On some Windows client machines, you may receive the following error message when you attempt to install the connector software for your Windows Home Server:
“Cannot connect the computer to the server because either another software installation is in progress, or, the computer has a restart pending. Either complete the installation process, or, restart the computer and try to connect again.”
Even after multiple restarts and software update checks the error may still persist. The fix requires an edit of the Windows registry as follows:
1. Open regedit
2. Navigate to the following registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Session Manager
3. Rename ”PendingFileRenameOperations” to “PendingFileRenameOperations2″.
4. Exit regedit.
Any application can set a pending reboot flag in the operating system through a registry key. Sometimes a reboot does not clear the flag. This is what setup is detecting when it fails to install the connector for your Windows Home Server.
MrWilson
August 16, 2011 at 9:32 pm
This really was useful to me. Thanks.(I feel left out not advertising something).
CrezyMunky
October 15, 2011 at 3:21 pm
YOU SAVED MY DAY BRO!
akchad
October 28, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Thanks so much!!
crobs808
November 4, 2011 at 2:37 am
Was able to get my Windows 7 computer connected, but this error kept coming up on my wife's old XP laptop. This fixed the problem right away! Thank you so much!!
dood
December 28, 2011 at 7:18 am
works just like magic
Chris
January 9, 2012 at 3:11 am
fantastic, thanks for the help!
tim
January 31, 2012 at 8:02 pm
No need to mess with registry , Turn windows update off & reboot
Svetlyo
February 20, 2012 at 1:24 pm
…works perfect. THANK YOU!
najbar
March 5, 2012 at 1:48 am
THANKS.
RumbleDrum
April 23, 2012 at 12:50 am
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this! I was racking my brains trying to get the Connector software installed onto one of the PCs on my network. This did the trick!
Now to get the silly domain name set-up…sigh. I love WHS but there have been so many issue to work through.
msm
April 27, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Awesome. Fixed my problem. Thanks!
Eric
May 30, 2012 at 10:54 am
It’s so magic to help me solve this problem!
Thank you!
fwe
June 14, 2012 at 3:39 am
Thanks tried to get sbs 2011 essentials to work, and restarted it several times. This did the trick THANK YOU!!!
D_Pain
July 22, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Of all the… the previous app that left this flag set was, of all things, another Microsoft program! SkyDrive.
Coder
August 23, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Thank you so much. This was really helpful and solved my problem. Thanks a lot.
ZG
November 13, 2012 at 9:09 pm
Thanks! This was giving me a real headache.
JKH
November 14, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Originally I changed this setting on the Server, restarted and tried to connect – problem persisted. I changed the setting on the client, restarted, connected right away. Thanks!
g00b
January 20, 2013 at 7:58 pm
I owe you a lunch! Thank you!
Nielsen_dk
March 26, 2013 at 12:23 pm
Thank you!
Works perfectly on Windows 8 also