Windows 8.1 installation error 0x80004005

Anonymous
2013-10-17T19:35:19+00:00

I tried to update my Win8 Pro via the Win8 Store and it downloaded, proceeded to Applying Changes > Gathering info > Preparing to restart

and than : error 0x80004005; install cancelled.

No explanation why it did not do the restart. I tried it several times because initially I started everything while continuing work in a desktop application. Than I tried it with a restart w/o desktop. Same result.

So I am stuck with Win8 until there is a solution that does not require a clean install where I have to re-install all my software again. No way...

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Install and upgrade

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-04-24T10:42:21+00:00

    I recently (2 weeks ago) bought a new laptop. It was the display model and so had all the latest updates, including updates to windows 8.1. Part of the policy of buying a display model is that the hard drive gets completely wiped.

    I got the refurbished laptop (which was now running only windows 8) and updated it including eventually downloading and installing 8.1. All this happened fine andI was successfully running 8.1.

    Then I had some problems - After a week, the store refused to work. I tried many things including resetting cache and even refreshing the device. The only thing left to do was to perform a complete refurbishment.

    I did this and when I got round to downloading windows 8.1 again it only comes up with 0x80004005.

    The point I'm trying to add is that a device that used to run 8.1 now can't.

    The store is working fine (for now).

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-04-23T19:12:44+00:00

    Me too!!!!!!!!!!!    worked on 10yr old computer, not on a 2yr old laptop.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-04-23T18:36:54+00:00

    I tried all three methods, plus Clean Boot, plus various other things from other threads on the internet (e.g. delete download and download it again); there is nothing plugged in, latest drivers, no third-party software installed, utterly clean install.

    Nothing.

    No matter what I do, my Window 8 update to Windows 8.1 installation has error 0x80004005

    I even tried reformatting and reinstalling Windows 8 -- which is from the hard drive partition on my HP desktop -- and that doesn't help, still has error 0x80004005

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-03T16:55:02+00:00

    After trying just about everything, I finally stumbled upon a solution. 

    If you have multi-bootable partitons, you need to mark your Windows partition as "Active". Here's a guide on how to do this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/mark-partition-active#1TC=windows-7

    You got my hopes up - I tried yet again - and it STILL fails.  This has now been months of no fix - and my gut tells me the only option is to reformat the machine.  With Windows 9 rumour for the 2014 Build conference going beta - my plan is probably going to be wait till that comes out and reformat for a new OS on that.

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-02-27T06:48:17+00:00

    After trying just about everything, I finally stumbled upon a solution. 

    If you have multi-bootable partitons, you need to mark your Windows partition as "Active". Here's a guide on how to do this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/mark-partition-active#1TC=windows-7

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