Windows Update giving error code 80071A91

mavil3 · 12 Oct 2013

Hi y'all,

I'm having trouble with Windows Update.
Since yesterday around noon, I have not been able to install the rest of the updates that the program said needed to be installed.

I turned my computer on, and WinUp said there were 25 updates ready to be installed. I clicked Install Updates and after a few minutes it said some updates weren't installed and gave me error code 80071A91. Only 8 updates installed (most having to do with .Net stuff) and the other 17 I have had no luck installing. The updates that haven't installed are in the screen shot I attached- at least I believe it attached

Anyway, I also noticed Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB2879017) was "behaving" funny. I ran WinUp with only this update to install and it said it did install it. When I restarted, and reopened WinUp the update was not on the list. I tried installing the rest of the updates, and when they failed and I clicked on View Important Update, "Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB2879017)" was back.

I'm not entirely sure what to do. I have done the following to try and fix:

1. Error checked Local Disk C. Tried WinUp, no luck.
2. Defragmented, then error checked again, and ran WinUp, no luck.
3. Did the command prompt sfc /scannow. Restarted. Ran WinUp, no luck.

Please help me. I thought I took very good care of my computer. I always update when updates are available. I've had McAfee Total Protection since day 1 (July 2010)- there has never been a time where I didn't have protection.

Please help!

AmericanPharaoh · 12 Oct 2013

Hello Mavil3,

To get started, you need to follow these instructions:

Windows Update Posting Instructions

After you have posted all the information we need to troubleshoot, someone will get back to you shortly.

John

mavil3 · 12 Oct 2013

So I did steps 1-4 from the "Windows Update Posting Instructions" link above. I'm assuming SURT installed fine because it said "Installation Complete". Then I ran the SFC Scan. Then I tried Windows Update, and it gave me the same Error Code.

So I did step 4, but I cannot attach the .zip file because apparently it is 12.1MB and the Max File size is 8.00MB.
I'm not sure what I can do about that. Please let me know.

Windows Update still not working.

AmericanPharaoh · 13 Oct 2013

Try to manually download the larger updates, one at a time. Then the smaller ones.

Select view updates and uncheck all but one each time.

Be sure to reboot if prompted.

There may be a corrupted one in the lot, which has stopped the download.

This is not unusual.

Good luck!

John

NoelDP · 13 Oct 2013

mavil3 said:

So I did steps 1-4 from the "Windows Update Posting Instructions" link above. I'm assuming SURT installed fine because it said "Installation Complete". Then I ran the SFC Scan. Then I tried Windows Update, and it gave me the same Error Code.

So I did step 4, but I cannot attach the .zip file because apparently it is 12.1MB and the Max File size is 8.00MB.
I'm not sure what I can do about that. Please let me know.

Windows Update still not working.

Delete the older CBSPersist logs from the compressed folder until it's smaller than the limit - or post the full folder to a fileshre site like DropBox or SkyDrive, and post a link in the thread.

mavil3 · 13 Oct 2013

I tried the "Delete the older CBSPersist logs from the compressed folder until it's smaller than the limit" thing, but after deleting a couple, I was still over. So I am posting a link to the CBS folder that has the remaining files. It is at 8.02MB and I didn't want to delete more files because I wasn't sure if I was deleting information y'all needed.
Here is the link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3e1xkfm40ipvzh/CBS.zip

I tried WinUpdate again, no luck. Still getting the Error Code listed above.
By the way, the Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB2879017) is still acting funny. It supposedly installs,, but when I have to reboot for it to install, it apparently does not install and pops up on the Windows Update list after the remaining updates fail to install.

NoelDP · 13 Oct 2013

There's a lot of the following type of error present in the background CBS log data

Code:

 Line 135856: 2013-10-13 09:21:06, Error                 CSI    000005fd (F) STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE #7229284# from Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey(flg = 0, key = {provider=NULL, handle=0}, da = (KEY_SET_VALUE|KEY_WOW64_64KEY), oa = @0x17ceb00->OBJECT_ATTRIBUTES {s:48; rd:NULL; on:[28]"\Registry\Machine\COMPONENTS"; a:(OBJ_CASE_INSENSITIVE)}, disp = Unmapped disposition: 24964216 (0x017cec78))[gle=0xd0190005]
 Line 135857: 2013-10-13 09:21:06, Error                 CSI    000005fe@2013/10/13:16:21:06.063 (F) d:\win7sp1_gdr\base\wcp\sil\merged\ntu\ntsystem.cpp(3676): Error STATUS_RM_NOT_ACTIVE originated in function Windows::Rtl::SystemImplementation::DirectRegistryProvider::SysOpenKey expression: (null)

Unfortunately, our record in dealing with such errors is far from enviable

The CheckSUR log appears to be clean.

I'm willing to give a manual repair a try if you are - but it could be a long and frustrating trail - or you could go straight for the jugular, and see if a repair install works.
Note that in my records, the chances of the repair failing badly are about 50/50 - so back up to external media first!

mavil3 · 13 Oct 2013

What would a manual repair entail? I am willing to try almost anything, but I do like to at least have some idea of what something will do.

Do you have any reason for why the error happens? I have not installed anything new in my computer for about 4 months- the last thing I installed was Dropbox, actually. All the USB devices I use, I have had for about a year or so. I cannot think of anything I may have done to cause my computer to just freak out!

Anyway, please give me a sort of summary of what a manual repair would do. Like I said, I am willing to try anything. I've had this computer for about 3 years, and if it fails (which I HOPE it doesn't because I LOVE this computer) I can use that as an excuse to get another one...

NoelDP · 13 Oct 2013

A manual repair is likely to involve a lot of instances of me asking for a variety of data, such as registry hives and directory listings/ permissions outputs, and you not understanding why I'm asking or what I'm asking for :) (sometimes it's a simple gut-feeling that an error must be in a certain area - my hit-rate is slowly improving with experience).

If we're lucky it will be fairly straightforward - if the problem is basically a single registry or file error - but it could get to the point where I have to admit defeat (or you get fed up with the time it takes), and a repair install is the only reasonable next step.

A Repair install is fairly quick - and if it works well, painless. If it doesn't work well, then it only leaves the option of a clean install.

See here for instructions for the repair install...
Repair Install

mavil3 · 15 Oct 2013

If I start giving you all that information you need, will I need to make changes as we go along? I don't want us to go ahead and start and then you "admit defeat" and I am left with a computer that has gone through so many halfway changes...
Also, will any kind of repair cause me to lose my MS Office programs, pictures, music, etc?