Solve patching loop problem with Windows Server 2012 R2

Q. I'm applying a large number of Windows Server updates after not patching for a number of months but the application fails and during rollback the machine gets stuck in an endless cycle. How can I avoid this problem?

A. I have experienced this problem on a number of systems that I had not patched for a while and I tracked it down to a specific update, KB3032359, which is an Internet Explorer Cumulative Security update. Remove this update from the list of patches to be applied and the problem does not occur. Once the other patches are applied and the machine rebooted you can apply the IE update.