Error: 0x80073712 when installing KB 2919355

This error might mean that a file needed by Windows Update is damaged or missing. Here are a few steps that have solved the error for other community members:

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.

(If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

1. Enter command prompt in the search box.
2. In the list of results, swipe down on or right-click Command Prompt, and then tap or click Run as administrator.
3. In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, enter the following commands. Press the Enter key after each command.

If you're running a 64-bit version of Windows 8.1, type:

dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB2919355~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~6.3.1.14

If you're running a 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, type:

dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB2919355~31bf3856ad364e35~x86~~6.3.1.14

If you're running Windows RT 8.1, type:

dism /online /remove-package /packagename:Package_for_KB2919355~31bf3856ad364e35~arm~~6.3.1.14

1. Type the following command, and then press Enter:

dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth 2. Type the following command, and then press Enter:

dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

1. Install the Windows 8.1 Update from the download center.

 Windows 8.1 Update (32-bit version)

 Windows 8.1 Update (64-bit version)

If you have followed these steps and you still receive error 0x80073712, log files may need to be collected and reviewed. Please contact Microsoft Support so that we can further investigate your issue.

I've tried all these steps and get the same error messages as most others. I have the same issue on two Sony laptops running 8.1. I've wasted many days of my time over the last six weeks trying to find solutions via various MS Support articles and none of the solutions work. Every time I close down or start either laptop they try to install the update and it fails. This wastes even more of my time.

Windows 8 sucks. I hoped that 8.1 would be an improvement but it wasn't. What's worse, when I installed 8.1 it disabled vital software and necessitated the vendor to re-issue license keys to me. They did this very reluctantly and have said that they won't do again unless I pay for a new license as they think I have installed their software on a new machine. This installation process for 8.1 and the resulting license key issue prevented me from being able to carry out my job for three days and cost me a lot of frustration, project delays and lost income. Now "8.1 Update" (why not call it 8.2 or 8.1.1 to avoid confusion) won't install and 8.1 support is being withdrawn before Microsoft have a fix for the "8.1 Update" installation issues.  Hang your heads in shame Microsoft. This is an utterly ridiculous and unacceptable situation.

I should have stuck with Windows 7.

While I understand your frustration, the answers to your problem are included in this thread... please read through to find them and if you need help at that point, please post back.  

Also, KB2919355 is an update, not 8.2 or 8.1.1, however, although 8.1 is called an "update" it is not... 8.1 is an entirely separate OS from Windows 8.

EDIT:

In regards to installation keys... the only way this would occur is if you did a clean install of Windows 8.1 and did not perform an upgrade, or you changed your computer name when you set up 8.1 (this is very rare and only a handful of software keys are tied to the computer name, IDM being one of the few).  A clean install changes the Machine ID, which is what most license keys are tied to.

Also, MS Support has not been withdrawn for KB2919355 update issues and is free of charge.

While I understand your frustration, the answers to your problem are included in this thread... please read through to find them and if you need help at that point, please post back.  

Also, KB2919355 is an update, not 8.2 or 8.1.1, however, although 8.1 is called an "update" it is not... 8.1 is an entirely separate OS from Windows 8.

EDIT:

In regards to installation keys... the only way this would occur is if you did a clean install of Windows 8.1 and did not perform an upgrade, or you changed your computer name when you set up 8.1 (this is very rare and only a handful of software keys are tied to the computer name, IDM being one of the few).  A clean install changes the Machine ID, which is what most license keys are tied to.

Also, MS Support has not been withdrawn for KB2919355 update issues and is free of charge.

Thanks for your reply JW9014

My understanding is that support for machines that have not been updated with KB2919355 was due to be withdrawn in mid-May but was extended because so many people were having installation issues. As far as I know, support will now be withdrawn in mid June, unless Microsoft announces another support extension. Beyond that date, Windows 8.1 machines that have not had KB2919355 installed will not get any further patches and will become increasingly vulnerable to threats and snags. 

See: http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsoft-posts-tips-overcoming-windows-81-update-kb-2919355-errors-242603

I spent several hours reading some of the discussion in this thread. Although I'm an experienced user, I'm not an expert software engineer and find some of the discussion too technical. If there is a solution to the issue that works then Microsoft needs to update the advice at the start of the article. Reading 21 pages of detailed technical discussion and trying to figure out which, if any, of the steps might work for me is something that I don't have time for, besides which, I don't have sufficient technical knowledge to sort the wheat from the chaff and might end up making the problem worse rather than better. Microsoft appears to have created this debacle and they need to provide a solution, via Microsoft Upgrade, that ordinary people can apply.

As regards the original upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1, I did this using Microsoft Update. I have no idea whether that automatic process was a clean install or an upgrade but a number of software keys stopped working after the update. One of these was software from a company called Arturia and is for virtual synthesizer musical instruments. My MS Office wouldn't work and had to be reinstalled. I had similar issues with software from some other vendors, mainly music production related but also printer related. It took three days to install the upgrade and then resolve all of the consequential issues, time when I should have been carrying out productive work for myself and clients. I've been using Microsoft operating systems since the 80s and never has an upgrade caused so much grief (and that was prior to the KB2919355 debacle).

Sadly, much of my music production software is not compatible with either Mac or Linux; otherwise I would have jumped ship. It's reaching the stage now however that I might have to bite the bullet in the next year or so and invest in a new software suite that is Linux compatible. Despite the significant learning curve that will follow such a decision, it's probably my best long-term option. Now is not good timing for such a change however, given the stage I am at in the development of various recording projects. I should never have chosen Windows 8. Windows 7 was light-years better. I have considered downgrading but am worried that the process will result in a similar experience and wasted time to the 8.1 upgrade.