks mate, it worked to me as well on 64 bits.
Cheers
Thanks man! Worked on Win 7 64-bit after running update, removing reg entries and then running update again. Results showed nothing under Checking Package Manifests and Catalogs after second time.
Thanks mate your a star!
Worked perfect – thanks heaps!!
You fixed it! The Windows Support fixes all failed – including running the checksur.exe that was already installed in Windows. But your fix worked. I didn’t even need to edit the registry – just running the System Update Readiness Tool did the job.
Thanks!!!
Thank you so much, you saved my mental sanity!
Luis
Wow. Thanks.
You’re the man! After hours googling this article actually solved my problem!
Thank you! Awesome
Man that was asome…needed to delete a lots of corupted registry but finally worked. U are a genious…
Thanks!
works!!
Worked for me as well. Sweet, thanks so much!!!
It worked fine for me. I have been working on that for weeks. You are the best….
A Wonder, thanks a lot!!!
amazing…
thanks
Thank you so much. You saved my life.
Awesome fix for this issue. I had formatted my machine and still had this error.
Minor snag I ran into was taking ownership of the offending keys before I deleted them.
Otherwise, this was bang on the money.
Many Thanks Again.
Bravo good sir.
Were Microsoft failed you succeeded. Writing a decent “how to” that actually works! This issue had be stumped I was about to reformat before I stumbled across this page.
Thank you Raymond!!
Thank you very much. I have problem again with windows feature on or off blank in windows 7 64 bit. I have follow instruction step from 1 until 4 but didn’t work. after I follow step from 5 until 8 refer to this article, the issue solved.
Thanks
Azkachan
Thanks for your help. Installing Windows6.1-KB947821-v7-x64 solved my problem.
Its works after changing registry size:
In Windows, click Start > Run…
In the Run window, type ‘regedit’. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control.
In the ‘Registry Editor’ dialog box, double-click on ‘RegistrySizeLimit’. This opens the ‘Edit DWORD Value’ dialog box.
In the ‘Edit DWORD Value’ dialog box, enter ffffffff as the ‘Hexadecimal’ value. Click on the ‘Decimal’ radio button, and enter 4294967295 as the ‘Decimal’ value. Click OK.
Reboot the machine.
Log in as an Administrator and open a Command Prompt and run ‘SFC /SCANNOW’.
Thanks!
Worked like a charm for me! Thanks.
Had to go all the way, including manually deletion of registry keys.
Fixed another (and probably related) problem for me: The list of installed windows updates came up blank before this fix.
WOW! Thank you! worked and I have saved this incase I ever need this again for fixing someones computer.
I agree Microsoft’s solutions on frustrated me, they didnt work. They need to post a link to this!
Thank you very much for this article
I Want to active telnet feature in windows 7 proff 64 bit.
but, the display turn windows feature on or off is blanks.
After i follow until step 4, the display is appear
I choose the download “All supported x64-based versions of Windows 7”
Thank you
Regards
Azkachan
work for me
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows
set CSDVersion to 0 and reboot
SUPERB!
Just want to say a big THANK YOU!!
I had so many problems with Vista SP1 not allowing me to install SP2 & other updates – followed your basic instructions and everything went smoothly, no hassles at all!!
Top man!
Thanks again!
thanks a ton..
It worked for me…..
Wow! God knows how long searching then I stumble across this. Worked first time. Brilliant! Now if only Microsoft would list this instead of the crap they have!
worked perfectly. Thank you very much.
Finally – this worked perfectly! Thank you thank you thank you!
After combing the internet for a solution for this issue, I came upon your site.
Your solution was easy to understand and straight forward. I followed it step by step and it worked!!!
Now I am not the only one in the office not playing the games :)
Thank you Raymond.
Excellent solution. Works like a charm on Win 7 enterprise!
I didnt have to tweak the registry. Just the readiness update! Thanks buddy!!
many thanks, fixed my problem. that was annoying, and its great to find a comprehensive article that sorts it! :)
What can I say, words fail me, absolutely brilliant!
Man…it worked !!! Fantabulous! after 7 hours of struggle I found this forum…thank you Raymond!
Wow, excellent guide! I was having this problem on Windows 7 32-bit ever since my PC was abruptly turned off during a power outage. Followed through and found a corrupted Windows Update listed in the CheckSUR.log. After removing it from the Registry, everything is working again! :) Thanks!!
