A reboot from a previous installation is pending

You want to install Exchange Server or install Exchange Server Cumulative Update. Once the setup starts, it goes through the steps and fails at prerequisite analysis. The message shows: A reboot from a previous installation is pending. Please restart the system and then rerun Setup. In this article, you will learn the solution for a reboot from a previous installation is pending in Exchange Server.

A reboot from a previous installation is pending

The below output appears after installing Exchange Server.

C:\>D:\Setup.exe /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataOFF /mode:Install /r:MB

Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 12 Unattended Setup

Copying Files...
File copy complete. Setup will now collect additional information needed for installation.

Languages
Management tools
Mailbox role: Transport service
Mailbox role: Client Access service
Mailbox role: Mailbox service
Mailbox role: Front End Transport service
Mailbox role: Client Access Front End service

Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check

    Configuring Prerequisites                                                                         COMPLETED
    Prerequisite Analysis                                                                             FAILED

A reboot from a previous installation is pending. Please restart the system and then rerun Setup.
For more information, visit: http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.RebootPending.aspx


The Exchange Server setup operation didn't complete. More details can be found in ExchangeSetup.log located in the
<SystemDrive>:\ExchangeSetupLogs folder.

Here is a screen of what it looks like.

The first thing that you need to do is to reboot the Exchange Server and then rerun the installation. If that still doesn’t work, you must clear a registry value data, which we will show in the next step.

Solution to a reboot from a previous installation is pending

To fix the reboot from a previous installation is pending in Exchange Server setup, follow the below steps:

1. Start Registry Editor

2. Go to the below registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

3. Double-click on the key PendingFileRenameOperations.

4. The value data will have entries.

5. Remove all the value data and click on OK.

6. The PendingFileRenameOperations key data is empty.

That’s it!

Now you can continue and Install Exchange Server or Install Exchange Server Cumulative Update without seeing the failure message.

Did it work for you?

Read more: How to configure Exchange Server after installation »

Conclusion

You learned why the message A reboot from a previous installation is pending appears. The solution to this problem is clearing the data for the key PendingFileRenameOperations in the Registry Editor. After that, you can install Exchange Server or Exchange Server Cumulative Update.

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