Can't do any Windows 8 update (error code 800F081F)

Anonymous

I just update my Windows 7 laptop to windows 8 pro and found that I couldn't install any update due to this error 800F081F. It seems that MS had a solution, "System Update Readiness Tool", for all other windows version from vista to server 2008; but anyone know any solution for windows 8?

Some attemps I did:

I've tried troubleshooting to fix Windows update automatically but it doesn't help (Funny thing is that when troubleshooting has complete it actually tells me "Potential Windows Update Database error detected 0x800f081f -- fixed");

I've tried a MS tool called "Fix it" but the problem is still there;

I even uninstalled my anti-virus software and use Windows Defender instead; I also tried to restart Windows Update services several times.

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Anonymous

Just wanted to share with anyone else who was having this issue what it was that I did to resolve it. First off some quick background, this is a brand new HP laptop so was no update over windows 7.

I first had issue updating due to a device issue with an installed HP codec that conflicted with a Windows Codec update, I resolved that and manually updated that single update. Then Windows update failed again. I tried doing the DSIM w/ Restorehealth option as suggested previously in this post, but to no avail.

Some more research led me to the following folder "C:\Windows\servicing\Packages" in this folder I did a quick search for some of the failing updates KB numbers.. (KB2727528 for example) and sure enough found the following...

Package_for_KB2727528~<blahblah>~6.2.1.0 cat and mum files

Package_1_for_KB2727528~<blahblah>~6.2.1.0 cat and mum files

Package_for_KB2727528_RTM~<blahblah>~6.2.1.0 cat and mum files

Using the following command (note that trying to remove the _1_ or _RTM results in a package not found!):

dism /online /NoRestart /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB2727528~<blahblah>~6.2.1.0

and recieved a 100% package removed! No way! Installed just that update and booyaah success, restarting it seemed to stall at 15% but then kept going after a few mins and success.

I then wrote out a batch file to execute the above command for any found package namefor anything that had a KB code in the the Windows Update list and viola all were removed. Windows update then completed successfully!

As my wife pointed out.. what do people who don't know computers/software as well as me do, and I told her they probably take them back for a refund, and she replied this is why people use Macs LOL! Probably true. I hope this helps someone else.

After 20+ years you'd think MS would've finally stopped releasing broken Windows software *sigh*

Doc.

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Anonymous

2012-10-30T16:31:48+00:00

Since posting yesterday, I exchanged the PC with PCWorld and this time I first applied all Windows updates before installing the Pro pack. Still failed, so I took it all back for a refund. I think I'll buy a PC with W8 Pro already installed instead.

Really not impressed.
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Anonymous

2012-11-02T12:43:02+00:00

I have an interesting observation regarding this issue.

There's a log written by Updater located at c:\windows\logs\cbs\cbs.log. I have discovered that error that causes it to fail is this:

2012-11-02 12:53:13, Error CSI 00000010 (F) STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_NOT_FOUND #122116# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectFileSystemProvider::SysCreateFile(flags = 0, handle = {provider=NULL, handle=0, name= ("null")}, da = (FILE_GENERIC_READ), oa = @0x4acfe8e8c0->OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES {s:48; rd:NULL; on:[101]"??\C:\Windows\CbsTemp\30259390_147865795\Package_4_for_KB2756872~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.1.0.cat"; a:(OBJ_CASE_INSENSITIVE)}, iosb = @0x4acfe8e960, as = (null), fa = (FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL), sa = (FILE_SHARE_READ|FILE_SHARE_WRITE|FILE_SHARE_DELETE), cd = FILE_OPEN, co = (FILE_NON_DIRECTORY_FILE|FILE_SYNCHRONOUS_IO_NONALERT|0x00004000), eab = NULL, eal = 0, disp = Invalid)

What took my attention is that file name: "Package_4_for_KB2756872~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.1.0.cat".

If I unpack Windows8-RT-KB2756872-x64.msu with 7zip and then look inside Windows8-RT-KB2756872-x64.cab, well, this file is present there. It's just Updater doesn't unpack it to its temporary folder.

So I immediately tried to help poor thing. I started update again, waited for it to create a temp folder and while it was initializing, I dropped missing file there (well, actually I dropped 4 files for Package_4), and it failed again! This time file name was Package_5_for_KB2756872~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.2.1.0.cat!

It appears that it forgets to unpack not one but multiple packages bundled inside this update. Okay, so I did it again and this time I dropped there all Package_<NUMBER>* files there and — UPDATE HAS BEEN INSTALLED and it asked for reboot.

Happy that I solved the problem I clicked reboot and unfortunately it didn't work. During reboot it failed to perform an update and reverted everything back.

Except error message now was that some update package cannot be installed because it is already installed. Unfortunately I can't provide exact quote on this one because a little later Updater has done some rotation on logs and one that contained reboot updating has vanished completely - surprise!

So I conclude from this experience that problem here is a bug in Windows Update itself that prevents it from installing a cumulative update if a previous update (that is included there) has already been installed. On one stage it doesn't unpack it because it doesn't need it. Then on another stage it suddenly wants to process it and fails with 800f081f if it's not there. But if you put it there manually it will fail later because it actually shouldn't be there in the first place.

Reinstalling Windows 8 and updating it from clean install works because there's no previous update history and every package there gets processed.

It doesn't work on some laptops probably because vendors ship them with some updates preinstalled.

For those who don't want to reinstall Windows for now there's nothing to do but wait until Microsoft updates Windows Update itself and fixes those damn bugs.
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Anonymous

2012-11-02T20:36:55+00:00

Hello,

If your running into issues with trying to install Windows Updates on Windows 8, try the steps below:

1.     Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. (If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)

2.     Type command prompt in the search box.

3.     In the list of results, swipe down on or right-click Command Prompt, and then tap or click Run as administrator.

4.     In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type the following commands exactly as they appear. Press the Enter key after each command:

o    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

o    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

5.     To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press Enter.

6.     Run Windows Update again.

Below is a link to the article for the information below, this article also includes steps to be completed on machines running operating systems older than Windows 8.

System Update Readiness Tool fixes Windows Update errors in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2008

Let us know how this works for you.

Thanks!
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