Troubleshooting Windows 7 Installation that Continues to Run in the Background

This issue can occur due to several reasons. It can be due to a faulty hard disk, corrupt files, or an improper shutdown.
Regardless of the cause, in today’s troubleshooting guide, we’ll show you some methods to fix this issue.

• If you get the Windows 7 installationcontinues to run in the background issue, your PC might be infected with a PUP.
• Make sure to scan your PC for any malware and get rid of the infection.
• Restart your computer and install Windows again, but this time, you should select a different installation language.

Disconnect all external devices

1. Disconnect all external devices (such as flash drives, printers, external drives, etc.).
2. Restart the PC
   Disconnect all external devices.
3. Restart the PC.

Disconnect all USB devices

1. Disconnect all external devices like USB Cameras, USB Flash Drives, etc.
3. Press Windows Key + R and enter msconfig. Now, press Enter or click OK.
4. When System Configuration window opens, go to the Services tab. Now, locate Windows Update service and disable it.
5. When Windows Update service is disable, go to Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.
6. Now, locate Startup programs and open Startup tab.
7. Now, locate Windows Update service on the list and click on Disable button.
   

Uninstall the USB Mass Storage driver

1. Press the Windows key + X hotkey, and select Device Manager from the list.
2. Double-click Universal Serial Bus controllers to expand that category.
   
3. Right-click your USB memory stick and select Uninstall device.
4. Select the Uninstall button to confirm.

Stop the Windows Installer service

1. To do that, press Windows + R to open Run, enter services.msc in the text field, and click on OK.
2. Locate the Windows Installer service and right-click on it.
3. Choose the Stop service option.
   
4. A confirmation message will now appear, asking you to confirm. Select the Yes button.
5. Restart your PC.
6. Install the Windows Installer hotfix
   
7. Download the Windows Installer hotfix from here.
8. Now, locate and select the Windows Installer service.
9. Right-click on it and click on Properties.
10. Click on the General tab.
11. Select the Startup Type option.
12. Choose the Automatic option and click Apply and OK to save changes.
13. Install the Microsoft Installer hotfix for Windows 7
    
14. Download the Microsoft Installer hotfix from here.
    
15. Disconnect your PC from the internet.
16. Open the downloaded MSIMKB2646997.exe file.
17. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Perform a repair installation

1. Press the Windows key + R hotkey to open Run.
2. Input rstrui in the Open box, and press the OK button.
   
3. Then press the Next button in the System Recovery Options window that opens.
4. Press the Yes button to confirm you want to perform a repair installation.
5. Then press the Next button, and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the repair installation.

Perform clean boot

1. Go to Start and select Settings.
   
2. Select System and choose Advanced system settings.
3. In the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
4. In the System Configuration window, click Services.
5. Select Hide all Microsoft services.
6. Click the Disable all button. Click OK to save the changes.

Perform a full PC reset

1. Locate your PC’s recovery partition (usually found on a USB flash drive), insert it, and boot your PC into Windows Recovery Environment
2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Refresh your PC
   
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your PC to factory settings

Perform a System Restore

1. Go to Start, type cmd, and open Command prompt as Administrator.
2. Run the sfc /scannow command.
   
3. Wait for the scanning process to complete.