Windows 8.1 installation error 0x80070004

Anonymous

I got the following message while updating Windows 8 to 8.1 from the Store (translated from hungarian):

An error had occured and the installation of Windows 8.1 was unsuccessful. Try again. Error code: 0x80070004

The event log shows the following:

"Telepítési hiba: A Windows 0x80070004 hiba miatt nem tudta telepíteni a következő frissítést: Hungarian ESD Bundle Parent."

In english: Installation error: Windows could not isntall the following update: Hungarian ESD Bundle Parent, with error 0x80070004.

What should I do?

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Anonymous

Hi,

If you receive error 0x80070004 when you install Windows 8.1, please first check the following:

1. This error may occur if you are using symbolic links (via the mklink command) to redirect your user profile to another drive. If so, you can resolve this by restoring your user profile to the system drive by following the steps in KB 2876597.

2. This error may also occur if you have a corrupt user profile. To check for this:

· Open the System Properties (Type “System” at the Start screen, and then select “System”.)

· Select Advanced system settings.

· In the Advanced tab, under User Profiles, select Settings.

· Try to log into any profiles you see listed here. If you’re unable to log in, that profile may be corrupt. Return to the User Profiles in Advanced system settings and delete the corrupt profile. If you see any profiles listed as “Unknown” or that otherwise look corrupt, delete those profiles as well.

· Try creating a new administrator profile and try installing Windows 8.1 from the new profile. You can find steps for creating a new profile and copying the old profile to the new one at Fix a corrupted user profile. (This was written for Vista, but the steps are similar. You can find Folder Options for displaying hidden system files in the Control Panel, under Appearance and Personalization.)

If you’ve confirmed that you’ve tried all of these steps and you’re still receiving error 0x80070004 when installing Windows 8.1, we would like to collect more information to try to identify additional causes. Please run this automated utility, which will collect log files and send them to Microsoft. (You can also choose to save the information to your desktop.) If you get a message that says the utility has already expired, that means we have already collected enough sample files.

This log analysis may take some time. We will post a fix or solution as soon as additional sources for this error are confirmed. We appreciate your help in collecting this information.

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221 additional answers

Anonymous

2013-10-20T21:55:48+00:00

Error Code 0x80070004 with Windows 8.1 Pro update US English

WSReset.exe did not help, no third party Security Software.

In the store, I only had the option for Windows 8.1 Preview - I don't know if this is a typo, or a possible cause for the update to fail
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Anonymous

2013-10-20T20:04:24+00:00

Hi DrHK,

What is all that long list that you have posted related to the Ox80070004 error? Does this list mean you have checked all those items?

I continue to believe that major issue with this error is NOT updates, virus checkers, installed programs, new user accounts, and etc., but is the confusion that the installer finds when more than one instance of "user" and "user profiles" exists besides the one on the boot drive. When "gathering info" finds this complication during the install, the installer becomes confused and generates the pop-up error we see as 0x80070004. The problem for us is that this error is very broad and leads people trying to install 8.1 to claim many other "fixes" for the error that simply are not solutions.

Hopefully, MS will see the issue with symlinks that confuses the 8.1 installer and post a work-around so the installer can complete the installation and NOT stop at 87% when "gathering info" fails? Just have no idea how long MS will wait to post a solution. Read the posts in MS Community to see how many Window users are frustrated.
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Anonymous

2013-10-20T19:49:33+00:00

Hi SiemeTeuling on Oct 20:

Same here. Did all this plus some other suggested fixes but none have worked for me. I had high hopes for the new account thing but disappointed because it does not work.

I guess I will continue to wait hoping MS will have someone monitoring the MS Community so they can see how many people are failing to get a install from Windows Store.

I believe that the symlink issues with USER profiles on more than the boot drive ("C") is the nasty culprit in these errors even though the error is sort of a blanket and can come from many causes. But, as you read the MS Community posts and replies, the most common thread is the symlink issue that MS missed during beta or just simply ignored for a solution.

Too complicated for my skill level to try and fix the confusing issues related to symlinks and also I was advised that simply renaming the offending user profiles (links) will not work because of the nature of these symlinks that Windows uses.

WSReset, new User Account, clean booting, uninstalling virus checkers, getting all updates current, and on and on just do not fix the problems with the failure to install. It is interesting though that my effort reaches 87% before the error pops up during "gathering info". Very frustrating for sure and many people wonder why so many people dislike Microsoft?
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