Windows 8.1 won't update

Can you check system time and date please as follows:

1. Click the clock on the right hand side of the Taskbar and then click the link to "Change date and time settings".
2. In the menu which appears, click the "Internet time" tab and then click the "Change settings" button.
3. In the following menu, checkmark the box, "Synchronize with an Internet time server" and then change the Server to "time.windows.com".
4. Finally, click "Update now" and then click OK.

Are you by any chance in a part of the world where daylight saving time plays a role?

Also, can you please check to see if KB3077715 is installed. This is the cumulative time zone update from August 2015. To check whether it's installed or not proceed as follows.

1. Open Windows Update and click the link in the bottom left hand corner to Installed updates.
2. Copy/paste KB3077715 into the Search field top right. If it's installed, you'll see it appear in the list.

If it's not installed download it from here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=e5342da3-9ad1-4e40-ad58-948f67d9b675

Generally speaking, messages which state that a given update isn't applicable to your computer are caused by the incorrect time being syncronized between your machine and the Microsoft server you're trying to download from.

This can also apply where daylight saving time is in effect and the client computer is one hour behind that of the download server. See this support article for details: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/914387

Hi, when I tried downloading 602 and 198 it said they weren't applicable for this computer.  723 failed to download and I didn't get a BSOD!  Just the usual failed to configure, undoing changes, then started up as usual.

Do you have an application called Storagecraft installed? Here's the link to their site: https://www.storagecraft.com/

Provided you don't, try downloading KB3146723 from here: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=24473cc4-c9d9-44ca-adb7-2c8607e1d0df

You'll have to use Internet Explorer so that you can choose to install it immediately. You'll see the option to do that at the bottom of the browser.

If you get an error when you try to install it, hit Windows key + PrtSc key and it will take a screenshot of it and save it automatically to your Pictures folder. You can subsequently use the snipping tool to copy just that and then post it here.

Before trying to download it though, create a manual System Restore point as follows:

1. Right click the Start button and click System.
2. Click the link to System protection in the menu on the left.
3. Click the Create button at the bottom of the System Restore menu.
4. Give your Restore point a name, something you can remember easily and then click Create.
5. Close all menus and then try and download the update.

KB3147071 is only of interest to you if you have an Oracle Database installed. A standard licence to that costs $17,500 together with a software support fee amounting to $3,850 annually. If you can't recall spending such a sum on software, you can rest assured that it's not installed. 

You can skip KB3115224 since it's only relevant to Windows Server 2012. It appears in the list because Windows Server is built on 8.1 architecture.

Try downloading KB3138602 manually from here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3138602  Use Internet Explorer again so that you can install it immediately. If you get an error message, you know what to do.

KB3148198 is a security update for Internet Explorer. Like the others, you can try installing it manually from here: https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7adf08ce-9382-481b-a1fc-cdc841ef47c7

The reason I suggested creating a System Restore point earlier is because installing KB3146723 could cause a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). This can occur if certain programs have been installed which overwrite a Windows file called Winload.exe. As can be seen from the screenshot though, I was able to install it on my own machine without any problems.

If you're unlucky enough to get a BSOD, you can use System Restore to wind back the clock to the time prior to installing it. Just click the System Restore button in the menu and select the manual restore point you created which will be recognizable by the name you gave it.

Here's the screenshot I mentioned.

We tried updating to Windows 10 hoping that would solve the problem, but that didn't work either!

Hi

Not sure if it's the bigger files that won't update, all the smaller ones have, 2 that definitely won't update are:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3146723 and https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3147071 and were about 13 MB, there are 3 others that are bigger files that I haven't tried yet, so not sure if they will be the same but they are 3115224, 3138602 and 3148198.  I don't really understand the content in those links, so don't really know what to do now.