I don’t know how many hours that I searched to resolve this situation with Vista. I was almost resigned to reinstall, then I came across your advice. This worked like a charm, along with the article re setting full control permissions. Not for the faint of heart that don’t want to or cannot edit registries. But, this is THE ANSWER!! Thanks Raymond. You need to sell this to Microsoft.
ps. security update kb975561 for Movie Maker 6 was the culprit. About a dozen (f) I had to delete. Once I did, P&F back to normal.
Freakin Genius! Thanks ALOT dude
Thanks, Raymond. I followed your instructions and they worked. One thing I noticed: The log file can point to some keys that don’t exist; at least I couldn’t find them. Once I deleted the ones I could find, the Windows Features dialog worked like a charm.
Why can’t Microsoft have this on their site? Their instructions are a headache for fixing this.
Thank you very much Raymond!
only solution for me was to delete the corrupted registry entries
You are the man! No.. the man’s man!
You really rock man… great good research work
You the man!
SWEET! I struggled with this for weeks now and THIS is the only thing that worked. I was about ready to reinstall windows! Why do they have to make it soooooo difficult. I mean I am an administrator, why would I have to change ownership of the registry key, how is this any more secure if I CAN change ownership anyway! Dumb… anyway, it worked, thanks!
I have been trying to fix this for months.
You are techno god and I bow before you.
you saved me
works great!
You are a genius.
Works like a charm.
Thanks a lot man! I fixed this on Windows 7 (32bit). You have to download the appropriate tool from the Microsoft page.
After deleting the problematic registry keys, it really works! all you need is a little bit of patience.
It Worked for me.
Thanks lot.
Works like a charm first time.
He’s a genius, the solution worked the first time.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! This worked! I was unable to install Norton on my children’s computer because the IIS feature was not turned on. I spent a week trying to fix it, and almost gave up and bought a new computer. This fix took me some time to complete, but it worked! Thank you.
Wow great… It Worked for me as well.
Thanks lot.
Thanks a lot it worked for me thanks a million is better
You rock! Worked like a champ in Win7.
Pure Awesome! Cheers!
Thank you my friend. I deleted the files found in CheckSur.log file in the registry. Now, Windows features are visible.
Great job. Worked for me as well. Thanks for writing this up.
Outstanding, Raymond! Brilliant too. :) HP support explained to me that Vista standalone boxes didn’t support IIS, which was why I couldn’t see it in the window. Skeptic that I am, I didn’t believe them. I was just about ready to pay Microsoft $50 to tell me to do a system restore! But I suspected something was messed up in the registry, so I kept looking. I finally found your post. You confirmed my suspicion, and what’s a great deal more, have come up with an ingenious way to fix the problem. Thanks very much for your work, which has saved me many hours of frustration. -Bob
@e: all of my line items were “missing” rather than “corrupt” as well, and this process worked fine.
Nice! This works like a charm, and a little more graceful that MS’s official “do a system restore!” solution.
Holy crap, it works!
thanks man
Thank you! This worked for me. I was unable to instal Vista Service pack 2 and I was unable to see the installed Windows Features. I too tried everything, then I found your post, followed it (it took time because almost every registry key within \Packages had bad permissions). What I eventually did is export the packages key, took ownership of the keys (this was the time consuming process), deleted the keys, rebooted, and reimported the keys (the imported keys get new permissions from the parent (packages). Windows update works now and I’m on my way to installing service pack 2.
So thanks! Great help!
All those useless forums that come up from a google search on this problem should be redirected here!! This is the solution!! Thank you.
Genius! Thank you so much! After following this advice I was able to install Vista service pack2. I had almost given up.
Brilliant! I’ve been trying to fix Windows Update for 2 days now to get SP2 installed and this fixed the issue!
Thank you so much for this article, and God bless you! :~)
Your advice worked great! Thx.
Brilliant, worked for me. Thanks much better than a reload
Thank you Raymond. This had been a problem to me for months (years?) ~ finally fixed.
This worked for me. Thank you Raymond – keep up the good work.
You sir are a genius…
Thank you so much. You just saved my day!!!
You are a genius! I spent over 8 hours with Microsoft level 1 and level2 support. No joy. In place upgrade repair failed 4 times. I’ve been on this problem for 2 months on and off. Finally found your post and it WORKS! Thank you SO much. Raymond CC has a better grip than Microsoft themselves.
Thank you very much! you saved my windows features :D
Excellent!!! This fixed my blank windows features screen, AND Windows Update Unknown error code 80070490.
Brilliant! Saved me from having to reinstall Vista; thank you so much!
Excellent ! Terrific piece of diagnostic research. No way I am going to install Vista but I might be asked to assist someone with this problem – so advice saved.