Windows update (KB5034441) Error (0x80070643)

Fixing the KB5034441 Update Error

I wish to share my experience of fixing this error from all the resources I found

As you can see we have an error updating KB5034441. I have Found a solution and glad to explain.

We have a health Recovery partition , it's just not big enough.

Opened A Command Prompt with Administrative Privileges.

type cmd in the search bar and right click Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.

This next command is the most important for without it one must go through much added procedures to get a successful ReAgentC/Enable run.

* Run ReAgentC  /Disable   This is done to move the REimage to system directory for later use

Run    DiskPartA program for performing tasks on the hardrive

Run   list disk   Please take note of the type of disk you have .ie. An asterisk under * GPT

Run   Sel Disk 0         The Main Disk or the one with the Windows OS on it C:\ most likely       

Run     Sel Part 3         The Primary Partition. we're going to shrink this to add to part 4

Run   shrink desired=300 minimum=300   this will give us plenty after we make a new partition

now Select the Recovery partition

Run     sel par 4   This is the Recovery Partition we’re going to delete then create new

Run  detail par   Let’s get details about the Recovery partition for comparison later if needed.  

you should see an asterisk next to the recovery partition as it is the one selected.

Run   delete Part Override

now, we're going to create our new larger partition.

For GPT Disks :

Run   create partition primary id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac

**** Run   gpt attributes =0x8000000000000001

Run   format quick fs=ntfs label=”WindowsRE”

If your disk is MBR, :

run create partition primary id=27

run  set id=27

Run   List par Let's see how big the partition has become

Your Recovery partition size may very. it should be > 800

run Exit to exit out of Diskpart. and return to the Command Prompt.

Run     ReAgentC  /Enable to enable the Recovery partition

this is when the REimage is now going to be place back on the recovery partition

If enabling was successful, and it should be, exit out and close all windows and check for updates and it should work as it did for me.

If you receive an error that the REimage was not found then please comment and I have solution for that as well. I will post.

FYI...I chatted directly with Microsoft on Tuesday. They told me no need to do anything right now to fix the update issue. Their engineers are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it through an update. They didn't give me a timeframe when it will be fixed, but told me to hold off any trying to fix it myself.

Here is my post from earlier this month. You can try these things, and I believe they will resolve the error code. If you complete KB5028997 and then make sure reagentc is working you should get rid of error (0x80070643).

First, I was able to get all my Win 10 machines to accept this update with several steps completed. I agree with many others that this update does not seem to have any significant effect on operation or speed or anything that I can see.

You may want to open (from Windows) Disk Management by typing in the Search Bar "Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions" This should open the Disk Management plug-in. Look and see what you have on your OS drive - Usually Disk 0. You will need a larger Windows Recovery Partition (Win RE). One of a size of 800KB to 1024KB is needed. You can follow KB5028997 or the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlNtLcFqfOo (search on how to create a Windows Recovery Partition).

Here is the Windows directed response to increase the size of your Recovery Partition:

KB5028997: Instructions to manually resize your partition to install the WinRE update

Windows 10 Windows 10, version 1607, all editions More...

Summary

Microsoft has changed how it updates PCs that run the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). WinRE will be updated using the monthly cumulative update. This change only applies to PCs that get updates from Windows Update (WU) and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS). This change starts on June 27, 2023, for the Windows 11, version 22H2 cumulative update.  

Some PCs might not have a recovery partition that is large enough to complete this update. Because of this, the update for WinRE might fail. You will receive the error message, "Windows Recovery Environment servicing failed.” To help you recover from this failure, this article provides instructions to manually resize your recovery partition if you get a system ErrorPhase of 2. This requires your device to have the recovery partition after the OS partition. Use the steps below to verify this.    

Manually resize your partition by 250 MB

1. Open a Command Prompt window (cmd) as admin.
2. To check the WinRE status, run reagentc /info. If the WinRE is installed, there should be a “Windows RE location” with a path to the WinRE directory. An example is, “Windows RE location: [file://%3f/GLOBALROOT/device/harddisk0/partition4/Recovery/WindowsRE]\?\GLOBALROOT\device\harddisk0\partition4\Recovery\WindowsRE.” Here, the number after “harddisk” and “partition” is the index of the disk and partition WinRE is on.
3. To disable the WinRE, run reagentc /disable
4. Shrink the OS partition and prepare the disk for a new recovery partition.
   1. To shrink the OS, run diskpart
   2. Run list disk
   3. To select the OS disk, run sel disk<OS disk index>  This should be the same disk index as WinRE.
   4. To check the partition under the OS disk and find the OS partition, run list part
   5. To select the OS partition, run sel part*<OS partition index>*
   6. Run shrink desired=250 minimum=250 (Added: See comments below on size)
   7. To select the WinRE partition, run sel part*<WinRE partition index>*
   8. To delete the WinRE partition, run delete partition override
5. Create a new recovery partition.
   1. First, check if the disk partition style is a GUID Partition Table (GPT) or a Master Boot Record (MBR).  To do that, run list disk. Check if there is an asterisk character (*) in the “Gpt” column.  If there is an asterisk character (*), then the drive is GPT. Otherwise, the drive is MBR.
      1. If your disk is GPT, run create partition primary id=de94bba4-06d1-4d40-a16a-bfd50179d6ac followed by the command gpt attributes =0x8000000000000001
      2. If your disk is MBR, run create partition primary id=27
   2. To format the partition, run format quick fs=ntfs label=”Windows RE tools”
6. To confirm that the WinRE partition is created, run list vol
7. To exit from diskpart, run exit
8. To re-enable WinRE, run reagentc /enable
9. To confirm where WinRE is installed, run reagentc /info

