Error 0xC1900101 – 0x40017 when installing Windows 8.1

Question

Hello everyone,

We would like to thank all those who have helped us to collect data by sending us logs.  The cause for error 0xC1900101 – 0x40017 is known to be faulty drivers, however it can be difficult to identify exactly which drivers are creating the error.

Note: Please double-check the error code before reading further.  There are many variations of error 0xC1900101, each with a different location code -- the error extension, located after the dash.  The information in this thread is intended only for location code 0x40017.  If you are receiving a different location code, these steps are unlikely to resolve your issue.

There have been reports of a USB driver causing this error.  Until a specific USB driver can be determined as a root cause, if you receive this error, we recommend you unplug all USB devices (other than your mouse and keyboard) as a troubleshooting step and try the upgrade again.  If the upgrade is then successful, you can plug the devices back in and they should function normally.

We have identified a few drivers associated with the following hardware or software that could be causing this problem:

1.  SteelSeries – Mouse and keyboard manufacture.  The SteelSeries Engine is currently not supported on Windows 8.1.  Please see their FAQ for more info and updates.

2.  NVIDIA -- Video card manufacture.    Check to make sure you’ve upgraded to the latest video drivers.

3.  ESET - Antivirus and security-related products.  Please see the ESET Knowledgebase to learn how to safely upgrade to Windows 8.1 with ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus installed.

4. Trusteer Rapport -- Credit card fraud protection software.  Trusteer recommends installing the latest update for Windows 8.1 compatibility.

If you have any of these programs installed, please let us know if disabling, uninstalling, or upgrading the software or drivers allowed you to install Windows 8.1 successfully.

We are sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your help and understanding while we continue to investigate this issue.

Answer 1

Hello,

Microsoft is aware some customers are unable to install Windows 8.1 due to error 0xC1900101 -0x40017. 

This error indicates a failure to boot Windows 8.1 occurred during the final parts of the update, causing the system to roll back to Windows 8.  The most likely cause of this error is an incompatible driver or hardware defect. Unfortunately, due to the timing of this failure, there are often no logs, crash dumps or other diagnostic information available to investigate the issue easily, which makes it difficult to determine which, if any, of the drivers or system components are causing the update to fail.

We are currently working with the companies that develop these drivers to help them update their problematic drivers whenever they are identified.  Some of the identified drivers have been listed in the original post, however due to the sheer number of drivers constantly being created by other companies all over the world, this is a daunting task.  We understand that the inability to easily identify the incompatible driver can be incredibly frustrating and we are sorry for the inconvenience. 

Make sure you’ve installed all the latest Windows Updates and latest drivers from your hardware and software manufacturers.  You can also try uninstalling any unnecessary hardware or software prior to updating to Windows 8.1.

If your hardware and software manufacturers do not have updated drivers and you are experiencing this error, the best method for upgrading to Windows 8.1 is to clean install Windows 8, and then update to Windows 8.1 before allowing any additional drivers or software to install.

To do this:

1. Back up all of your personal documents and data to an external drive.
2. Disconnect your computer from the Internet.
3. Perform a clean install of Windows 8 using Windows 8 installation media (DVD or USB).  For help performing a clean install of Windows, see How to perform a clean install of Windows.

Note:  If you do not have media and Windows 8 was pre-installed on your PC, please contact your PC manufacturer for assistance.  Otherwise to get help obtaining installation media, contact Microsoft Support. 4. Once you’ve reinstalled Windows 8, change your hardware settings so that you do not automatically install driver updates.      

**>>**From the Start screen, type “System”, and then click on “View advanced system settings” in the search results.  This will open the System Properties dialog.      

**>>**Click on the Hardware tab, and then click Device Installation Settings.      

**>>**When the Device Installation Settings window appears, click the “No, let me choose what to” button, and then “Never install driver software from Windows Update”.  Click Save Changes to save the setting. 5. Reconnect your computer to the Internet. 6. Install Windows Updates.  Restart the computer when prompted. 7. Open Windows Store and install Windows 8.1. 8. Afterwards, be sure to restore your hardware settings so that your device drivers once again install automatically.  (Repeat Step 4, but restore this setting to “**Yes, do this automatically (recommended)”**and Save changes.)

Answer 2

BillFill,

I don't have any of the drivers or devices you've listed. What is the next step?

Is there a dmp file or bugcheck log anywhere that can point me to the offending driver?

Answer 3

It doesn' work!!!

I have only (newest - 331.65) NVIDIA drivers and I uplugged ALL of the USB devices - even Logitech Nano Receiver for keyboard and mouse but still nothing... Over two hours of the updating process and the same error number in the of the way... It was my sixth attempt and it isn't funny - it's just sad!

Answer 4

All USB devices except a generic keyboard and mouse removed.  No SteelSeries devices or derivers.  Dual Nvidia 660 cards with the newest drivers.  No ESET, no Trusteer software.  Same failure and error code.

Try this, try that - how about some real diagnostics to find out what is causing the crash.  I have tried no less than a dozen times.

Answer 5

All USB devices except a generic keyboard and mouse removed.  No SteelSeries devices or derivers.  Dual Nvidia 660 cards with the newest drivers.  No ESET, no Trusteer software.  Same failure and error code.

Try this, try that - how about some real diagnostics to find out what is causing the crash.  I have tried no less than a dozen times. 

Part and parcel of the diagnostic process is trial and error.  When you installed the latest NVidia drivers, did you completely clean out the old ones before installing the new? I have seen many problems crop up because remnants of the older drivers remained after uninstall or automatically reinstalled before the newer driver was completely installed.  Make sure to go to Device manager and uninstall any NVidia driver left over, and make sure to check the box that says "delete this driver from to remove all of them from the system.

If you reboot and an nvidia driver suddenly tries and even installs automatically, you can be sure that an old one still is there waiting to install itself.  Clear them all out and make sure they are all gone before installing the newest one.  Make sure that is done before you attempt to install Windows 8.1.  And, make sure to install the one that is compatible with Windows 8.1.  If you have legacy hardware, you are out of luck.

Nvidia drivers are notorious for causing troubles on various systems.  You should see what happens on a lot of Linux systems with them!  They make Windows problems look like a party.  Linus Torvalds even had a few choice words to say to them because they have been so difficult to work with on the Linux platform.  I ended up just switching to AMD because of a lot of it problems I had with them over the years.  It is just easier to make them work and they play nicer with other software.

In any case, check the drivers because drivers are a big cause for this error.  I have even seen networking drivers generate this error so it is not just graphic drivers to watch out for.  Make sure to check those as well and upgrade the networking hardware drivers before trying to install Windows 8.1  The same goes for generic and other Bluetooth keyboards.

Also watch out for security software.  Some of it also can cause this to happen.  If necessary, uninstall things like Norton 360 and certain third-party firewall software, and reinstall them when Windows 8.1 is installed.  These products are connected with networking drivers and are designed to intercept network intrusions and so forth.  Sometimes they can cause the same kinds of errors that hardware drivers can.