Windows Update Error Code 0x80073712

Palla · Nov 3, 2014

Hi,

I'm unable to perform any more Windows Update, on a PC running Windows 8.1 (upgraded from 8, upgraded from 7)

I keep getting error 0x80073712.

I tried all solutions suggested on MS Community, also disabling any services at startup: nothing worked.

Could you please try to help me?
I'd like to avoid to reinitialize my PC...

Here's the COMPONENTS file: http://1drv.ms/1DUeMtd
and the updates I'm currently unable to install: http://1drv.ms/1DUgQl3

Thanks!

Go The Power · Nov 10, 2014

Hello Palla and welcome to Sysnaitve forums :)

The COMPONENTS file provided is only 256kb this is way to tiny for a COMPONENTS hive to be, can you please take another but this time following the below instructions:

Can you please go the following location C:\Windows\System32\config and look for the following files:
-COMPONENTS
-Any other files that start with the word COMPONENTS
-Or any files that have a similar name to COMPONENTS (it could be spelt different, have a number, a symbol etc)
If you find any please create a folder on your desktop and copy and paste all these files into this folder.
Next can you please zip this folder and upload them for me to analyze? The file may be too big to attach to this post, please use either Dropbox or One Drive.

Click on the

button. Inside the search box type in CMD
Right click on CMD => Choose Run as Administrator
Inside the Command Prompt windows copy and paste the following commands
dir %systemroot%\System32\config >1&&notepad 1
Please post the contents of the notepad file back into this thread

Palla · Nov 10, 2014

Hi,

thanks for your reply.

As you can also see below, the COMPONENTS file is just that small:

Il volume nell'unit… C Š HDD
Numero di serie del volume: 5C90-FF4D

Directory di C:\WINDOWS\System32\config

08/09/2014 23:24 <DIR> .
08/09/2014 23:24 <DIR> ..
08/11/2014 22:55 524.288 BBI
22/08/2013 07:13 61.440 BBI.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 BBI.LOG2
17/10/2013 19:06 <DIR> bbimigrate
22/08/2013 07:13 65.536 BBI{fabc8f90-0af1-11e3-93f3-90b11c2ef481}.TM.blf
22/08/2013 07:13 524.288 BBI{fabc8f90-0af1-11e3-93f3-90b11c2ef481}.TMContainer00000000000000000001.regtrans-ms
22/08/2013 07:13 524.288 BBI{fabc8f90-0af1-11e3-93f3-90b11c2ef481}.TMContainer00000000000000000002.regtrans-ms
17/10/2013 19:49 262.144 BCD-Template
22/08/2013 09:22 28.672 BCD-Template.LOG
30/09/2013 04:52 0 BCD-Template.LOG1
30/09/2013 04:52 0 BCD-Template.LOG2
03/11/2014 19:24 262.144 COMPONENTS
22/08/2013 07:13 0 COMPONENTS.LOG
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 COMPONENTS.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 COMPONENTS.LOG2
08/11/2014 22:55 5.505.024 DEFAULT
22/08/2013 07:13 0 DEFAULT.LOG
22/08/2013 07:13 626.688 DEFAULT.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 610.304 DEFAULT.LOG2
10/11/2014 08:05 5.816.320 DRIVERS
22/08/2013 09:13 57.344 DRIVERS.LOG1
22/08/2013 09:13 8.192 DRIVERS.LOG2
15/07/2014 00:08 262.144 ELAM
22/08/2013 07:13 20.480 ELAM.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 0 ELAM.LOG2
22/08/2013 07:17 164 FP
22/08/2013 07:13 <DIR> Journal
09/11/2014 17:16 <DIR> RegBack
08/11/2014 22:55 262.144 SAM
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 SAM.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 20.480 SAM.LOG2
08/11/2014 22:55 262.144 SECURITY
22/08/2013 07:13 0 SECURITY.LOG
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 SECURITY.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 8.192 SECURITY.LOG2
08/11/2014 22:55 108.265.472 SOFTWARE
22/08/2013 07:13 0 SOFTWARE.LOG
22/08/2013 07:13 5.533.696 SOFTWARE.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 9.113.600 SOFTWARE.LOG2
08/11/2014 22:55 11.796.480 SYSTEM
22/08/2013 07:13 0 SYSTEM.LOG
22/08/2013 07:13 1.912.832 SYSTEM.LOG1
22/08/2013 07:13 180.224 SYSTEM.LOG2
20/11/2013 18:52 <DIR> systemprofile
30/09/2013 05:18 <DIR> TxR
17/10/2013 19:46 262.144 userdiff
17/10/2013 19:46 8.192 userdiff.LOG1
17/10/2013 19:46 0 userdiff.LOG2
43 File 152.826.020 byte
7 Directory 218.568.601.600 byte disponibili

Thanks again,
Palla

Go The Power · Nov 11, 2014

Hi Palla,

Something must have gone very wrong for the whole COMPONENTS hive to go missing, the 256k current COMPONENTS hive is most likely from another file trying to access it. The COMPONENTS hive was most likely missing and when the other program tried to access a file that was not that it created this little 256k file. The 256k is actually normal as the PRIMARY growth of a registry hive is by 256k.

I am afraid that there is no way of repairing a fully missing COMPONENTS hive with out doing a re install of Windows. your might be able to do a refresh of Windows 8 but this doesn't fix the issue.

Alex

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Windows Update Error Code 0x80073712

Palla

New member

Go The Power

Senior Administrator, Windows Update Expert, Contributor

Palla

New member

Go The Power

Senior Administrator, Windows Update Expert, Contributor