How to fix the Windows WinRE issue

Question

Error info

Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error 0x8024200B: 2024-01 Security Update for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5034439)

As per error log - its related to WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) partition resize issue . But the server doesn’t have windows recovery partition configured  and still OS updates are stuck or failed to install Jan month KB.

Note: The server not configured with WinRE but still we see this issue and update is failed to install .

Please check and advise. Thanks.

Answer 1

The error code 0x8024200B that you are facing while installing an update is usually caused by problems with Windows Update components, including sometimes an issue with a non-configured Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) partition. Since you pointed out that the server does not have any configured WinRE partition, this likely sets us in another direction to find the resolution. Here are steps you can perform that should troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the issue with the installation update:

Check all the Windows Update services are running fine. To do that, open a Command Prompt with admin privilege and execute following commands:

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

Windows has an in-built update troubleshooter that identifies most of the issues commonly found and solves the issue automatically. This can be accessed under the following steps

Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.

Choose Windows Update and run the troubleshooter.

Corrupt update cache can cause installations to go wrong. You can clean the content from it by:

Stopping the services Windows Update:

 

shell

net stop wuauserv

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

Deleting the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder:

 

shell

del %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\* /s /q

del %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\* /s /q

Start the Windows Update services:

 

shell

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

Inadequate disk space is another reason why the update may fail. Ensure that the server has ample free space on the system drive. Provide the system drive with enough free space at least 20 GB or more i aint sure so updates can be installed appropriately.

If the above steps don't fix the issue, manually download and install the guilty update, KB5034439, from the Microsoft Update Catalog. This might bypass some of the problems associated with Windows Update.

Even though you specified that the server does not have the WinRE partition configured, you might want to check if this somehow causes interference with the upgrade process:

Open an elevated Command Prompt and execute the following command to check the current WinRE configuration status.

shell

reagentc status

If WinRE is disabled then you can re-enable it using the following command.

shell

reagentc enable

Corrupted system files can also stop updates from installing. Run SFC and DISM together to scan for corrupted files and replace them.

Open an elevated Command Prompt and run:

shell

sfc /scannow

When SFC is done, run:

shell

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

If the issue continues, you should check Windows Update logs to see if there is any specific error message that may be helpful to the problem encountered. Here is a command where you can generate a log:

shell

Get-WindowsUpdateLog

Conclusion

Follow these steps to potentially troubleshoot and resolve your Windows Update failure related to error 0x8024200B. If it persists, you could then consider getting assistance from Microsoft Support, since they may have specific information related to your environment and can possibly provide direct insight.

Answer 2

Thanks for your response and inputs . still issue did not resolve so raised MS support ticket.