Note If creation failed or you do not want to extend the WinRE partition, run reagentc /enable to re-enable WinRE.

"KB5028997: Instructions to manually resize your partition to install the WinRE update" is pretty good, and will give you some written directions.

Changes: I shrunk the OS (main) partition from its present size to a smaller size from (600 to1024KB) to allow for the increase of the Windows Recovery Partition. You will have to test your drive capability from Diskpart CMD to see what is allowed.  Here is the quote from KB5028997: Run: shrink desired=250 minimum=250.  You might not have this space available to change the amount to 600KB or 1024KB and have to go with a smaller shrink size, depending on your drive size and your OS Partition. You will need to do this first.

Next is to follow the directions in KB5028997 to delete and create your Windows Recovery Partition depending on your disk type MBR (older machines) or GPT newer UEFI machines. Follow the directions to create (specify) the Partition Primary ID,

Problem: I was unable to use the "Quick Format and Label commands for some reason. Came back with an error every time. I used:  FORMAT fs=ntfs

IMPORTANT: Make sure you are still pointed at the RIGHT PARTITION in Volume 0 BEFORE you do this! - The new Partition you just made will likely be Partition 3 or 4 or 5, you do not want to FORMAT your OS Partition.

Note: If you want to label this partition you can or use the partial freeware: Mini Partition Wizard or AOMEI Partition Assistant if you want, it is not necessary, but might make you feel better. This part of the job is free, no need to buy the farm.

Follow the directions and check to see that you now have a Recovery Partition of the proper size, nice to have 800 to 1500KB if you have it available.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Getting reagentc operating with needed files:

With my PC's that would not complete this update I found the reagentc was disabled, and had no recovery partition location present. I believe the loss of a Windows Recovery location starts with your PC updates to a new Hard Drive or from a HDD to an SSD upgrade.

It is required that you have a working reagentc or the Windows Update will not complete - hence the error we all have.

Check to see if it is active:

Run Command Prompt as administrator

Run: reagentc /info

See if the reagent is ENABLED (Active). If it is not, and there is no Recovery location shown, you will need to make one. There are some good videos on how to do this. This one is good and safe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlNtLcFqfOo

Follow the directions in this video exactly. You will need to change, or fix, or copy the needed files from another PC that has completed the update and has reagentc enabled.

In File Manager, Go to:

Windows > System32 > Recovery

As the youtube Video states, you will need to check (or change) the file settings to VIEW "Hidden Items" and then in Folder Options uncheck "Hide protected operating system files" to see all the files in this folder.

Note: You will be prompted with a warning not to do this, but do it anyway and bypass the warning. Then click Apply to Folders (or Apply). Hopefully this will then show the following required files in the directory above:

$PBR_Diskpart.txt

$PBR_ResetConfig.xml

Reagent.xml

Winre.wim

FYI: Doing all this fixed three Win 10 PCs I have that would never complete the Update.

The file that is likely missing is Winre.wim and that is the one you will need and must have. NOTE: If your reagentc is working and enabled you will NOT see this file. (I believe ever / never).  If your reagentc is not enabled and active you should see this file.

If reagentc is not (enabled) working you will need to have these files to make it work. You will need to borrow them  from a working machine with a Windows OS exactly like yours. Copy all the files from the working machine to a thumb drive. Copy the file(s) over to the location above.

IMPORTANT: It must be the same version of Windows 10 as is on your problem machine. Read comments on files below:

Example of my working machine that I borrowed the Winre.wim file from:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro

Version 10.0.19045 Build 19045

Other OS Description Not Available

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

If you want to hide the system files and hidden files when you are done, then uncheck them so accidents do not happen.

Next, you may want EXIT out of CMD, File Manager and everything else.

Restart your PC.

Open up a CMD Window in Admin mode and run:

reagentc /info    This should show if reagentc is working properly

See what happens, if it is not working then Run:

reagentc /enable

Verify it is now working with:

reagentc /info

The command should come back as "Operation Successful" and reagentc will be enabled. It is now working as it has found the Recovery files it needs from the file(s) you copied into Windows > System32 > Recovery

Now you can run the Windows Update. I believe it will take a few minutes to complete, but should not come back with the Red Error 0x80070643

I have Linux Mint on all but one PC in my arsenal.

It seems I'll have to ditch MS altogether. What a load of bollocks MS has become.

I still have this same error and have not been able to install the KB5034441 update