frustrating update of KB5034441

REAGENTC.EXE: Unable to update Boot Configuration Data.

This needs to be fixed first. Provide an image of disk 0 in disk management.

Having looked at the instructions for increasing the partition size for WinRE I don't feel comfortable going ahead. My C: drive is nearly 90% full and on another site someone was reassured with 'It's fairly safe. But back up all your data first.'

I'm wondering. My recovery environment is not set up:

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /info
Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and system reset configuration
Information:

Windows RE status:         Disabled  
Windows RE location:  
Boot Configuration Data (BCD) identifier: b943e00e-63cc-11eb-8395-fb0fc29a8519  
Recovery image location:  
Recovery image index:      0  
Custom image location:  
Custom image index:        0  

REAGENTC.EXE: Operation Successful.

But file explorer shows a System Reserved J: drive of 349MB with EFI folder and bootmgr. Disk Management shows this on Disk 0 before C:. So I guess this is the partition we're talking about? But it won't enable:

C:\Windows\system32>reagentc /enable

REAGENTC.EXE: Unable to update Boot Configuration Data.

Is 349MB enough? (Instructions to increase by 250MB seem odd if they don't know the original size.)

If so how to get it to enable?

C:\Windows\system32>diskpart

Microsoft DiskPart version 10.0.19041.3636

Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: my_pc

DISKPART> list disk

Disk ### Status Size Free Dyn Gpt

Disk 0 Online 232 GB 0 B
Disk 1 Online 698 GB 46 MB
Disk 2 Online 1863 GB 1024 KB
Disk 3 Online 192 KB 0 B

DISKPART> list vol

Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info

Volume 0 I DVD-ROM 0 B No Media
Volume 1 J System Rese NTFS Partition 350 MB Healthy
Volume 2 C NTFS Partition 114 GB Healthy System
Volume 3 D Docs NTFS Partition 25 GB Healthy Pagefile
Volume 4 E Music NTFS Partition 92 GB Healthy
Volume 5 NTFS Partition 450 MB Healthy Hidden
Volume 6 F Studio NTFS Partition 385 GB Healthy
Volume 7 G Video NTFS Partition 170 GB Healthy
Volume 8 H Pictures NTFS Partition 142 GB Healthy
Volume 9 X Seagate Exp NTFS Partition 1863 GB Healthy

I would check the release history for the windows 10 version you actually have on your device.

Unfortunately for myself and probably most others; this update was not for our windows versions.

The unfortunate parts include

Not knowing this ahead of time due to the inaccurate information provided with the update

Not being able to stop the update from downloading to device beforehand

No ability to remove the download or stop it from repeatedly attempting to install(and failing)

No resolutions being provided by microsoft so far

Only "mitigations" which essentially would be what this update claims to be

The way it caused problems for my device were and maybe still are; ongoing and across the board.

I also recall that prior to this downloading and failing(numerous fails to date); that my device was windows 11 capable. It no longer is according to microsoft.

What occurred that I can pinpoint:

Entire device (according to microsoft update) changed from a notebook to a desktop pc.

Subsequently, all hardware drivers and system information became that nonexistent pc.

Updates for windows occurred based on that nonexistent pc.

Once hardware began showing incorrectly, I attempted to resolve this with microsoft support

Strangely, it turns out that a person doesnt always recognize immediately that the device info showing on their screen. isnt actually their device.

Another words, when support asked what my device info was, I would say its am HP notebook; then read model number etc from screen. So my whole description came out as Hp notebook (xxx-xxxx desktop pc).

Support would then attempt resolutions based on that device info. Which wouldn't help because... my device is not a desktop pc.

HP support also seemed to not fully realize the errors of its ways via its support assistant. It too provided incorrect device info and support.

After going through a couple of uninstalls/reinstalls of windows, numerous UEFI and other bios measures; I realized all of my device manager details were either fully incorrect or not as they had been the day prior or recently.

It took me some time to process the fact that I was looking at a device that wasn't mine.

I asked support what they were able to see after allowing them to connect directly several times. They saw no reason to question drivers that now said 2006 for the year and refused to update. They saw no issue with fresh windows installs that completed but then updating would stall at the install failure of this kb5034111.

Mind you this was all occurring in March and April 2024. Kb3054111 was released on Jan 9, 2024 with almost immediate problems occurring and known issues fully existent by jan 11, 2024. I believe by the end of January 2024, Microsoft was so fully aware of issues that it halted this update. Yet it downloaded to my device anyways.

A device it shouldn't have even been assigned to.

So, to sum all this up(there is so much more that happened); I asked google about incorrect device naming issues causing problems with microsoft windows updates.

Its a reoccurring issue over years of time.

I learned I could very easily change my device description to say, well, whatever I wanted it to say.

I asked microsoft if this would've affected update. The response was "No of course not".

Wrong.

I had support assist me in the basic name change so that it was on record.

And then restored the OS. Again.

And lo and behold the correct device hardware and windows updates began appearing.

It did not however completely fix my device issues. Much is still not as it was prior to this.

Im sure theres a hundred more issues I could list.Just understand, this update is harmful. Its virtually unavoidable. Most of its incompatibility information, was not fully informed by Microsoft. I had to dig. Its presented as windows 10 compatible, as a necessary update to prevent future exploits, yada yada yada... None of those exploits were found to be real, based on real or even potentially possible. Future or not.

Im sure I jumped all over the place with all this. Sorry if its confusing. It resembles my experience with this update.

The risk for me is simple. If and when I need a new computer it will be a MAC.

If you don't use Bitlocker there is no risk of not installing this update and ignoring it.

In this case, if its display in the Windows Update window bothers you, you can hide it with the Microsoft tool Wushowhide.diagcab:

https://download.microsoft.com/download/f/2/2/f22d5fdb-59cd-4275-8c95-1be17bf70b21/wushowhide.diagcab

Otherwise, to install this update, the best solution (unknown at the moment by users and even by Microsoft) is the one that I explained in my first message.

Its installation is done automatically, therefore without risk, while taking the opportunity to repair your system without loss.

Noticed :

If you are on this thread at 25 pages, in our French forum, a thread on this question was locked after 62 pages:

https://answers.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/forum/all/la-mise-%c3%a0-jour-kb5034441-m%c3%a8ne-%c3%a0/eea65f06-a085-48df-9c3c-4d7924bbf778?page=62