Windows 10 - feature update 20H2 failed to install

Ada Birtocian 16

Hello,

I have a Dell XPS 15 (7590) with Windows 10 Home and I've tried to install Feature Update 20H2, but it keeps failing.
This is my update history, the most frequent code I got is 0x800700a1.

I tried using Windows Update Assistant, as I read others solved the problem this way, but for me it didn't work.

What else should I try?

Thank you !

Reza-Ameri 16,831 Reputation points

2021-06-08T18:53:25.67+00:00

Are you able to download and install other updates?
Open start and search for feedback and open the Feedback Hub app and report this issue.
Robin W 6 Reputation points

2021-12-19T08:12:47.58+00:00

So, I am not a computer tech or anything but have sure learned a lot going thru every single thing ppl recommend to fix the failed update to 20H2.

After many hours and knowing I had disabled Malewarebytes with no success, I completely UNINSTALLED Malewarebytes.

And now 20H2 update has downloaded and is installing, albeit quite slowly. Up to 12% right now and crossing my fingers.

13 answers

Docs 15,141 Reputation points

2021-06-08T19:45:48.763+00:00

Please run setupdiag > post a share link with all files
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/upgrade/setupdiag

List any of these non-Microsoft software:
a) antivirus
b) firewall
c) drive encryption

80246019, 800700a1, 8024000b:
The download failed because the MSA account associated with the user was denied authorization to download the content.
The specified path is invalid.
An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.

.
.
.
.
.

Please remember to vote and to mark the replies as answers if they help.

.
.
.
.
.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.
Paul Hilt 1 Reputation point

2021-08-26T18:04:23.537+00:00

I too have that issue, tried the Media creation tool without success too

I have Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

I am behind a hardware firewall, but also have the Windows Defender Firewall on just in case

I do not use drive encryption

I ran the diag tool and the setupact.log is 100MB (5 compressed). All errors point to drivers, but as far as I can see al all working properly.

Is there a way I can share the logs (not as attachments obviously) , so you guys can point me in the right direction, because it has been almost a year now

Docs 15,141 Reputation points

2021-08-26T21:04:15.723+00:00

Hi PaulHilt-7045 ,

Consider opening an new thread.

In the new thread:
a) indicate the current windows edition / version, upgrade failure message and code (if available)
b) indicate the computer or motherboard manufacturer with website for the model
c) plan to run log collectors and post share links (email is not an option)
d) post a share link with the full setupdiag files
e) post a link for the new thread into this thread
Sign in to comment
Dan Birlem 6 Reputation points

2021-11-01T08:59:37.937+00:00

So, I try to update my computer 3-4 times a day, for the last 3 months, and this happens also every time I try to update. Very frustrating, wish it worked. Tired of waiting 15-20m every time I turn my computer on/off to fail an update.

Tried deleting softwaredistribution folder, etc. Is the work around to flash a thumbdrive with a later version of Windows and run an upgrade?
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment
S.Sengupta 15,111 Reputation points MVP

2021-06-09T01:13:54.95+00:00

Media Creation Tool is the most reliable method to update to Windows 10 20H2.Select Upgrade this PC now. The process is automatic, and Windows should automatically upgrade your system. After some time and few restarts, the device would have Windows 10 20H2 update.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
louisgb 1 Reputation point

2021-11-06T23:12:29.273+00:00

This doesnt work, i tried it multiple times.
Sign in to comment
C. Emerson 11 Reputation points

2021-11-01T10:13:24.58+00:00
--------- Update 11/1/2021: ---------

As I feared (figured) my computer's latest attempt to install this 20H2 thing FAILED AGAIN last night. This time the two new steps I tried beforehand were:

Totally disabling my Avast A/V (permanently)

Deleting the $WINDOWS.~BT folder a few days ago (reference)

... Yet sadly as I booted up for work today I got the usual message in my system tray indicating that this Windows update had failed ... again:

Your device is at risk of being out of date. It will need to restart to install updates. Select a time to restart.

I ran the setupdiag.exe thing just now and the main LOG file said (at top):

SetupDiag was unable to match to any known failure signatures.

And parsing through the other logs.zip files all I could see that looks iffy is two OEM.inf files that say they have a having a "BlockMigration=True" result. The two INFs were:

XPS Document Writer v4

Microsoft Print to PDF

I've uninstalled these features of Windows and will try AGAIN tonight (not that I have time for this). SMH.

