Windows 10 Update KB4549951 will not install error code (0x800f0831)

Question

The new 2020-04  Cumulative Update for Windows 10 version 1909 for x86 based systems KB4549951 will not install,I keep the getting the error code 0x800f0831  all prior updates installed successfully until now. Is there a fix to this? This is ridiculous and Microsoft needs to do something about this soon! Ever since Windows 10 was first released it has been a security,privacy issue with nothing but flaws,bugs,and it gives so many issues when it comes to installing updates,not recognizing external drives,drives,and other devices. it creates allot errors and issues for them. Windows 7 and 8.1 never contained any of these issues and were and are the best stable versions ever released. It's really a shame you stopped supporting them! I feel Microsoft should of kept up the support for them and would have never released this Windows 10!

Answer 1

I can see that you are still experiencing the issue. You can update by using an installation media.

1. On this link, click Download tool now: https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/win...
2. Once downloaded, you'll need a USB flash drive and run the *.exe file.
3. Just proceed with the prompts to create an installation media.
4. Once the installation media is created, open the USB drive and double click setup to run.
5. Just proceed with the prompts and it will pretty much do everything by itself.

This way you'll be able to get all relevant updates on Windows 10.

Seriously a re-installation is what you suggest as a solution for a non working update That's like taking a car to a mechanic for a tune, he hands you the number plates & says replace everything that went between the plates. That's not acceptable neither is

a re-installation to supposedly fix an update. The problem is actually with the design of the update. What would actually work is providing manual workaround instructions with every update until Microsoft gets its act together.

Answer 2

Hello Wrab211,

I'm Jin, a fellow Windows 10 user and an independent advisor. I can see that you are having an error: 0x800f0831 while trying to install KB4549951 update..

In the meantime, you can start off by running the Windows Update troubleshooter and check if it will went through.

https://support.microsoft.com/help/4027322

Windows also has a built-in System File Check (SFC), kindly run SFC tool and see if will help with the problem.

1. Run command prompts as administrator.
2. Type the command SFC /SCANNOW then hit Enter.
3. Let the scan complete and it will automatically will fix if there would be any corrupted data.

If this doesn't work, you clear the Windows Update cache before attempting to update your Windows.

1. Restart computer and boot up in Safe Mode. To boot to safe mode: https://support.microsoft.com/help/12376/
2. In Safe Mode, Run command prompt as Administrator.
3. Type: net stop wuauserv and hit Enter.
4. Type: net stop cryptsvc and hit Enter.
5. Open file explorer and go to C:\Windows and find SoftwareDistribution and delete this folder.
6. Go back to command prompt and type: net start wuauserv and hit Enter
7. Type: net start cryptsvc and hit Enter.
8. Restart your computer.

You can also manually download the update from Microsoft Update Catalog:

http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search....

Select the exact update to download and install.

If the issue still continues, you can do it manually by downloading the Windows Update assistant.

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/win...

Click on Update Now button to download assistant.

I hope this helps.

Dear Readers

This is the same old same old that gets wheeled out every time a Microsoft security update fails to install itself

So, what we have is an identified vulnerability known to Microsoft & the system hackers & no good way to fix it

Clearly the updates are all failing for similar reasons on many many machines due to same failure codes shown

So, let’s be clear

Using a batch file script or manually deleting or renaming the software distribution & Catroot2 folder isn't a fix

it only forms part of a list of items in the war-chest of solutions to resolve a flaky & unreliable update system

here is the list of items I have done for this and previous updates that refuse 2 install either automatic / manually

To start with the media of your hard drive, & the installed software should be error free before you start updates

Open a command prompt as administrator run Chkdsk c: /f /x /r for C Drive answer y to the prompt to schedule

Repeat the command substituting the drive letter for every drive letter in the system, reboot & wait till finished

This takes a considerable amount of time, but will remove disk & file errors at a system level from the equation

Then ensure the system file integrity of your system by sfc /scannow if there's errors keep running till it is resolved

then you can check & resolve outstanding issues with your image by dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

If your system got to this point with no issues as the vast majority will that's great news if not the system is better

Now you are ready to attack this from the operating system level with simple checks and process to follow below

Ensure all previous system service stacks have been installed, and install the latest one if it has not been done yet

Then run the windows 10 update trouble shooter start settings update & security troubleshoot windows update

Let this run to completion allow the fixes if any to be applied you'll need to reboot your PC to reinitialize (later)

Just in case there is a file attribute error causing a write error for an existing file you can eliminate this by doing

Open a command prompt as administrator cd \ & enter to go to root directory & then run attrib *.* /s -r -a -s -h

This will go on for some time and quite a few locked system files will return an access denied response this is OK

Now you can reboot your system do NOT launch any additional applications or software minimization is the key

Now go to your firewall and AV software and ensure the Microsoft update is not on their block or quarantine list

Now download the update from the Microsoft catalog then go to the file location click on properties & unblock

