How to Fix: KB3116900 Failed to Install (Error 0x80071A2D)

Infopackets Reader Fred P. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

My Windows 10 computer rebooted yesterday because it downloaded some updates, however kb3116900 failed to install, with error code 0x80071A2D. I tried to find this update using the Windows Update Catalog but Firefox says it is an untrusted connection. I tried Internet Explorer and was able to connect. I downloaded the update, but it failed to install again. What can I do? This update says it's a Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based Systems (KB3116900). Can you help? "

My response:

I had the exact same problem on one of my Windows 10 machines - it seems to have the most trouble installing Windows 10 updates, for some reason.

On a side note, I should mention that you can only access the Windows Update Catalog website if you use Internet Explorer v6 or higher. If you use Firefox or Chrome when attempting to visit the site, you will get an 'untrusted website' notice, or a friendly message stating "To use this Web site's full functionality, you must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later."

As for how to fix kb3116900, I will use the same process I did to fix the kb3122947 which also failed to install earlier this week.

How to Fix: KB3116900 Failed to Install (Error 0x80071A2D)

As noted, KB3116900 is a Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511; once you install KB3116900, your operating system should be Windows 10 version 1511, OS Build 10586.29.

To get started, do the following:

1. First, you will want to know what version of Windows 10 you have currently. To find out, click Start and type in "winver" (no quotes), then press Enter on the keyboard. A window will pop up and read: Windows 10 version 10.xxx.yy. You are interested in the yy portion. You will run the "winver" command again after the patch to determine whether or not the patch updates successfully. For example, Windows 10 OS Build 10.586.17 was the previous build before Windows 10 OS Build 10.586.29.
    
2. Now it's time to deploy the patch using an administrative command line. Click Start and type in "cmd" (no quotes), then wait for CMD.EXE or Command Prompt to appear in the list - do not press Enter. Once it appears, right click over top of it and select "Run as Administrator". Now, use your mouse to highlight the text below (with the exception of my "PLEASE NOTE" line):
   
   dism /online /add-package /packagepath:C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\0df7619702d9d2e3df1cd549d774174c\windows10.0-kb3116900-x64-express.cab
   
   echo this is a dummy line
   
   PLEASE NOTE at the time of writing I do not have the GUID (globally unique identifier) for windows10.0-kb3116900-x86-express.cab. As such, I do not have the DISM command (below) to patch Windows 10 32-bit systems attempting to update to KB3116900. If anyone has Windows 10 32-bit and is having trouble updating to KB3116900, please contact me so I can update this post.
    
3. Right click over the text you just highlighted and select "Copy" from the dialogue menu. Go to the command prompt you opened up in Step #2, then right click in the middle of the window and select "Paste" from the dialogue menu. Now, press Enter on the keyboard to execute the commands. You will then see output after the commands have been executed.
    
4. The DISM command in Step #2 should have updated. You can verify if your system has been patched to the latest version of Windows 10 (version 10586.29) by clicking on Start, then type in "winver" (no quotes), then press enter. The version number and OS Build will be listed.

I hope that helps.

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.