Problem with a windows update KB5031356 (windows 10)

Hello to everyone,

I am writing from Estonia and I was using a 4 four years old Dell Optiplex 9020. My reconstructed machine (16 GB of memory) worked fine and I had no troubles with it at all. The problems started on Friday, 6. october 2023. This is a few days before the update (KB5031356) of 10. october 2023. At first I thought that it was some kind of cyberattack, because the complete update history of my Dell Optiplex was erased. I noticed at the same time, that something damaged or better told erased as well a lot of files associated with uninstallation of software, fore example everything from Wise (Wise Disk Cleaner, Wise PDF Reader, Wise Registry Cleaner etc). Some examples of the erased files are this: "unins000.msg" and "unins000.dat". A lot of software prior to the update stopped working, for example Dell Supportassist, Dell OS Recovery Plugin for Dell Update, Dell OS Recovery Tool etc. As well applications from Microsoft Store, for example Microsoft To Do, Dell Digital Delivery and as well the Microsoft Store app itself -- I had to reinstall it with the help of appxbundle. Other options failed. A lot of Dell software became completly useless. The Dell OS Recovery Tool isn t starting in Windows 10. I had serious trouble reinstalling Dell supportassist. With the stand of 17.10.2023 my Dell Optiplex has become completly useless after installing the update KB5031356. I must remark that the update loaded very badly and was stuck by 30% and loading it took several hours. After downloading the update things got worse. I have got at least 10 blue screens of death. The most common cause is a "Critical process died". I have no idea what this process should be. None of the recovery options works anymore. System Restore has become a complete failure -- "you must enable system protection on this drive", I did, and it dosen t worked at all. I tried a lot of the Command Prompt options with different commands nothing worked, beginning with sfc /scannow. It isn t possible to uninstall the latest updates as well, because there is nothing to choose from. Still got the same message "Critical process died". I have noticed that a lot of files are missing from the update, witch leads to system devices not recognized, for exaple Canon Powershot A620. The following files are missing from update KB5031356: "WpdUpFltr.sys" & "winusb.sys". Visual Studio 2022 got damaged as well prior to the update -- files are missing. Today I can t use anymore my computer and have nothing to work with anymore. I can bring my computer to repair, but I am out of options restoring the system. I have more than 10 restore points nothing helped. In the last days I have fasted a lot of my free time, to restore my computers funtionality with the result of a useless machine. Thanks Microsoft.

Yes, I have the same problem and would not claim to be any sort of computer expert. I get 20% install; then quite a wait; then 74% install and then a speedy install to 100% where it stays for a while until the error code appears. I tried all sorts and eventually resorted to attempting a system restore. Unfortunately, I could only get options for restoring to the build date of the computer, or approx. 24 hours previously. Since I'd been struggling for several days, I took that option, which seems to have made the computer generally run more slowly......

Update - The Microsoft Patch provided last Tuesday unfortunately does not work. I have tried the Command Prompt app and typed in the recommended: Dism /online /cleanup-image /RestoreHealth which you are requested to type in when you run as an administrator function operated successfully, but one still can't install the Windows update. Have tried the Command Prompt on around 5 occasions, just in case!! Anymore suggestions Microsoft?

Further update:

Re further updates in past couple of days. My net frame installed ok, too, by KB5031445 didn't but with similar 20%; 45%; 74% install before inability to update comes up. I'm beginning to wonder whether KB5031356 is not actually the issue. Maybe, there is a bug in a previous update which caused failure of both KB5031356 and KB5031445 updates to install?

There's more:

What build version of Windows 10 are you running. Just wondering if we're all on the same Windows Version/ build? Apparently (and hopefully) I'm not breaching my security in sharing this info but I'm on Version 22H2 - Build 19045.3516. You can find the version etc. by right clicking on the 'start' button on extreme left-hand side of bottom bar. Then hit 'run' and type in 'winver' (but omitting inverted commas) into the search box. then enter and it should come up.

Having the same issue here. Never had any issue downloading any main windows updates before. This is weird...

Same Issue here I have a few Dell XPS 13 systems, so far on 3 of them, I have tried to install this Update on it breaks, the PC has to do an automatic repair and remove the update. errors message says there are corrupt system files, I have tried all the things The OP tried SFC /scannow DISM tool. All of those tools complete successfully. then restart is successful no issues. IF this was one machine I would say re-install windows but on all of the machines No the issue is with something in the Update, and I am wondering if it is the Bit Locker piece. I will experiment more and report back, at this point might just have to wait for the 11-2023 update

I found a thread on reddit with a bunch of people having the same issues, this definitely seems like some kind of bug ?!

https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/17592h9/failing_to_install_kb5031356/
can any moderator or admin bring attention to this to the windows support team ?

I tried to tweet the windows, windowsupdate, windowsinsider and windows dev twitters aswell