Won't install security update KB5000802 error 0x80070308

[carsten888]

Update won't install. Windows scan says it found something that stopped the updates, and it fixed it, but it still won't install.

I've tried:
- updating in settings
- googled for 2 days
- the troubleshooter for updates. Nothing.
- manually emptied the update-cache. still nothing
- install an image from 1,5 years ago. Would not install because it has a thread, scanned it with 2 scanners:
- virusscanner from windows. only qbittorrent.exe comes up, which seems to be a false positive.
- virusscan with linux dvd. did not find anything, but noted windows is in hyper boost and thats no good.
- downloaded the update from the ms-site and tried local install. nope.
- tried local install in safe mode. That does not seem to be possible at all.

I did everything on this page except for a clean install.

How to fix a stuck Windows update

From launching in safe mode to going back in time with system restore, here's how to fix a stuck Windows update to get you back up and running

www.techradar.com

Anything I am overlooking?

 

[Bastet]

Have you tried manually downloading & installing the update?

Microsoft Update Catalog

www.catalog.update.microsoft.com

Do other updates install OK?

 

[carsten888]

oh, yes I did that too. Won't not install either.
No other updates installed. also the newer feature-update. That said I needed to install the earlyer updates first.
I gave up and did a fresh install.

After I am done, in a couple of days, reinstalling software and doing all the settings (windows settings can not be exported!) I will backup another image and try install that just to see if it works. I mean, I've been making image backups for years, and now it seems they don't even work.

 

[Bastet]

If this happens again then try this:
Have you tried resetting the update components?
Open cmd prompt/powershell with admin & enter:
Net Stop bits
Net Stop wuauserv
Net Stop appidsvc
Net Stop cryptsvc
Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore DataStore.bak
Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak
Ren %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"
Net Start bits
Net Start wuauserv
Net Start appidsvc
Net Start cryptsvc
Restart the PC & try updating again.

And/or:
Search for services.msc & find Windows Update & ensure it is set to Automatic.

 

[Bastet]

What program are you using to image the PC?
If Windows own then this feature is being removed slowly so doesn’t work well. Even Microsoft recommend moving to third party software. Many use Macrium Reflect free.

 

[carsten888]

thank you for the reply.

I gave up and did a fresh install.
Life is too short for spending days trying to fix a broken windows.

 

[Bastet]

Sometimes a clean install is the best.

 

[carsten888]

So I did a clean install.
Took me 2 days getting all software installed again, doing all the settings to tweak windows into a workable system.

I made a backup image on an external hd.
Then I tried to install the backup image. (as an untested backup, is no backup)
The image would not install! error 0x800703E3

The system image restore failed.
Error details: The I/O operation has been aborted because of either a thread exit or an application request. (0x800703E3)

I made a thread about that here

The system image restore failed. error 0x800703E3

So I just had to reinstall windows because it would not update anymore (see this thread: https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/wont-install-security-update-kb5000802-error-0x80070308.23095) Took me 2 days getting all software installed again, doing all the settings to tweak windows into a...

www.windows10forums.com

 

[Bastet]

With which program did you use to image the drive?
Did you choose all partitions?
To where are you backing up - external hard drive, cloud or networked drive?

 

[carsten888]

To make the image I used windows itself.
config > backup > to backup windows 7 > system image

I choose all the partitions on the drive/c:/ssd.

I backed it up on an external hd.

 

[Bastet]

Windows backup feature is being removed so that may be the problem.
Are you restoring via the Recovery/Windows boot media?
I would use Macrium (remembering to create their boot media for restoring the image) & try it again.

 

[carsten888]

Yes! the way creating an image is so tugged away in the config, appears they are phasing that out in windows 10. Which I find rediculous, because it is so obviously needed to create a backup of the system.

yes I used the windows restore option. Via the windows config, restart to recovery etc.

Macrium, will check that out. So you mean to create an image using that and restoring with it, right? Oof, I just saw its a 30 day trail. So when I need to restore in 1-2 years, I'll need to buy it? Or are there free alternatives? Its just for creating and restoring an image.

 

[Bastet]

Macrium have a free version: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree tbh there’s not much difference between premium & free - the premium offers incremental backups & Image Guardian to protect the images from ransomeware amongst other things.
You would create an image of the drive & also create their boot media (or add Macrium to the Windows boot menu so it appears as a choice on boot) as you cannot restore within Windows.
Their knowledgeBase: https://knowledgebase.macrium.com/

 

[carsten888]

Yes! I got it! Just used a linux-cd to create and restore an image.

This was realy usefull:

I used linux mint 20.1, which can be downloaded and burned on a cd-dvd or bootable usb stick. Make sure your bios is loading from that media.
1. boot from linux cd/dvd/usb media.
2. in the programs, search for 'disks'.
3. select the disk windows is on.
4. select 'create an image'
Can't be any easyer then that. Restoring is the same, but then, at 4. select 'restore from image'.

I have also tried macrium, but that is not free, just a trial version. The download is an installer that runs straight away, so no way to scan for virusses before installing. Its got its own file-format, which makes it not compatible with other software. So, not a fan.

 

[Bastet]

Glad to hear you’ve solved the problem.
Macrium does have a free version (& is the one I posted) but does use its own file format for images.