--------- Update: 11/2/21 (Following Day) ---------

Well it looks like my fussing w/the above drivers/items was the (final?) blocker for me because this morning it appears the 20H2 update FINALLY installed successfully last night. Holy cow what a PITA that was - over the past few months this update probably failed at least 6 times - just insane. Anyhow in case my experience helps someone else here's what I did for my situation:

Followed the various net stop/start command line steps mentioned in many web articles and above in this thread - but I'm unsure if this did anything because the update failed multiple times after this.

Downloaded and ran the "media creation tool" mentioned earlier in this thread. This one felt like huge waste of time as it didn't work and the update still failed.

Totally disabled my AntiVirus/Security software night before (not uninstall just disabled everything)

Deleted the $WINDOWS.~BT folder a few days ago (reference)

Ran the setupdiag.exe mentioned in this thread. This generated a logs.zip and couple other files. In one of the XML files in the logs.zip I saw a couple items that said "BlockMigration=True". These mentioned two oem.inf files. I then went to C:\Windows\INF folder and looked at each of the oem.inf files to find what they were. In my case they were "Print to PDF" and "XPS Document Writer". I uninstalled both of these from my system. My guess is that this was the final (if not the ONLY fix) I needed to get the 20H2 update installed. Again maybe some of the previous steps did something but clearly the install failed until these 2 items were removed.

Good luck everyone.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.
Shadowyugi 6 Reputation points

2021-11-14T18:53:28.357+00:00

I might try this because I'm reaching the end of my tolerance. It's such a frustrating thing.

C. Emerson 11 Reputation points

2021-11-15T10:31:00.787+00:00

I feel your pain believe me - good luck.

Jesse Scheirer 6 Reputation points

2021-11-21T03:02:07.637+00:00

You are my hero. I ran setupdiag.exe to see if I had the same issue on my XPS15 and sure enough I did. I removed the same devices as you and the update worked right away after a reboot.
Thank you very much!

Edit: Just a reminder in case anyone has the same problem I do. My XPS15 blacks the screen out every 15 seconds if intel's battery saving refresh rate thing is on. Go disable that. The update resets that setting back to ON. Use WIN+CTRL+SHIFT+B to reload the drivers to bring the screen back so you can change that setting.

LoriB 1 Reputation point

2021-11-22T01:19:02.747+00:00

I have also been struggling for quite some time updating my Dell XPS 7590, and finally got it to work thanks to your post!
I previously used Dell Update Utility to update all my drivers, but was still unsuccessful. Here's what worked:

I ran setupdiag.exe. I also saw the "BlockMigration=True" in one of the XML files that pointed to .inf files for "Print to PDF" and "XPS Document Writer." Unfortunately, uninstalling those drivers in Device Manager did not lead to a successful Windows Update. However, in that same logs.zip, I opened SetupDiagResults.log and found this:

Error: SetupDiag reports rollback failure found.
Last Phase = Safe OS
Last Operation = Apply Drivers
Error = 0x800700A1-0x20007

LogEntry: 2021-11-16 18:39:46, Error DISM DISM Driver Manager: PID=1728 TID=1760 Failed to reflect critical driver package 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\st_accel.inf_amd64_683c82d758232d6a\st_accel.inf'. - CDmiDriverStore::Import(hr:0x800700a1)

st_accel.inf refers to a system driver called STMicroelectronics 3-Axis Digital Accelerometer. I tried updating from Device Manager, and it said I had the best driver installed. I went again to Dell's support site, chose to MANUALLY find a specific driver for my XPS, and found an updated driver for STMicroelectronics Free Fall Data Protection Driver. Downloaded it, installed it, rebooted my laptop, then ran the MediaCreationTool that I had downloaded previously. I am now updated to the latest Windows 10 Version 21H2.

C. Emerson 11 Reputation points

2021-11-22T10:37:31.217+00:00

Very cool - glad one more person was able to get out of this mess! Congrats!

Joshua Long 1 Reputation point

2021-11-22T21:35:43.38+00:00

So i found the same two infs as well. how do you "uninstall" them? just delete them from the INF folder?

