Is there a workaround for KB5034441 install failure that doesn't require partition modification?

Why just not check the processor first, then resize the partition if the processor is > Intel 805xx? As to resizing partitions on the storage device, it's not something I would recommend to anybody without dire reason, and this update doesn't appear dire. Windows isn't Linux, especially if you have Bit Locker enabled. Chien Sage has the best reply so far, IMHO.

To update, I just installed an SSD and Windows 10 Pro on the very machine in question. It has an i5-7200U, which is Product Code 80677. With a fresh vanilla install, using the latest downloaded Windows Install Media Creator app, I get the error as it automatically updates. Still. On a fresh install, Windows controls partition creation, not the user.

BTW, what does it mean "an Independent Advisor"? I've been working with Windows since 3.1 came on floppies, been there, done that in pretty much any imaginable way with Windows, and not that long ago was operating a nice Dell blade server with Windows 2019 Data Center, so can I be an Independent Advisor? Does it pay, and if so how much?

Hi,

I would advise resizing your recovery partition to just under 900 MByte at first try, then if necessary 1.25 GByte. If you have an Intel 805xx processor-based system you probably will not succeed.

To pile on, my recovery partition is greater than 250MB (see below), everything else is as it should be I think?

Any suggestions?

DISKPART> detail partition
Partition 3
Type : 27
Hidden: No
Active: No
Offset in Bytes: 511565627392
Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info
---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- --------
* Volume 3 NTFS Partition 517 MB Healthy Hidden

The web-posted KB5034441 fixes work on Intel 806xx product code and newer 807xx Intel 64-bit processor based systems, but do not work on older Intel 805xx processor (like Xeon E3113, Core 2, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme, dual core Xeon, Pentium D, Celeron D, etc.) based systems. At present MS has released no fix for these older Intel 64-bit processor based systems.

To date, I have successfully created/resized the WinRE partitions and installed KB5034441 after increasing the WinRE partition size in more than 20 Intel 806xx processor I-5 and I-7 laptops/desktops/workstations after resizing and/or creating the WinRE partition correctly with zero failures. However every Intel 805xx based processor system fails the KB5034441 update/installation. I have tried increasing the WinRE drive in steps to over 10GByte size to no avail, re-installing Windows 10/PRO latest/last update/troubleshooting/etc. and many other work a-rounds, including manually installing the code into the WinRE partition (successful equivalence of the KB5034441 but the KB5034441 update still fails even though it is effectively already installed! Sometimes I just laugh!!!)

For tables of the Intel 805xx, 806xx, and 807xx processors check at the bottom of the wikipedia article: List of Intel processors

As an IT consultant with over 30 years' experience, I am more than capable of and confident to resize a couple of partitions, especially as tools like Minitool's Partition Wizard make it so simple these days. Unfortunately however, this suggested fix categorically does NOT work!

For starters, Microsoft state that this particular update is for machines with an OEM style recovery partition (the kind of setup Laptop manufacturers like HP and Dell use to give their customers a way to factory-reset with their bespoke modified Windows builds). My PC was NEVER set up this way, it was a clean install from a Microsoft ISO so it shouldn't even be trying to install this update.

Even after creating a suitable partition, copying the appropriate .wim file and configuring it as per Microsoft's instructions, this update STILL fails!

I have to agree with Chien here, this CANNOT be fixed manually, even by an experienced IT professional. This is probably because Microsoft isn't being entirely transparent about what's causing the problem, if they even know. If they knew what the problem was, it wouldn't still be broken a month later, especially since it's a security update in question here.

On the plus side, this is a hugely widespread issue potentially affecting millions of users so it really is in Microsoft's interest to get it fixed asap. Until they do, any vulnerability this failure exposes will also affect the same huge number of users - I'd rather be a vulnerable target in a group of millions than be vulnerable in a much smaller group. Safety in numbers.