Fix Windows 10 Update error 0x800f0831

If you experience during installation of a cumulative update, you experience error 0x800f0831 on a Windows server or on a Windows 10 client, this article is intended to help you. In this article, we will identify the potential causes of this error and provide solutions that you can try to help you resolve this issue.

Upon investigation, the most common cause for this error message is a manifest missing from the previous update package. In other words, the Windows Update component is not aware of the latest installation, so it refuses to install new update packages.

You may also experience this problem if the Windows Update service is disabled or if a .NET 3.5 Framework is missing. Another potential cause of this error 0x800f0831 is where the Windows 10 client device cannot communicate with Windows Update servers. This could be due to corruption of system files or VPN connections or proxy servers.

Windows 10 update error 0x800f0831

If a feature update or cumulative update failed with error code 0x800f0831, on Windows Server or Windows 10 client machines, here are some suggestions that can help.

1. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
2. Manually install the feature or cumulative update
3. Uninstall the VPN client or remove the proxy server (if applicable)
4. Set the status of Windows Update to Automatic
5. Activate .NET Framework 3.5
6. Install .NET Framework 3.5 via the command prompt
7. Perform SFC and DISM analyzes
8. Perform system restore
9. Perform a fresh start, on-site upgrade repair or new installation

Let us examine the description of the process involved in relation to each of the solutions listed.

1]Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

This solution requires you to run Windows 10 update troubleshooter and see if that fixes the error. If that doesn’t work, you can continue with the next solution.

2]Manually install the feature or cumulative update

This solution requires that you manually download the cumulative update from the Microsoft Update catalog, and then install the package. To install a feature update, you can use the Windows Update Wizard. Once the installation is successful, the error will no longer appear.

3]Uninstall the VPN client or delete the proxy server (if applicable)

A VPN client or proxy server could trigger this error due to some kind of interference that ends up blocking communications between your Windows 10 client computer and the Windows Update server. In this case, you can try uninstalling your VPN software through the Windows 10 Programs and Features applet or remove any proxy server from your computer and see if that fixes the problem.

4]Set the status of Windows Update to Automatic

If the computer that is failing to install Windows Update is in a shared domain, a network policy or third-party system optimization tool may have ended up disabling the primary service responsible for update function. In this case, you can resolve the problem by setting the Windows Update service. Startup type at Automatic and force the Windows Update service to start.

Here’s how:

• Press Windows key + R.
• In the Run dialog box, type services.msc and press Enter to open the services.
• In the Services window, scroll down and find the Windows Update a service.
• Double-click on the entry to modify its properties.
• Make sure the option under the Startup type in the service properties window is set to Automatic from the drop-down menu. Confirm any dialog boxes that may appear when changing the startup type.
• Click on Apply > Okay to save the changes.
• Restart the PC.

At startup, check if the problem is resolved. If the Windows Update startup type was already set to Automatic and that did not resolve the issue, continue to the next solution.

5]Activate .NET Framework 3.5

If you meet the error 0x800f0831 when trying to install a cumulative update, you should explore the possibility of a disabled .NET 3.5 framework. The cumulative update installation processes are rather more complex and may fail unless all necessary dependencies are enabled. In this case, you can try using the Windows Features menu to make sure that the .NET 3.5 framework is activated.

6]Install .NET Framework 3.5 via the command prompt

If activation of the .NET 3.5 framework via the Windows Features menu has failed, you can try to force the installation yourself by installing the missing framework from an elevated command prompt.

First, you will need Windows 10 installation media. Then, you can follow the instructions below to force the installation of .NET Framework 3.5 from an elevated CMD prompt.

Insert the Windows 10 installation media into your computer.

Press Windows key + R.

In the Run dialog box, type notepad and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER to open the notepad with administrator privileges.

Copy and paste the syntax below into Notepad.

@echo off 
Title .NET Framework 3.5 Offline Installer 
for %%I in (D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z) do if exist "%%I:sourcesinstall.wim" set setupdrv=%%I 
if defined setupdrv ( 
echo Found drive %setupdrv% 
echo Installing .NET Framework 3.5... 
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /All /Source:PLACEHOLDER:sourcessxs /LimitAccess 
echo. 
echo .NET Framework 3.5 should be installed 
echo. 
) else ( 
echo No installation media found! 
echo Insert DVD or USB flash drive and run this file once again. 
echo. 
) 
pause

Note: replace PLACEHOLDER in syntax with the drive letter that currently contains the installation media.

Save the file with a name and add it .cmd file extension – for example; InstallDOTnet3.5.cmd.

Now right click on the file and choose Execute as administrator in the context menu.

Then click on Yes at the confirmation prompt and wait for the process to complete.

Once the .NET 3.5 Framework is installed, restart your computer and see if the Cumulative update error 0x800f0831 is resolved the next time the computer is started. Otherwise, go to the next solution.

7]Run SFC and DISM scans

If you’re still struggling with the error, chances are the problem is actually caused by some sort of system file corruption. In this case, you can run the SFC / DISM analysis and see if it helps.

The SFC / DISM is a Windows utility that allows users to check for corruption in Windows system files and restore corrupted files.

For ease and convenience, you can run the analysis using the procedure below.

Press Windows key + R.

In the Run dialog box, type notepad and press Enter to open Notepad.

Copy and paste the command below into the text editor.

@echo off
date /t & time /t
echo Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
echo ...
date /t & time /t
echo Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
echo ...
date /t & time /t
echo SFC /scannow
SFC /scannow
date /t & time /t
pause

Save the file with a name and add it .bat file extension – for example; SFC_DISM_scan.bat.

Run the batch file repeatedly with administrator privileges (right-click the saved file and select Execute as administrator in the context menu) until it reports no error.

Restart your PC.

At startup, check if the problem is resolved. Otherwise, go to the next solution.

8]Perform system restore

If you only started to notice Cumulative update error 0x800f0831 recently after installing a driver or update or after an unexpected machine shutdown, and none of the pending updates are installed, it is likely that a recent system change resulted in this inability to install the updates. In this case, you can try system restore (warning: all changes such as installing the application, user preferences and everything that was done after creating the snapshot at which you will come back will be lost) and see if that helps you.

To perform system restore, follow these steps:

• Press Windows key + R.
• In the Run dialog box, type rstrui and press Enter to open the System Restauration Wizard.
• Once you get to the initial system restore screen, click Next to go to the next window.
• In the next screen, start by checking the box associated with Show more food outlets.
• Once this is done, select a point whose date is earlier than the date on which you started to notice the error.
• Click on Next to go to the next menu.
• Click on finish and confirm at the final prompt.

The next time you start the system, the status of your old computer will be applied. If the problem persists, you can try the following solution.

9]Perform a fresh start, on-site upgrade repair or new installation

At this point, if the Cumulative update error 0x800f0831 is still not resolved, it is most likely due to some kind of system corruption which cannot be resolved in a conventional manner. In this case, you can try a fresh start, an in-place upgrade repair, or a fresh installation to reset each Windows component.

Hope one of these solutions should solve the problem for you!