"Couldn't update to Windows 8.1 - 0xC1900101 - 0x40017"

ADRStudio -- You're a godsend!! 

After reading your post and muddling about with my PC a bit, I finally managed to make it to 8.1 myself (after a week of failed attempts) ... THANK YOU  :)

I have an HP Envy M6-K025DX, and like you said, the HP Drivers seemed to have been the problem with me as well. I followed your instructions, but there is one difference -- Unlike in your case, try as I may, the Intel HD graphics driver kept getting auto-installed after I removed/restarted on Windows 8. To work around this, I tried changing the device installation settings as well, but nothing helped.

Finally, what I did was first uninstall the Intel HD drivers, and then INSTEAD OF RESTARTING, I went ahead directly with the Win 8.1 store update (like you said, it had already been downloaded for me earlier so I did not have to go through the pain of re-downloading). Lo and behold, the upgrade to Win 8.1 happened without a hitch.

After upgrading to 8.1, I checked my graphics driver, and this showed the default MS Graphic Driver. As suggested by you, I had already downloaded the 8.1 Intel HD driver from the manufacturer (HP) site, and went ahead with the driver install ... Again, worked like a charm, and I am successfully on 8.1 as of now with no issues seen for the moment!

Thanks again, and hope other folks have luck with this **painful** upgrade!

Last night I was able to update Win 8.1 after 2 months trying uncountable number of times. My problem was (WAS !) error 0xC1900101-0x40019 after blank screen and restauring Win 8.

I tried all tips from here, HP and others web sites, fresh install and update, no fresh and update, and so...

I have a HP ENVY 15-j011dx, it has a Intel 4000 video card and I can say that the my problem was not with Microsoft but HP Video driver.

My Win 8 had Intel High-Definition (HD) Graphics Driver 2013-04-15 , Version 9.18.10.3071 from HP recovery USB bought from HP and it is the same version that is on HP website now.

For short, the trick was to uninstall Intel Graphic Drive listed on Program and Features before uninstall the video driver on Device Manager. But TAKE CARE !!!! You must be prepared, you MUST have the new driver for Win 8.1 ready to install just after the upgrade because Win 8.1 will bring back the Version 9.18.10.3071 and you MAY have a back screen AFTER the upgrade and if so, you will have to boot in SAFE MODE to install the new driver. Let me explain:

1. Download the video driver pack for Windows 8.1 (from HP in my case version 10.18.10.3304) and save it on your desktop to be easy and quick to find later, this is the MOST INPORTANT STEP !!! If you don't do it don't try to upgrade with this method or you may have to do a fresh install !!!!!!! If you can PIN it on START and let it on the first screen, easy to find, will be better.
2. Uninstall Intel Graphic Drive on Program and Features, this is NEW, I didn't read it, is not cited anywhere to do this, and THIS IS THE TRICK .
3. Uninstall the video driver deleting the driver in Device Manager. It should show a Microsoft Video Driver WDM ( something like that) NOT the Intel 4000 driver. Reboot the system a couple of times to make shure that Windows 8 will not bring back the Intel 4000 driver.
4. Upgrade to Windows 8.1 from the store. ( I could update even without downloading again, I had already the BT folder).
5. JUST AFTER the first time you see the Start screen on Windows 8.1 quickly install the video driver for Windows 8.1, I mean QUICKLY !!!!!
6. When I upgrade it I didn't know that the Windows 8.1 will bring back the bad video driver. I start Windows 8.1 but after a minute or two I GOT a black screen with Windows 8.1. As I had it under control, I knew was the video driver, I boot in SAFE MODE and install the video driver, reboot and did all updates from Microsoft and HP (the they choose) without problem.

This might work with other versions of video driver or the concept may work with other brand of video card, It work for me and make sense.

Good luck !!!

it's february 2014 and my Win 8.1 still fails on blue screen, while win 8 working ok

After about two months of struggling, I finally figured it out.  I had no luck using the ISO image on a USB drive, so I did have the Windows 8.0 DVD.  So I booted with that, and at the Partition screen, I deleted completely the partitions that currently had windows on them.  Deleted/Formatted, etc.  It then created what was needed and did a clean install of windows 8.0.  I then ran the updates, then went to the store and did the process to update to 8.1.  Slow process, but it worked perfectly.

I have a 100gb Solid State drive as a c drive that windows is on that I was worried was causing it - probably due to the way I initially set it up when I got the PC.  Lenovo, plus after-market solid state drive.

Just wanted to throw this out in case someone was in same shoes as me.

I had this same problem, on a Acer V5-573G with Intel Core i5-4200, GeForce GT750M, 1000GB HDD+SDD Cache. 

Acer recommends on their site to uninstall all Nvidia and and Intel VGA drivers before attempting the upgrade. I did this and ended up with the same result as OP. Then I tried installing the newest VGA drivers (non OEM, from intel.com and nvidia.com) and now the upgrade works.

This was the solution for me, but reading about this problem there seems to be a lot of things that could cause this error.

PS: Having SteelSeries drivers installed for mouse/keyboard seems to definitely cause this error, there's a warning about it on steelseries homepage.