Hello,
I am running Windows 8.1, upgraded from Windows 8 that originally came pre-installed on my machine.
After upgrading to Windows 8.1, everything worked fine for a long while, until Windows Update stopped working:
and the error codes led me to try doing the following:
sfc /scannow
- tried this many times, and fails every time, saying it can't fix all of the corrupted files.
- also ran this at boot using the /offbootdir and /offwindir switches, same result.
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth- tried this many times. This always fails with the Error 6801 about transaction support.
- I also tried this with the /Source and /LimitAccess switches after mounting a WIM image from the Windows 8.1 ISO I downloaded from Microsoft, but this always fails with the source cannot be found error.
- I also slipstreamed all of the Windows 8.1 updates (from Windows Updates Downloader) into the WIM image, thinking that DISM was looking for some updates that weren't in the untouched ISO. Same result.
SFCFix.exe
-As found in the Windows Update Forum posting rules, I followed the directions to run SFCFix.exe, and at the end I got my hopes up because it said it fixed a problem and no other corruptions were detected:
SFCFix version 2.4.5.0 by niemiro.
Start time: 2015-12-30 23:43:57.572
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Update 3 - amd64
Not using a script file.
AutoAnalysis::
FIXED: Performed DISM repair on file Amd64\CNBJ2530.DPB of version 6.3.9600.17415.
SUMMARY: No corruptions were detected.
AutoAnalysis:: directive completed successfully.
Successfully processed all directives.
SFCFix version 2.4.5.0 by niemiro has completed.
Currently storing 0 datablocks.
Finish time: 2015-12-31 08:49:16.031
----------------------EOF-----------------------
Unfortunately these results are not accurate as afterwards I tried all of the other programs and got all of the same error messages.
Finally, at my wit's end, I tried to do a non-destructive "Repair Install" using the directions found here, because I want to fix these problems without having to re-install my programs:
https://www.winhelp.us/non-destructive-reinstall-of-windows-8-and-8-1.html
And THAT didn't even work! I burned the Windows 8.1 ISO to a DVD, ran setup.exe as per the instructions, it starts up and says "Preparing .. XX%" for a few seconds, then it just quits and no further screens come up. To test if the ISO or DVD was bad, I ran this DVD in my wife's laptop that is running Windows 10. On her laptop, the next screen comes up as it should (the "Get important updates" screen).
On her laptop, I watched the task manager to see what was happening, and first I see setup.exe, then InstallPrep.exe (Preparing), and then finally Install.exe comes up with InstallPrep.exe still open.
In contrast, on my computer, in the task manager during this process I get setup.exe, then InstallPrep.exe, and then I briefly see InstallPrep.exe and Install.exe for a second, and then they both disppear as if something closed them.
It's very strange that something on my computer is preventing this from running, because everything else runs fine on my computer, including other applications I've installed. My computer still runs faster than any other one in the house, making me more reluctant to do a destructive reinstall.
Other information:
- I am running in clean boot mode, to no avail
- The Win 8.1 install dvd still closes out on me when running it in safe mode (though I've read that I can't do a repair install in Safe mode anyway, but I wanted to rule out the possibility of any apps/services running in normal mode that were interfering).
- I tried stopping/starting various services as some websites suggested, to no avail
- I followed the instructions to clear the transactional logfiles (in an attempt to clear the DISM 6801 error), to no avail
- Malwarebytes scan reports no problems
- Tried disabling/closing Avast antivirus, Spybot S&D, and Windows Firewall, but the Win 8.1 Setup still closes out.
Sorry for the detailed post, but can anyone help me, either to fix all of the SFC/DISM/Windows Updates problems, OR to figure out what is causing the Windows 8.1 Setup to quit running? I've been at this for a week now and I feel like I've made no progress even though I've learned a lot of things.
I am running Windows 8.1, upgraded from Windows 8 that originally came pre-installed on my machine.
After upgrading to Windows 8.1, everything worked fine for a long while, until Windows Update stopped working:
and the error codes led me to try doing the following:
sfc /scannow
- tried this many times, and fails every time, saying it can't fix all of the corrupted files.
- also ran this at boot using the /offbootdir and /offwindir switches, same result.
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth- tried this many times. This always fails with the Error 6801 about transaction support.
- I also tried this with the /Source and /LimitAccess switches after mounting a WIM image from the Windows 8.1 ISO I downloaded from Microsoft, but this always fails with the source cannot be found error.
- I also slipstreamed all of the Windows 8.1 updates (from Windows Updates Downloader) into the WIM image, thinking that DISM was looking for some updates that weren't in the untouched ISO. Same result.
SFCFix.exe
-As found in the Windows Update Forum posting rules, I followed the directions to run SFCFix.exe, and at the end I got my hopes up because it said it fixed a problem and no other corruptions were detected:
SFCFix version 2.4.5.0 by niemiro.
Start time: 2015-12-30 23:43:57.572
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Update 3 - amd64
Not using a script file.
AutoAnalysis::
FIXED: Performed DISM repair on file Amd64\CNBJ2530.DPB of version 6.3.9600.17415.
SUMMARY: No corruptions were detected.
AutoAnalysis:: directive completed successfully.
Successfully processed all directives.
SFCFix version 2.4.5.0 by niemiro has completed.
Currently storing 0 datablocks.
Finish time: 2015-12-31 08:49:16.031
----------------------EOF-----------------------
Unfortunately these results are not accurate as afterwards I tried all of the other programs and got all of the same error messages.
Finally, at my wit's end, I tried to do a non-destructive "Repair Install" using the directions found here, because I want to fix these problems without having to re-install my programs:
https://www.winhelp.us/non-destructive-reinstall-of-windows-8-and-8-1.html
And THAT didn't even work! I burned the Windows 8.1 ISO to a DVD, ran setup.exe as per the instructions, it starts up and says "Preparing .. XX%" for a few seconds, then it just quits and no further screens come up. To test if the ISO or DVD was bad, I ran this DVD in my wife's laptop that is running Windows 10. On her laptop, the next screen comes up as it should (the "Get important updates" screen).
On her laptop, I watched the task manager to see what was happening, and first I see setup.exe, then InstallPrep.exe (Preparing), and then finally Install.exe comes up with InstallPrep.exe still open.
In contrast, on my computer, in the task manager during this process I get setup.exe, then InstallPrep.exe, and then I briefly see InstallPrep.exe and Install.exe for a second, and then they both disppear as if something closed them.
It's very strange that something on my computer is preventing this from running, because everything else runs fine on my computer, including other applications I've installed. My computer still runs faster than any other one in the house, making me more reluctant to do a destructive reinstall.
Other information:
- I am running in clean boot mode, to no avail
- The Win 8.1 install dvd still closes out on me when running it in safe mode (though I've read that I can't do a repair install in Safe mode anyway, but I wanted to rule out the possibility of any apps/services running in normal mode that were interfering).
- I tried stopping/starting various services as some websites suggested, to no avail
- I followed the instructions to clear the transactional logfiles (in an attempt to clear the DISM 6801 error), to no avail
- Malwarebytes scan reports no problems
- Tried disabling/closing Avast antivirus, Spybot S&D, and Windows Firewall, but the Win 8.1 Setup still closes out.
Sorry for the detailed post, but can anyone help me, either to fix all of the SFC/DISM/Windows Updates problems, OR to figure out what is causing the Windows 8.1 Setup to quit running? I've been at this for a week now and I feel like I've made no progress even though I've learned a lot of things.
