Windows users are still hit with error 0x8000FFFF
Windows administrators who install the October 2018 rollup patch on a Windows 7 device may run into error 0x8000FFFF once again.
Microsoft explained when update error 0x8000FFFF happens on Windows Update last month.
It boiled down to this: Microsoft released a Servicing Stack Update for the operating system back in October 2016 and made that update a requirement for the August 2018 update for Windows 7 Service Pack 1.
Systems threw error 0x8000FFFF when administrators attempted to install the monthly update rollout in August 2018 if the Servicing Stack Update was not installed on the device.
Microsoft promised to resolve the issue by pushing the Servicing Stack Update again to Windows Update. Previously, while it was marked critical back then, it was not installed on devices serviced with security updates only.
Microsoft wanted to avoid the same scenario by adding the security tag to the reissued update so that admins would not ignore it anymore.
Things are still not alright
Ideally, the issue should have been resolved by now. Admins should notice the Servicing Stack Update and install it on devices so that monthly rollup patches can be installed.
Problem is, this is not necessarily the case. Microsoft marked the Servicing Stack Update as exclusive and that turned out to cause another issue. Exclusive updates are not distributed with other updates. So, any other update pushed to the queue needs to be installed before the exclusive update can be installed using Windows Update.
As Woody Leonard puts it:
In simplest terms, a Windows update that’s marked “exclusive†won’t appear in the Update list until the whole queue is cleared out, either by installing everything that’s backed up, or by hiding available updates.
In other words: the required update to install the monthly rollup patch does not show up until the rollup update is installed. Since the rollup update requires the Servicing Stack Update to be installed, error 0x8000FFF is thrown and the vicious circle of getting nowhere continues.
Microsoft has yet to respond to the issue. Administrators who run into the issue may want to download the Servicing Stack Update from the Microsoft Update Catalog website to install it manually prior to running Windows Update or using other automated update systems to push the most recent updates to these systems.
Closing Words
It is clear that the updating system is still flawed in regards to Servicing Stack Updates, at least on Windows 7 devices. It would be a lot better if the update system would check for updates for components that it depends on first before it starts to check for other updates.
Issues like error 0x8000FFF would never have happened in that scenario.
Now You: What is your take on this never-ending story?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277