Windows Server 2016 Security updates fail with error 0x800736b3 - I have tried all standard fixes

Question

Windows Server 2016 Security updates fail with error 0x800736b3 - I have tried all standard fixes:

• DISM /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth - No component store corruption detected.
• DISM /online /cleanup-image /checkhealth - No component store corruption detected.
• DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth - The restore operation completed successfully.
• SFC /Scannow - Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
• SC config trustedinstaller start=auto - [SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS

1. Stopping Windows Update Services...
2. Renaming the Software Distribution and CatRoot Folder...
3. Starting Windows Update Services...

Service is now Running

4. Forcing discovery...

Rebooted then...

• Manually Install 2023-10 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2016 for x64-based Systems (KB5031362) after downloading from MS Update Catalog.

Appears to have installed successfully. One more reboot and...

I've been patching Windows Servers for many years (early 2000s) and I've not seen the Windows Store Corruption issues as I have lately. Is there a known cause? More complex since Cumulative updates? User error? Please help me understand.

Answer 1

Hello

"0x800736b3" means “The referenced assembly is not installed on your system”. This indicates some previous installed may have been corrupted. You have tried the general troubleshooting steps(dism, sfc).

We can check the C:\Windows\Logs\CBS.log for more information. Try to install again, then navigate to the cbs log. Narrow down to the last line then search "0x800736b3". Or just search "error" then look forward. You may get some corrupted component. Then check the version of the corrupted component. We can get the update KB number based on the version of the component. Then try to uninstall the related KB or try to install that update again.

For a corrupted system component issue, the forum resource is limited to analyze the issue. It is usually related to missing packages, files or registry keys. If a in-place upgrade repair is possible, we may consider to do an in-place upgrade repair directly. Backup the important data before we take any actions.

Here is a link for reference of in-place upgrade repair. This sample is for Windows 10 but it is applied to Server 2016, too. Just to do this with a Server 2016 ISO.

How to: Perform a Repair Upgrade Using the Windows 11 or Windows 10 - Microsoft Community

If we want to troubeshoot the issue, we may consider to create Microsoft support ticket to collect further logs.