Normally updates are downloaded when they get available and then are installed by Windows and then a restart is required during which the updates are configured and applied. But it’s not the case always. As reported by many users, the Windows 10 Cumulative Update Version 1511 (KB3176493) has caused problems to many users in different ways. For some it simply fails to install followed by errors like 0x80070bc9 displayed on the screen. For others it will send their Windows in a reboot loop while constantly failing to install the updates. Some users found their issue to be fixed automatically after a number of restarts and a week or so but that is not a solution. So let’s have a look at the solutions. For many users the issue was resolved simply by clearing the Windows update cache which indicates that the downloaded update was corrupted. For others, the installation was failing because of Windows register which didn’t contain the user accounts path on the hard disk. In addition to these there are also other methods listed below that are known to fix this issue. Do follow them all in the order listed below.
Method 1: Clear Windows Update Cache
As said before, corrupted Windows update installation files can cause the update to fail the installation. To clear the Windows update cache; Download the ClearCache.bat file from this link. Right click on the downloaded file and click Run as administrator. Confirm any UAC warning messages. Let the process complete.
Once the cache is cleared, check if the issue resolved. If not, move on to the next method.
Method 2: Install Updates after a Clean Boot
In few cases, 3rd party applications running in the background were found to be interfering in the update installation process. A clean boot will allow you to operate your Windows without any other application interfering during which you can install Windows updates. Follow the guide on this link to clean boot your Windows. Once you reach the clean boot state, try the install the updates now. If the issue still appears, move on the next method.
Method 3: Set Profile Image Path in Windows Registry
A registry string value called Profile Image Path contains the path to the local user account you are using in the Windows. If the string doesn’t have the correct value, it can cause this update to fail its installation process. To correct it, first you will have to know the location of your user account in your Windows. To do that, Press and Hold the Windows key and Press E to open Windows Explorer. Navigate to Local Drive C: and then to the Users folder assuming C: is the Windows installation drive. If you can see a folder with your User Account Name in there, then this is it. Note it down along with the complete address (e.g. C:\Users\Kevin). Now Press and Hold the Windows key and Press R to open Run dialog box. Type regedit in it and Press Enter. Click Yes to any UAC warning that appears. Windows Registry will open. In the left pane, Double Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to expand it. Similarly navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList. Under Profile List, Click on the folder starting with S-1-5-……..Some Long Number. With the S-1-5-……..Some Long Number key selected in the left pane, Locate the string named ProfileImagePath in the right pane. Double Click on it to modify it. Under Value Data, Type the full address that you noted above. In our case it was C:\Users\Kevin. Now Click OK and Restart your system. Try to install the Update now. If the issue persists, move on to the next Method.
Method 4: Set System Reserved Partition as Active Partition (If Multiple OS are Installed)
When you install Windows or any other Operating system, a partition is marked active by your Hard Disk that identifies the boot partition. If that’s set to something other than the Windows 10 own System Reserved partition then this can cause the installation to fail to as noted with some users. This typically happens with users that have more than one operating systems installed. To do so, Press and Hold the Windows key and Press R. Type diskmgmt.msc and Press Enter. Click Yes of any UAC warning message appears. Disk management console will now open. In the lower pane, next to Disk 0, Right Click on the Partition which has the label “System Reserved” and then Click Mark partition as Active from the context menu. Now restart your system and the Update should install without a problem. If not, leave a comment and we will get back at you.
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