Next you need to eliminate system software & internet processes from intervening in the update install process

Disconnect the network cable from your PC, then disable and exit from all aftermarket AV & firewall software

Disable Windows AV & firewall if used Start, settings, Update & Security, Windows security, Virus & Firewall ect

Now you are ready to rename & recreate the Software Distribution & Catroot2 folders ready for clean updating

Cut and paste this script below into notepad, save as update-reset.bat and then run with administrator privilege

@echo off

cls

c:

cd \

net stop wuauserv

net stop AppIDSvc

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

rmdir /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.old

attrib -r -a -s -h C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

mkdir C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

rmdir /s /q C:\Windows\System32\catroot2.old

attrib -r -a -s -h C:\Windows\System32\catroot2

Ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old

mkdir C:\Windows\System32\catroot2

net start wuauserv

net start AppIDSvc

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserve

Now you're ready to run the standalone installer for the Microsoft update that was not previously installing for you

Observe the dialog box for the duration of the install noting errors & if where the install fails ie start middle end.

When you finish if this helped great if not you are in the same basket as me waiting for Microsoft to get it right

If anyone has a real solution that actually works / work around so we don't need the Microsoft update give over

C’mon Microsoft don't wait for us to switch to Linux 'cause you can't make a functional patch for a broken system.

Waving Goodbye

Windows Fan

Answer 3

Hello Wrab211,

I'm Jin, a fellow Windows 10 user and an independent advisor. I can see that you are having an error: 0x800f0831 while trying to install KB4549951 update..

In the meantime, you can start off by running the Windows Update troubleshooter and check if it will went through.

https://support.microsoft.com/help/4027322

Windows also has a built-in System File Check (SFC), kindly run SFC tool and see if will help with the problem.

1. Run command prompts as administrator.
2. Type the command SFC /SCANNOW then hit Enter.
3. Let the scan complete and it will automatically will fix if there would be any corrupted data.

If this doesn't work, you clear the Windows Update cache before attempting to update your Windows.

1. Restart computer and boot up in Safe Mode. To boot to safe mode: https://support.microsoft.com/help/12376/
2. In Safe Mode, Run command prompt as Administrator.
3. Type: net stop wuauserv and hit Enter.
4. Type: net stop cryptsvc and hit Enter.
5. Open file explorer and go to C:\Windows and find SoftwareDistribution and delete this folder.
6. Go back to command prompt and type: net start wuauserv and hit Enter
7. Type: net start cryptsvc and hit Enter.
8. Restart your computer.

You can also manually download the update from Microsoft Update Catalog:

http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search....

Select the exact update to download and install.

If the issue still continues, you can do it manually by downloading the Windows Update assistant.

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/win...

Click on Update Now button to download assistant.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Thanks for all the steps and feedback but I already done the useless disc scans. Windows 10 was updating just fine until this month with this April update. Windows 10 has been a failure since Microsoft released it,they should of just kept up with Windows 7 which was the most stable with no issues I recall when using it but it's now history. Windows 10 not only has issues with updates but it creates issues for external drives,local drives,and other devices it fails to recognize them.  All Microsoft does is bs with a bunch of steps that don't work,we the users and customers should not have to do clean install wiping everything out to fix this just because their software is no good and they know Windows 10 isn't and hasn't been. It's not our computers and devices malfunctioning it's Windows 10 that is screwed up! Our only option is revert to Windows 8.1.

Answer 5

If you cannot install KB4549951 threw windows update and cannot factory reset without it undoing changes you will need to at least run "SFC /scannow" & "dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth" command in elevated CMD without the quotations.

Run "sfc /scannow" If this action cannot complete, detects errors and cannot fix, run "dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth".

If DISM completes successfully rerun "sfc /scannow" 

If DISM command does not complete you have multiple registry / store errors and your OS is corrupt.

This is fixable threw more CMD commands than stated above if not overly corrupt, but I currently do not know your knowledge / full problem.

you're better off backing up any important files and fresh installing windows 10 back onto your hard-drive.

If you have a saved system file saved that you KNOW works / is correct from the time you first purchase / built your pc you can try flashing to that system image, although if it's a recent image it may also have similar problems.

If you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with CMD commands or come across further errors running DISM, you're best to just re-install and run the above two commads above.

If you re-install and get stuck on updating to 1909 run these commands again in elevated CMD, and you should be able to update past 1909 up to KB4549951.

Once updated to the most recent, reinstall component drivers, Chipset, Lan, hard drive, GPU Etc,

Run "Sfc/ scannow" & "chkdsk /C" replace "C" with whatever hard-drive that your OS is installed on, ex, "chkdsk /D".

If passed successfully please make a USB system image to prevent this in the future...

This is why people use / suggest them.

I had these same errors, but with different error codes than people have been reporting.

But I also overclock my components Etc, failed update was ultimately user error in my case.

Fixed within an hour just fresh installing instead of running CMD commands because I knew I corrupted my OS very badly.