Win 8.1 reformat won't update.

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Hi. My son has reformatted and reinstalled his backup Win 8.1 but it won’t update. It also says the following is missing.  Api-ms-win-crt-heap-l1-1-0.dll   He tried installing the dll manually but the computer didn’t appear to know it was there, and came up with the same missing message. He has used the same backup previously with a format with no problem. Any ideas?

Cheers, Keith

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On a quick online search, the missing file seems to be related to Visual C++ Redistibutable package for Visual Studio, has your son tried re-installing/repairing if installed?

And try running the Windows Update Troubleshooter for Windows 8.1 If neither of these have any success refer to https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10164/fix-windows-update-errors

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Hi Keith,

Let’s deal with the api is missing error later. He should be able to simply close that error message box. This error message might go away once your son gets Win8.1 either partially or fully updated. If not, it will require simply reinstalling Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable 2015. Let’s not do that yet, since vcredist 2015 requires that Win8.1 updated at least through the April 2014 rollup.

To get Windows Update working again, your son first has to install the SHA-2 Code Signing update. I use Win7 and I don’t know what the KB number for SHA-2 for Win8.1. After SHA-2 is installed, then your son has to install the latest Windows Update Servicing Stack for Win8.1. Again, I don’t know what the KB is. Installing SHA-2 and the latest Servicing Stack should fix Windows Update. If this fixes Windows update, you son should save these two particular update packages to a flash drive for use if he ever re-installs Win8.1 again.

 

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Are you sure Win8.1 had SHS-2 and Servicing Stack updates? I was under the impression that it was only for Win7 that those were necessary.

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Oops. I just check on that. No SHA-2 update is required for Win8.1. Do you reckon that Keith’s son might need to install the latest SSU for Win8.1?

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SHA-2 Windows update change for Windows 8.1 coming September 10, no customer has to do anything to setup the new encryption.

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Just a thought here have you tried manually downloading and installing these updates from this page? http://wu.krelay.de/en/ works a treat for me on the Win8.1 Rev 3 images the last time I did a clean install.
If your not sure that your image is a Rev 3 Image you can find them here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool

Rev 3 has all the big updates that Win8.1 got such as KB3000850 etc.
Even so your still looking at north of 200 or so, or about 2.5GB updates outstanding. Hope that works for you.

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Install KB3138615 manually first and this should speed things up.

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Thanks for the suggestions.

He’s tried the above, without any luck.   SHS-2 and Servicing Stack updates, he couldn’t find.  Do you have a link for them? So, at this stage, he’s made no progress at all!

Anybody got any more suggestions please?

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There is a new Servicing Stack for Win8.1, KB4504418. It has to be installed exclusively (by itself).
It will be delivered through Windows Update when there are no pending updates (checked or unchecked) in the Windows Update “Important” queue.
There are two ways to get it:
Empty the WU queue by hiding or installing all pending updates.
OR
Download it from the MS Catalog and manually install it.

There is no SHA-2 patch for Win8.1 at this time.

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Still no go. It still just sits there saying Checking For Updates, but does nothing else.  He says Stand Alone Installer  also says Searching This Computer for Updates.

The computer was originally Win 8.1 then upgraded to  Win 10, but  during a later reformat, also to 10, it “destroyed” everything including the old 8.1 System Recovery Image, even though it was told to do just the drive  where Windows was installed.  So legitimate 8.1 discs were obtained, and reformatting with the discs restored the computer to 8.1 and updated okay. Over a period more reformats were done using System Recovery created by the discs, with no problem, and updates went smoothly.

This time the reformat was done using the same Recovery Image made by the discs, but the cvomputer is refusing to update this time, even when left to run overnight. And that’s where we are currently.

The reformats were required because he does a lot of gaming, and it’s not really a gaming computer, and gets slow.    Reformatting gets it back to about the original speed.

The above may give some clues as to what is happening.

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To install the SSU KB4504418 try:
+ Download KB4504418 from the MS Update Catalog
+ Disconnect from the Internet
+ Set Windows Update to “Never check for updates (Not recommended)
+ Open Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Services – highlight Windows Update. at the upper left click on “Stop,” leave the Services window open
+ Double click on KB4504418
+ If it installs, reboot the computer and wait 10 minutes after login. Reconnect the Internet and check for updates.

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Thankyou PKCano. May be starting to get somewhere. He gave me the following note:

got past the ‘api-ms-win-crt-heap-l1-1-0.dll is missing’ thing, now i’m getting the following error.

the application was unable to start correctly (0xc00007b)

can you ask woody about it?

So, any thoughts on the next step please?

Thanks everybody for all your assistance so far.

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the application was unable to start correctly (0xc00007b)

Two web sites suggest updating MS .Net Framework. One web site mentions that Windows 10 does not include .Net Framework version 3.5 which some applications may need.

Have a look at this page:

https://www.techjunkie.com/application-was-unable-to-start-correctly-0xc000007b/

 

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GoneToPlaid wrote:

One web site mentions that Windows 10 does not include .Net Framework version 3.5

This is a W8.1 installation.

cheers, Paul

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An observant, and relevant point to be sure. Gone to Plaid could have been more expressive with his short reply and referral. Since I also do not know the true cause, I do think it is worth checking whether the same error code could be caused by the same error condition in this distinct yet related operating system. Even Windows 7 comes equipped with a way to shoot yourself in the foot by turning “off” the system resource that is included in the original installed system image.

So the questions could be asked, is Keith’s son running old software that requires .Net 3.5.1 without having that resource available? Would this generate the same error code? Would installing the outdated standard clear the error? Is there more suitable (up to date) applications available to suit the user’s needs?

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