Windows 8.1 installation error 0x80070004

Anonymous
2013-10-17T12:56:28+00:00

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?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Install and upgrade

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
2013-12-10T01:08:25+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2013-10-20T13:14:47+00:00

    I had the same problem. After an error upgrade to 8.1 my profile could not load. Instead a temporary profile was created. I tried to install 8.1 again, but everytime the 0x80070004 error came up. Even following all the steps that were mentioned in this forum did not help. I am not using any symlinks.

    My final solution was to create a new local user with admin rights, log in with that account and then backup my files on the original profile under c:/users/<Original Profile Name>. After that, the original profile had to be deleted. Now the installation in the store processed successfully. My files and apps are gone and I still have to restore them all through my backup. How painful and time-wasting :-(

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-20T09:41:52+00:00

    Got the same problem, wont upgrade with following error code 0x80070004-0x4000DWindows pro with mediacenter. Running C: on SSD. Updated everything, removing all hardware and "odd software". Same result.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-20T08:40:11+00:00

    Hi, 

    I've also did the Users swapping for the correct install. It worked but it would've been better if Windows didn't mind symbolic links there. It may be a technical limitation, though, or it's just the way Windows is built. Anyway.

    To all the people that get the same error code but haven't moved the Users folder  (or other system ones) I suggest you look at the *end* of setuperr.log, found under C:\Windows...BT\Sources\Panther\ as others have already shown and look for the exact error message. If there is a problem with the user profile store or something else you could find solutions to these problems on the Web. I tried this with some of the errors some of you posted and there were many threads describing the problems and giving solutions.

    MS have already removed the update for 8.1RT, which may be indicative of their attention to installation problems, so they might resolve *some* of those discussed here but there's no guarantee, I guess.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-20T08:39:27+00:00

    It is now clear that my update problems are related to symlinks, not the drivers. I also have the latest driver for that USB controller according to the manufacturer's website, this is something even newer.

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