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

Error 0xC1900101 - 0x40017 is caused by a driver error during boot.  To install Windows 8.1, try these solutions that have worked for some customers so far:

 

1. Make sure all drivers have been updated prior to installing Windows 8.1.
2. Check for and uninstall the SteelSeries Engine software, which is currently not supported in Windows 8.1.  See this link for a list of hardware devices that use the SteelSeries Engine.
3. If your PC contains NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, update to Windows 8.1-compatible drivers by visiting this blog containing direct links to the compatible drivers.

Not a very useful reply for those of us who have neither NVIDA cards or SteelSeries periferals and are having the problem. My custom built machine

ASUS P9X79 board

i7-3820 CPU

32 gig PC3-10700 memory

AMD HD 5770 graphics

NEC Multisync PA241W and Sony SDM HS93 monitors (dual monitor setup)

Logitec keyboard and mouse

Adaptec 29320LPE PCI-e SCSI Card (needed for my Nikon Scanner)

has exactly the same problem.  All the drivers are up to date, (I have checked every one even the system drivers).  The motherboard has the very latest BIOS and Win 8 has all the latest updates.

I have tried every suggested cure.  I have taken the SCSI card out of the machine to eliminate that - nothing works, every time I get to the first re-boot, a blue screen with a message flashes and the machine re-boots again into Win 8.

I am seriously thinking of reverting to Windows 7 Ultimate and waiting for Windows 9.

While I agree with the others that it's disappointing to see things rehashed, this response does give me one more (well, actually two more) ideas:

1.  I never thought to install an 8.1 driver on an 8.0 machine.  If that's what you're saying, perhaps I'll try that.
2.  The consistent pointing at NVidia made me think that perhaps what the previous poster had said is what needs to be tried:  Removing the card and updating with built in graphics.  Unfortunately my board is an nforce board which *likely* means that the built in graphics are NVidia, leaving me with no alternative to update my machine.

Forgetting every manufacturer except Intel integrated was quite the oversight for MS, don't you think?

I'm done being an unpaid ms test engineer. I'll go on with my life until an end to the ms silence I guess. My problems match what's already been listed here 100 times, I've done every freakin suggestion there is.

BillFill, I'm very disappointed with this response. I appreciate that these actions have worked for some people and it's good to highlight this, but if you follow this thread since I raised it on Thursday last week you will find many examples of people giving detailed explanations of how they have tried these "fixes" with no effect whatsoever. Yours is the first whiff of an official response from Microsoft in days and for it to gloss over the problems many are having is galling to say the least.

 

It's great that these actions fix the problem for some people, but please don't try to pretend that this is "the solution": it isn't. This is still very much a problem that requires your attention.

 

Incidentally, I have been having contact with your colleagues via a private message response to one of my posts on the first page of this thread. My last contact was uploading some diagnostic data two days ago, and I have received no acknowledgement or response.

 

 

I agree completely. There are those of us without NVIDIA or SteelSeries -- and even have the latest drivers (for Windows 8). I re-verified everything last night, uninstalled most software, disabled a slew of hardware options in BIOS and still it does not work other than losing another hour.

Disappointing response and totally avoids a botched installation. These drivers should be checked beforehand and updated or made unavailable (as in other Win OS installations).

BillFill, I'm very disappointed with this response. I appreciate that these actions have worked for some people and it's good to highlight this, but if you follow this thread since I raised it on Thursday last week you will find many examples of people giving detailed explanations of how they have tried these "fixes" with no effect whatsoever. Yours is the first whiff of an official response from Microsoft in days and for it to gloss over the problems many are having is galling to say the least.

It's great that these actions fix the problem for some people, but please don't try to pretend that this is "the solution": it isn't. This is still very much a problem that requires your attention.

Incidentally, I have been having contact with your colleagues via a private message response to one of my posts on the first page of this thread. My last contact was uploading some diagnostic data two days ago, and I have received no acknowledgement or response.