Error 0xC1900101 – 0x40017 when installing Windows 8.1

Anonymous

Hello everyone,

We would like to thank all those who have helped us to collect data by sending us logs. The cause for error 0xC1900101 – 0x40017 is known to be faulty drivers, however it can be difficult to identify exactly which drivers are creating the error.

Note: Please double-check the error code before reading further. There are many variations of error 0xC1900101, each with a different location code -- the error extension, located after the dash. The information in this thread is intended only for location code 0x40017. If you are receiving a different location code, these steps are unlikely to resolve your issue.

There have been reports of a USB driver causing this error. Until a specific USB driver can be determined as a root cause, if you receive this error, we recommend you unplug all USB devices (other than your mouse and keyboard) as a troubleshooting step and try the upgrade again. If the upgrade is then successful, you can plug the devices back in and they should function normally.

We have identified a few drivers associated with the following hardware or software that could be causing this problem:

1. SteelSeries – Mouse and keyboard manufacture. The SteelSeries Engine is currently not supported on Windows 8.1. Please see their FAQ for more info and updates.

2. NVIDIA -- Video card manufacture. Check to make sure you’ve upgraded to the latest video drivers.

3. ESET - Antivirus and security-related products. Please see the ESET Knowledgebase to learn how to safely upgrade to Windows 8.1 with ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus installed.

4. Trusteer Rapport -- Credit card fraud protection software. Trusteer recommends installing the latest update for Windows 8.1 compatibility.

If you have any of these programs installed, please let us know if disabling, uninstalling, or upgrading the software or drivers allowed you to install Windows 8.1 successfully.

We are sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your help and understanding while we continue to investigate this issue.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous

Hello,

Microsoft is aware some customers are unable to install Windows 8.1 due to error 0xC1900101 -0x40017.

This error indicates a failure to boot Windows 8.1 occurred during the final parts of the update, causing the system to roll back to Windows 8. The most likely cause of this error is an incompatible driver or hardware defect. Unfortunately, due to the timing of this failure, there are often no logs, crash dumps or other diagnostic information available to investigate the issue easily, which makes it difficult to determine which, if any, of the drivers or system components are causing the update to fail.

We are currently working with the companies that develop these drivers to help them update their problematic drivers whenever they are identified. Some of the identified drivers have been listed in the original post, however due to the sheer number of drivers constantly being created by other companies all over the world, this is a daunting task. We understand that the inability to easily identify the incompatible driver can be incredibly frustrating and we are sorry for the inconvenience.

Make sure you’ve installed all the latest Windows Updates and latest drivers from your hardware and software manufacturers. You can also try uninstalling any unnecessary hardware or software prior to updating to Windows 8.1.

If your hardware and software manufacturers do not have updated drivers and you are experiencing this error, the best method for upgrading to Windows 8.1 is to clean install Windows 8, and then update to Windows 8.1 before allowing any additional drivers or software to install.

To do this:

Back up all of your personal documents and data to an external drive.
Disconnect your computer from the Internet.
Perform a clean install of Windows 8 using Windows 8 installation media (DVD or USB). For help performing a clean install of Windows, see How to perform a clean install of Windows.

Note: If you do not have media and Windows 8 was pre-installed on your PC, please contact your PC manufacturer for assistance. Otherwise to get help obtaining installation media, contact Microsoft Support. 4. Once you’ve reinstalled Windows 8, change your hardware settings so that you do not automatically install driver updates.

**>>**From the Start screen, type “System”, and then click on “View advanced system settings” in the search results. This will open the System Properties dialog.

**>>**Click on the Hardware tab, and then click Device Installation Settings.

**>>**When the Device Installation Settings window appears, click the “No, let me choose what to” button, and then “Never install driver software from Windows Update”. Click Save Changes to save the setting. 5. Reconnect your computer to the Internet. 6. Install Windows Updates. Restart the computer when prompted. 7. Open Windows Store and install Windows 8.1. 8. Afterwards, be sure to restore your hardware settings so that your device drivers once again install automatically. (Repeat Step 4, but restore this setting to “**Yes, do this automatically (recommended)”**and Save changes.)

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149 additional answers

Anonymous

2015-08-14T20:44:53+00:00

Windows 7 must be at the SP1 level too for you to qualify for the free upgrade to 10.
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Anonymous

2015-08-14T11:34:36+00:00

Thanks, but not helping me.

The last way I am considering is to install windows7 on a new hdd and then upgrade to windows10. I take it this will work or are you suggesting that windows won't activate on a new hdd and I won't then be able to upgrade to 10?

Well, for one thing, you haven't stated which error messages you are seeing. I might assume that it is the error message described in the title of this thread, which is a memory management error.

Theoretically, a fresh install of Windows 7 on the relevant hardware could work, but make sure the Windows 7 install is activated first. Do not install certain drivers, however, such as some brands of Bluetooth drivers, keyboard and mouse drivers, and so forth. Use the generic Microsoft drivers and generic hardware until Windows 10 is installed. But, do not do a fresh install of Windows 10, or, no, it won't activate.
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Anonymous

2015-08-14T10:00:35+00:00

Thanks, but not helping me.

The last way I am considering is to install windows7 on a new hdd and then upgrade to windows10. I take it this will work or are you suggesting that windows won't activate on a new hdd and I won't then be able to upgrade to 10?
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Anonymous

2015-08-12T17:48:53+00:00

What sorts of errors are you getting as the upgrade fails? Upgrading from Windows 7 Ultimate was a nightmare for me but I finally managed to get it to complete. Have you tried reinstalling the Service Pack, reinstalling updates, and then attempting the upgrade again?

You may also have to select the option that doesn't preserve files and settings to get it to work on your machine. I eventually was forced to do that. Make a complete backup first, which should also include an imaging of the hard drive using the Windows 7 backup utility and the resultant image being put in a safe place in case things end up getting to that point.

If the failure is being caused by corrupted files, chkdsk c: /f /v /r should be run, followed by sfc /scannow might help, particularly if followed by reinstallation/in-place installation of Service Pack 1 and re-applying all updates afterward. You can download the Service Pack and burn it to a CD for use in doing this.

But, do not do a clean install of Windows 10. It will fail to activate for weeks if you do, and may never activate. That is the wall I ended up hitting when I tried a clean installation to try to get past the errors occurring during the upgrade. You will find that a lot of Microsoft techs haven't a clue how to get past that one, either (I must have dealt with a half-dozen who all failed to get me past that wall, and one of whom cut off a chat session when I was trying to further explain what was happening and why I could not at that time roll my installation back after a clean install). They will inform you that you just need to wait for the activation to occur (which did not ever happen for a full two weeks as of today), or that you will need to purchase a license for Windows 10 because the clean install removes eligibility for the free upgrade, and so forth, so better not to endure the frustration of dealing with that situation.
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