Configuration Registry Database Corrupt

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ryan3417

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Sep 1, 2021
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31
Hello,

Several weeks ago I noticed that many of my components no longer had drivers installed (GPU, keyboard, mouse, audio, etc) and I also noticed that Windows Update KB5005033 had failed (and continues to fail) with code 0x800703f1. The update downloads and seems to start install ok, says it needs to reboot to complete but then during the bootup install phase it says it cant update and that its backing it out.

All attempts to install or update drivers are failing (including updating a driver for NVidia GeForce 615 GPU).

I have tried SFC and DISM scans but it did not resolve the issue. I've also tried to troubleshoot Windows update, but that hasnt worked either.

I've seen other threads on here with this issue, and was hoping someone has a solution.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Lenovo c540 touch screen AIO
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770S CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.10 GHz
8GB RAM
Win 10 Home 64bit (upgraded from Win 8.1 a couple years ago. System came with 8.1)
Version 21H1
OS build 19043.1110
 
I've seen other threads (HERE for example) where people have had this problem and after providing the staff member with their driver file, the staff member was able to provide an updated driver file that resolved the issue and allowed Windows updates to install successfully. Is that something we can try before going down the ISO route?

I feel like since KB5005033 was able to download and start installing just fine and then failed after reboot to do the final steps, its possible that the first part of the update removed drivers and that the second (failed) part would have put them back in. I could be totally wrong but this all seems to have started with that failed update. Is it possible that the corrupt registry database is also causing the update to fail?

Thanks.
 
@ryan3417

You could start a new topic, making reference to this one, in the Windows Update forum.

There are, of course, multiple ways one can go about trying to solve this, and if you prefer diving "under the hood" first, then you're much more likely to get exactly that kind of guidance in the Windows Update forum.

I have said, on multiple occasions, that I no longer care much at all about the "why" when it comes to things not working. Although nothing's 100%, I have had such consistent success with repair installs that if SFC and DISM used in conjunction cannot fix an issue, that's the next step I always take. It's my way of doing things simply because it's:
  1. Easy, in the grand scheme of things
  2. Effective in the vast majority of cases
  3. Allows the user to keep all of their apps/applications and user data
  4. Gets you as close to a completely clean reinstall of Windows 10 as you can get without doing one

I just don't have the desire to try to hunt down root causes anymore when a Repair Install very often cures a multitude of ills in one easy process. Others will, of course, feel differently, and should proceed in the way that their own preferences dictate.

Best of luck in finding a speedy solution to your issue.
 
Thanks Brian. You make a great point. Sometimes the quickest and easiest is also the best. Let me try the ISO as you've suggested and I'll report back.
 
Brian, I'm somewhat Windows savvy, but have never done anything with an ISO and I assumed that looking it up online it might be straight forward (and it might be). Do you have a document or steps I can follow to be sure I do this correctly?

Thanks.
 
Damn, i'm an idiot. You had already provided a step by step doc above. I'll report back how I do.
 
Brian, I have the ISO file on my desktop, but when I open in File Explorer and right-click, I dont see an option to MOUNT. As a matter of fact, I dont see that it brings up the DRIVE TOOLS menu at the top.

Any ideas?
 
Ok i was able to get it to show me the MOUNT option, however and when I select MOUNT, I get an error that says SORRY, THERE WAS A PROBLEM MOUNTING THE FILE
 
Are you absolutely positive that the ISO downloaded successfully? If so, then this suggests more Windows corruptions.

That being the case, I would follow the steps in my document: Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Fetch the Win10 ISO File, ONLY UP THROUGH THE POINT WHERE YOU BURN THE ISO TO THE JUMP/FLASH/THUMB Drive with Rufus. You've actually already fetched the ISO, and I'll presume it's downloaded cleanly, so all you're going to do in those instructions is use Rufus to create external media. You also have the option of following the instructions in this tutorial: Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Create Bootable Win10 Install Media on a USB Thumb Drive, ONLY UP THROUGH THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE ACTUALLY CREATED THE WINDOWS 10 INSTALL MEDIA WITH THE MCT. That might be the better option as far as having the MCT give you the message that the media was created successfully. It really about which you prefer.

Then you can kick off setup.exe from that drive, and continue with the original instructions from Doing a Windows 10 Repair Install or Feature Update Using the Windows 10 ISO file. On a normally functioning Windows 10 instance you should be able to mount the ISO. You apparently have a Windows 10 instance with a lot of underlying problems, for whatever reason. In that case it just makes sense to create external media that you need not mount to access. You still go the "keep my files and apps" route when you reach that step.
 
britechguy said:
And I do mean using the ISO file, not the Update Assistant on the Windows 10 Download Page. Get a fresh copy of the ISO using the Media Creation Tool if you don't have one or the one you have was created more than 5 days ago.
Click to expand...

@britechguy (Brian)

Sorry to butt in, but is there a reason you insist on using a saved ISO as opposed to just going through the process online using the Update Assistant? I've done both and never had an issue with the latter so am curious about your instruction there. What benefits do you find doing it that way as opposed to online?
 
Andrew,

Unlike you, I have had issues with the Update Assistant, almost all of which are attributable to a spotty internet connection. I have had several occasions where the download of "all the bits" was virtually complete, had a connection drop, and had to start all over again. I have nothing against the Update Assistant if you have a fast and stable connection, it's just not my preference.

I also like to have an ISO on hand (even if it happens to be an older one for a given Windows 10 Version) in case I need to do a repair install or for doing feature updates on my other machines without the need to download again, which has always occurred with the Update Assistant.

Since most of the time associated with Windows 10 feature Updates is associated with downloading the components that are, in essence, the ISO I'd rather just use the MCT to fetch the ISO so that I know I've got "the whole package" that can accomplish the necessary actions already present, and that can do so whether or not I have any internet connection at the time I'm doing them.

It's really a matter of personal preference, with my reasons explained above.
 
What are the status of the important computer files? backed up? not backed up?

These may be some viable options:

a) reset save files (drivers and applications need to be reinstalled)
b) custom install (saves files and re-installs windows) (drivers and applications need to be reinstalled)
c) backup any important computer files and clean install windows (files need to be restored) (drivers and applications need to be reinstalled)
 

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