Edit: so, it appears you just uninstall them from device manager. that sadly didnt work for me.

C. Emerson 11 Reputation points

2021-11-23T10:48:30.977+00:00

Well in my case the two INF items were both in the "Turn Windows Features On or Off" menu. So I just "unchecked" their checkboxes, clicked "OK" and then they were uninstalled (don't remember if I had to reboot after). But that's all I did RE: those INFs. Image here if helpful: https://imgur.com/LL6hrGp

Monsheri 6 Reputation points

2021-11-29T16:55:08.263+00:00

Thank you very much for your advice, they helped me solve the problem, now I am a "happy" owner of the 21H2 version! Your help has been invaluable.

On my own behalf, I want to add important information:
Less than 35 gigabytes of free space since the beginning of the update - NOT ENOUGH! I needed ~ 60 gigabytes (I took with a margin) of free space from the beginning of the update, for its successful completion.
If you have around 35GB, after download and "installation"(phase of update before the first reset)you will have less than 20GB of disk space remaining at the first reboot of the PC, which is NOT ENOUGH for a full update!
At the first reboot, you need at least 35 free gigabytes for a complete update.
As a result, out of 60 free gigabytes, 41 gigabytes are left. https://imgur.com/nzQtBka
Good luck everyone with updates, I hope someone will find this information useful!

C. Emerson 11 Reputation points

2021-11-29T17:11:53.81+00:00

Glad to hear - thanks for sharing your success. Yes "happy" owner of Windows 10 indeed.

Shadowyugi 6 Reputation points

2021-12-01T01:34:12.24+00:00

Still doesn't work unfortunately. I'm seeing two things that I believe might be important. firstly, even after I remove the features from window features, I'm still seeing them when I run the setupdiag.exe and I'm not certain if that is what should be happening;

<DriverPackage Inf="oem19.inf" BlockMigration="False" HasSignedBinaries="True"/>
<DriverPackage Inf="oem65.inf" BlockMigration="False" HasSignedBinaries="True"/>
<DriverPackage Inf="oem30.inf" BlockMigration="True" HasSignedBinaries="False"/>
<DriverPackage Inf="oem39.inf" BlockMigration="True" HasSignedBinaries="False"/>
<DriverPackage Inf="oem8.inf" BlockMigration="False" HasSignedBinaries="True"/>

And the setup results is showing me the below. I'm not sure what else I might be missing;

Error: SetupDiag reports rollback failure found.
Last Phase = Finalize
Last Operation = Remove System Restore checkpoints
Error = 0xC1900101-0x20017
LogEntry:

Monsheri 6 Reputation points

2021-12-01T08:27:36.747+00:00

Do you have 60GB of free space on the system disk?
You can open oem .inf files with a notepad to figure out what these files are and delete them from the system. If those drivers for modem or WiFi, better to just disable this device before deleting drivers or windows can automatically reinstall it.

I'm still seeing them when I run the setupdiag.exe

Setupdiag.exe takes data from the last install error report. If you delete all error reports setupdiag.exe shows nothing. This means that during the last installation with an error, these features were present in the system.
Sign in to comment
Robin W 6 Reputation points

2021-12-19T08:19:35.793+00:00

I uninstalled Malewarebytes completely and the 20H2 update is installing!

On edit: processor: Intel I-5 8225, so slow.

But the install took HOURS. It took about 2 hrs in Getting Things Ready, then it started INSTALLING. at 20% installed after an hour, I went to sleep.

Somehow, in the subsequent 5 hrs while I slept, install completed and I awoke to RESTART REQUIRED. Yay

CONFIGURING UPDATE FOR WINDOWS 10 moving slowly. Very slowly....6 min still at 0% complete. The restart install actually completed in 4 hrs.

Laptop seems to be in better shape. But I got rid of all the insane hp bloatware before starting all this. Esp that horrid hp support asst! I think I actually like my laptop now!
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment

Windows 10 - feature update 20H2 failed to install

13 answers

LogEntry: 2021-11-16 18:39:46, Error DISM DISM Driver Manager: PID=1728 TID=1760 Failed to reflect critical driver package 'C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\st_accel.inf_amd64_683c82d758232d6a\st_accel.inf'. - CDmiDriverStore::Import(hr:0x800700a1)