How to fix Windows 10 update error code 0x800f0831?

Hello. For a past few months, Windows 10 tries to install the latest updates but always fails with error code 0x800f0831. I am running 1903 currently. Is there anything that can be done to solve this? It is really frustrating, please help.

Error code 0x800f0831 is an error people can encounter while using the Windows Update service. Indeed, it’s not pleasant to see this, as it means that none of the cumulative, security or other updates can be installed successfully. Most recently, users encountered this error when trying to download the KB5012599 update for Windows 10/11.

Apart from 0x800f0831, there are hundreds of Windows Update errors (e.g., 0x80070103, 0x80073712, or 0x80070541), but most of them can be easily resolved. Usually, they are triggered by Windows Store cache, inaccessible Windows Update service, antivirus software, or some damaged update files.

In most cases, Microsoft reacts to people’s reports related to Windows Update service crashes immediately and either fixes the issue automatically or provides manual guidelines explaining how to deal with them.

However, there are no official patches to fix the 0x800f0831 error, so we will try to help you. Having the latest updates installed is very important to maintain a system’s performance and security. If each attempt to install Windows updates leads to the error mentioned above, try to perform the following steps first:

• Reboot your PC to a normal mode;
• Disable your anti-virus temporarily;
• Check your internet connection (perform a speed test)
• Check your time and date settings.
• Install and run a full scan with it to resolve underlying Windows issues that could cause the error.

If none of these methods helped, please refer to the following fixes.

Method 1. Download the missing KB package

In most cases, the main reason for the 0x800f0831 error to occur is due to the missing KB package, which does not allow a newer update to be installed. Therefore, you should check which package you are missing and download it manually via Microsoft Update Catalog:

• Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
• Navigate to the following location: C:\Windows\Logs\CBS.
• In here, open CBS.log file by double-clicking it.

  

• Here, look for lines that include the 0x800f0831 error, or includes the following information (use Ctrl + F to look for specific keywords):
  Store corruption, manifest missing for package: [Missing_Package]

  

• Write down the KB number next to one of these lines.
• Now visit Microsoft Update Catalog website download and install the missing package.
• Reboot your PC and then try running Windows updates as per usual.

Method 2. Run Windows Update troubleshooter

Whenever you encounter problems with Windows updates, you should first try running Windows update troubleshooter, available via settings panel:

• Right-click on Start and pick Settings.
• In the new window, select Update & security section.
• On the left, pick Troubleshoot and then pick Additional Troubleshooters on the right.
• Find Windows Update, click it, and select Run the troubleshooter.

  

Method 3. Perform SFC and DISM scans

In case Windows system files are corrupt, you can run commands via Command Prompt to fix them, consequently allowing you to perform an easy 0x800f0831 fix.

• Type in cmd in Windows search
• Right-click on Command Prompt search result and pick Run as administrator
• Copy and paste the following command:
  sfc /scannow
• Press Enter and wait for the process to be finished

  

• Once done, run the following commands, pressing Enter after each of them:
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
• Once complete, reboot Windows.

Method 4. Reset Windows Update Components

• Open Command Prompt as administrator as explained above.
• Then stop stop BITS, Windows Update, Cryptographic, and MSI Installer services. For that, type the following commands and press Enter after each:
  net stop bits
  net stop wuauserv
  net stop appidsvc
  net stop cryptsvc
• Once done, paste the Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat” command to delete qmgr*.dat files.
• Then copy and paste cd /d %windir%\system32 command and press Enter.
• To re-register BITS and Windows Update files, type all the commands listed below and press Enter after each:
  regsvr32.exe atl.dll
  regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll
  regsvr32.exe mshtml.dll
  regsvr32.exe shdocvw.dll
  regsvr32.exe browseui.dll
  regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
  regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll
  regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll
  regsvr32.exe msxml.dll
  regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll
  regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll
  regsvr32.exe actxprxy.dll
  regsvr32.exe softpub.dll
  regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll
  regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll
  regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll
  regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll
  regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll
  regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll
  regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll
  regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll
  regsvr32.exe ole32.dll
  regsvr32.exe shell32.dll
  regsvr32.exe initpki.dll
  regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll
  regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll
  regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll
  regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
  regsvr32.exe wups.dll
  regsvr32.exe wups2.dll
  regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll
  regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll
  regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll
  regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll
  regsvr32.exe muweb.dll
  regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll
• To reset Winsock, type netsh winsock reset and netsh winhttp reset proxy commands. Press Enter after each of them as usually.
• Finally, restart BITS, Windows Update, Cryptographic, MSI Installer services by entering the following commands each followed by Enter:
  net start bits
  net start wuauserv
  net start appidsvc
  net start cryptsvc

Method 5. Disable Proxy

1. Click Win key + R, type inetcpl.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Select Connections and then open LAN Settings.
3. Find Automatically detect settings box and mark it with a tick.

   

4. Finally, unmark the Proxy server box.

These are the methods that helped for most of the Windows users who have been struggling with the installation of Windows updates. If they did not work in your case, we would also recommend checking if the Date & Time settings are correct. Sometimes, incorrectly set Date and time may collide with Windows Update and Windows Store services, which is why the updates fail to download/install.