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

The Administrative (bits) profile is corrupt ; You must reinstall Windows 8 first, then continue on to Windows 8.1.

My system is very brand new and custom built with components specifically targeting Windows 8 compatibility. With the original Windows 8 install, everything was fine. Windows 8.1 has broken it in ways that are confounding.

This is from the event logs...

Log Name:      Application

Source:        Application Error

Date:          11/3/2013 12:05:26 PM

Event ID:      1000

Task Category: (100)

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Computer:      Michael-PC

Description:

Faulting application name: svchost.exe_CryptSvc, version: 6.3.9600.16384, time stamp: 0x5215dfe3

Faulting module name: bcryptPrimitives.dll, version: 6.3.9600.16384, time stamp: 0x5215e222

Exception code: 0xc0000006

Fault offset: 0x000000000000311e

Faulting process id: 0x1394

Faulting application start time: 0x01ced8c7a4efa215

Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe

Faulting module path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\bcryptPrimitives.dll

Report Id: e54dacc1-44ba-11e3-bef3-3085a9a3610e

Faulting package full name:

Faulting package-relative application ID:

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Application Error" />

    <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>100</Task>

    <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-11-03T19:05:26.000000000Z" />

    <EventRecordID>119127</EventRecordID>

    <Channel>Application</Channel>

    <Computer>Michael-PC</Computer>

    <Security />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data>svchost.exe_CryptSvc</Data>

    <Data>6.3.9600.16384</Data>

    <Data>5215dfe3</Data>

    <Data>bcryptPrimitives.dll</Data>

    <Data>6.3.9600.16384</Data>

    <Data>5215e222</Data>

    <Data>c0000006</Data>

    <Data>000000000000311e</Data>

    <Data>1394</Data>

    <Data>01ced8c7a4efa215</Data>

    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe</Data>

    <Data>C:\WINDOWS\system32\bcryptPrimitives.dll</Data>

    <Data>e54dacc1-44ba-11e3-bef3-3085a9a3610e</Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

    <Data>

    </Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

---

Then there is this one....

Log Name:      Setup

Source:        Microsoft-Windows-WUSA

Date:          10/30/2013 5:03:15 PM

Event ID:      3

Task Category: None

Level:         Error

Keywords:     

User:          MICHAEL-PC\Michael

Computer:      Michael-PC

Description:

Windows update "Update for Windows (KB2902864)" could not be installed because of error 2147944126 "The remote procedure call failed." (Command line: ""C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\wusa.exe" "C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Local\Temp\Windows8.1-KB2902864-x64.msu" ")

Event Xml:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

  <System>

    <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-WUSA" Guid="{09608C12-C1DA-4104-A6FE-B959CF57560A}" />

    <EventID>3</EventID>

    <Version>0</Version>

    <Level>2</Level>

    <Task>0</Task>

    <Opcode>0</Opcode>

    <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords>

    <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-10-30T23:03:15.637431000Z" />

    <EventRecordID>849</EventRecordID>

    <Correlation />

    <Execution ProcessID="4832" ThreadID="4268" />

    <Channel>Setup</Channel>

    <Computer>Michael-PC</Computer>

    <Security UserID="S-1-5-21-2381410086-3876901529-2362349839-1001" />

  </System>

  <EventData>

    <Data Name="UpdateTitle">"Update for Windows (KB2902864)"</Data>

    <Data Name="ErrorCode">2147944126</Data>

    <Data Name="ErrorString">The remote procedure call failed.</Data>

    <Data Name="CommandLine">"C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\wusa.exe" "C:\Users\Michael\AppData\Local\Temp\Windows8.1-KB2902864-x64.msu" </Data>

  </EventData>

</Event>

The problem could be in the hard drive not reporting the proper information MTBF;

Fix Corrupt Files and Disk Errors with Chkdsk /SpotFix; Then reinstall Windows 8 and continue to Windows 8.1

When I encountered this issue, I disabled a BIOS setting on my Asrock MoBo: No-Excute Memory Protection

After that change, 8.1 installed correctly. When setup had completed, I re-enabled the BIOS option again and no issues encountered.

I also have a DELL XPS 15 and I tried to update from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1.

I got to the point where it is "getting my devices ready", then the PC restarts to a blue screen. The screen was frozen for more than one hour. No messages. I was desperate. Then I decided to restart the computer. It tried to recover the installation, it  failed, and  then restored Windows 8. When the system boots up after this, I got a message saying:

"Couldn't update to Windows 8.1

Sorry, we couldn't complete the update to Windows 8.1. We've restored your previous version of Windows to this PC.

0xC1900101 - 0x40017"

For sure I will not try another upgrade. I think Microsoft should be more careful before any upgrade release. Next time I will buy a Mac.