Windows Update KB2919355

Google "generic key [followed by your version of windows]"

Due to Microsoft's licensing structure change that came with the rollout of Windows 8, generic product keys were publicized by Microsoft for Windows 8 and 8.1 installs that will be required in order to access the installer. These generic keys are freely available for all Windows 8/8.1 versions by googling them. These generic product keys are only there to gain access to the installer and once Windows is booted into, the end user will need to go to PC Settings - Activate and enter their activation keyin order to activate windows, thereby removing the watermark and allowing personalizations to become unlocked.  More likely that not, Microsoft was attempting to safeguard it's OS from KMS activators by requiring a PK before the installer allows you to install... then it backfired.  Users with valid activation keys experienced the same thing I did... upon reinstalling Windows 8 (not 8.1, but 8) on the same computer, the product key I bought from Microsoft no longer worked to get past the installer, even though it worked to activate Windows.  This is why Microsoft released generic product keys for all versions of 8/8.1 (core, pro, enterprise, etc.).

I am willing to try your fix using the Windows installer trick, but am not sure what you mean by "generic product key"?

You can install it by following my instructions, or by doing a repair install, then following the instructions.  

If you wish to carry the belief of a wait and see approach, that's entirely up to you and when you're denied access to patches that your system needs because you believe Microsoft is going to help you, you might reconsider your position.  It should be noted there are 11 patches that are currently available of which 2919355 is a prerequisite for.

Bottom Line, I've posted solutions to your specific issue on most Microsoft threads pertaining to KB2919355, and I will stop responding to your messages as it's pointless.  If you don't want to fix what's wrong in hopes that someone else will [Microsoft], then there's nothing anyone can do to help you.  Solutions to your problem exist, I've posted pages and pages of the same two solutions which will allow you to install ALL standalone updates, and then by following the instructions posted above, you can then install KB2919355.

I wish you the best, but if you're unwilling to help yourself, no one's going to help you... it's really as simple as that.

Just so you know what you're risking.... security patches are released by Microsoft once they discover vulnerabilities in Windows that can allow your system to be compromised.  Due to the nature of the beast, once a security patch is released, it immediately allows hackers to see vulnerabilities within the OS that will allow them access.  If your system is not updated with current security patches, for all intents and purposes, you're simply asking for your system to be compromised.  This is why no one should be running Windows XP still, since all patches released after 4/8 show ways to compromise XP.

I know what you are saying, but to run KB2919355 you have to have KB2919442 installed. So if I can’t install KB2919442 there is no point of going any further.

I still think the problem lies with the difference between an 8.0 updated to 8.1 and 8.1 installed from the start. There has to be differences between the two file systems 8.1 updated and 8.1 none updated. That’s where MS slipped up; unfortunately I can’t try out the two scenarios to check my theory. The update can’t see the difference  or doesn’t check, between the two 8.1’s and that causes the file corruption.

Microsoft, I doubt, will ever admit the KB2919355 update package (as it's a package of 7 updates or so) from Windows Update caused massive system file corruption to the Windows OS, to such an extent the only program capable of repairing component store corruption was rendered unable to fix the component store due to the massive corruption KB2919355 caused.  Its one thing for malware to corrupt system files, another thing entirely when a manufacturer manages to cripple it's own OS using it's own update via it's own update platform.  It's embarrassing and humiliating for Microsoft and the likelihood of them admitting they screwed up is slim to none... even though it's not a secret and everyone knows they did, badly.

The main problem in all of this isn't KB2919355, but the massive System File Corruption that's been caused by the update.  They're never going to offer a fix for the corruption I might add... users are, have been, and will be, left to their own devices to figure it out. I also find it highly unlikely that inside of two weeks Microsoft will release a press release to tell users how to get around their mucked up 2919355 update... they've had over two months to figure it out and release a press release, so if you take the wait and see approach and they do as I suspect, Microsoft will withhold all further patches until you're updated to KB2919355. (Especially when the post I copied and pasted below will solve the issue)

Then to top that off, you have every tom, dick, and harry of the Microsoft Moderator team (which are generally software engineers, if not engineers of other types within Microsoft, I might add) is posting the same cookie cutter responses they knew didn't work, and beyond that, would compound the issue and make it worse for end users.  There were two threads, one with a whopping 116 pages of posts, the other 103, that were closed by Microsoft because they received thousands of responses from users telling them the "solutions" they were trying to peddle were not solutions and did not work for the vast majority of end users affected.  Microsoft, as of today, even though they've had two months to work on this, still have no clue what causes the corruption, why it affects only certain users, or an actual plan for end users to fix the corruption... of which, it appears I've been the only person thus far to put out an actual solution to the KB2919355 update and system file corruption. 

I'm unsure of where you got KB291442 from, but the problem update is KB2919355, both the packaged Windows Update version as well as the smaller standalone (individual) update of KB2919355.  

"In regards to trying your suggestions I downloaded KB2919442 from the Microsoft download page and tried to install it and was told it was already installed (same on both OS installs)."

I'm also unsure of which post you're speaking of, as the last post of instructions I left [how to solve the KB2919355 problem and get your system updated with it] is the very last post on page three and there's nothing in there about downloading anything from Microsoft.  I have copied and pasted that post below, as I'm a bit baffled...

***It appears I have stumbled upon a fix for all KB2919355 issues and will be posting this to numerous forum threads***

As many discoveries have been made, I discovered this accidentally. and quite by coincidence... 

In order for users, who've been plagued by errors and file corruption, to get a successful completion of KB2919355, all that's needed is to run the 8.1 upgrade installer, and when the 8.1 installer goes to the wait screen after entering the generic product key, start Windows Update for the install of KB2919355

Steps

1. Run the Windows 8.1 installer from within Windows, as if you're going to do an install repair "upgrade".
2. Enter the generic product key, and upon clicking next, the installer will say wait...
3. Give the installer about 5 minutes, then start Windows Update (it should show the KB2919355 update), and click install.
4. Windows Update will begin downloading the update... if you have a Windows Update cache problem that causes the speed and percentage to remain at zero, don't worry about it and get the update installed first, then you can clear the cache and remove the directories afterwards.
5. The install may fail, don't worry... simply hit install again, making sure the 8.1 installer screen is still on the "wait" screen, as whatever the installer is doing during the "wait" screen is what makes the KB2919355 install possible.
6. KB2919355 should install and Windows Update should request you to restart... simply do so without cancelling the 8.1 installer.  Windows will finalize the update during the shutdown and restart processes.
7. Upon rebooting into Windows, you will have a multitude of additional updates that will need to be installed (around 10, give or take a few), and you can verify the install of KB2919355 by going to "view installed updates"

A few users will need to comment back once they'e performed this in order to see if this automatically fixes the multitude of issues users are facing, and if it doesn't complete successfully, then I can back track what step I took over the past several days in order to figure out what caused this to work for me, but not others if problems occur.