Update KB2973201 failing to install repeatedly

[Roadbug]

Hello out there. I am in dire need of expert help.

I have two desktops running Windows 8.1 Pro x64. In one of them, Windows Update KB2973201 is failing to install. (I have installed at least two other updates after this, so the problem is not related to Windows Update not working.)

The KB2973201 update can be initially installed, either when I use Control Panel/Windows Update/Select Update or when I install it manually, using the file downloaded from Microsoft -- I have verified this using Control Panel/Windows Update/View Update History: KB2973201 appears as installed "pending restart".

After rebooting the system, however, Control Panel/Windows Update/View Update History shows "status failed" for KB2973201. Details for the failure are like this (I have tried to install KB2973201 many, many times):

Security Update for Windows (KB2973201)
Installation date: ‎28/‎07/‎2014 14:32
Installation status: Failed
Error details: Code 80070003
Update type: Important
Fix for KB2973201
​

Running the Windows Update Troubleshooter (I have done this many, many times) gives the following messages:

Service registration is missing or corrupt -- fixed
Windows Update error 0x80070057 (2014-07-28-7-03_12_27P) -- fixed
Problems installing recent updates -- fixed
​

Detailed information about the errors includes messages such as these:

Windows Update

Issues found
Service registration is missing or corrupt	Fixed
Reset service registration Completed
Windows Update error 0x80070057(2014-07-28-T-03_12_27P)	Fixed
Resetting Windows Update data store Completed
Problems installing recent updates	Fixed
Repair Windows Update Completed

Potential issues that were checked
Windows Update environment variables are incorrect	Issue not present
Some security settings are missing or have been changed	Issue not present
Check for missing or corrupt files	Issue not present
Windows Update services are not running	Issue not present
Cryptographic service components are not registered	Issue not present

Issues found

Detection details

-- Service registration is missing or corrupt Fixed

Reset service registration Completed

-- Windows Update error 0x80070057(2014-07-28-T-03_12_27P) Fixed

Resetting Windows Update data store Completed DataStoreAndWULogFiles.zip 29.99MB File Name: DataStoreAndWULogFiles.zip

-- Problems installing recent updates Fixed

Repair Windows Update Completed Repair Windows Update services and dependencies

After running the Windows Update Troubleshooter, I rebooted and tried to reinstall KB2973201, with same results -- installed pending restart and, after rebooting, installation failed. It seems that something corrupt was preventing the installation of KB2973201 during reboot.

Resorting to Microsoft forums and Eight Forums, I found a suggestion to run sfc /scannow on an elevated command prompt to solve problems with Windows Update. I did it and the result was:

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 23% complete.

Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.
​

The pertaining part of the log (that is, the last lines) has the message:

2014-07-25 18:17:37, Info CSI 000000db [SR] Beginning Verify and Repair transaction
2014-07-25 18:17:38, Info CSI 000000e5 [SR] Repairing corrupted file [ml:520{260},l:174{87}]"\??\e:\Users\Default\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\System Tools"\[l:36{18}]"Command Prompt.lnk" from store
​

Investigating a bit more, I found, in these forums, the suggestion of running DISM, when sfc cannot fix the component store corruption problems. I did the following:

1. Run Dism /online /cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
   and did not get any report about corruption
2. Run Dism /online /cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
   and, after some time, got a message saying that there was corruption and it was recoverable
3. Run Dism /online /cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
   and, after some time, got a message saying all corruption was fixed

However, after all these steps:

1. sfc /scannow still fails at 23% with the same error message in the log
2. DISM does not report any corruption in the component store
3. KB2973201 still fails to install upon rebooting

I am totally baffled and cannot find any other suggestions in any forum. I would greatly appreciate if somebody could suggest something.

Lastly, KB2973201 is about a bug in the virtual keyboard -- which I don't and won't ever use on this desktop. I am strongly tempted to tell Windows Update to hide it and just forget about it.

 

[Nuccii]

If you run the DISM command and it fixes a Windows component you should rerun the sfc command again and reboot the computer. If the update still does not install the update, you could hide it if you are sure you don't need it You could also try a Repair Install and as a last resort, reinstall Windows.

 

[edtech]

If at first you don't succeed ...

I have a customer with an HP notebook with upgraded 8,1 from the original 8 so a reset to factory would be painful. This machine had 20 updates that it kept trying to install, fail, and then required removal before finishing restart each time we tried to shut down the machine.
Ran the FIXIT from http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9830262 which reported it fixed items and then ran SFC /scannow which reported it could not fix "Amd64\CNBJ2530.DPB" of prncacla.inf, Version = 6.3.9600.16384 ... then ran DISM /online /cleanup-image /scanhealth which reported all corruption fixed. Powered off the machine and re-powered and the 20 updates showed up again. Then tried to restore and could only go back 1 month and the update database corruption seemed to be 2 months back from the successful update history. Not wanting to have to re-install all that software I ran the triad of repairs with restarts and after 3 iterations of all three FIXIT, SFC and DISM the update database seems to be fixed and only new updates are being listed and installed. This is tedious and time consuming but can be completed remotely, and avoids finding all those CDs to have to re-install the applications.
Who saiz you can't beat a dead horse?