14 DAY TRIAL // This month's Patch Tuesday rollout is quickly approaching and in addition to releasing new fixes and security updates for a number of products, Microsoft is also projected to retire update support for Windows 8.1.
That's because Windows 8.1 Update is already available for everyone running Windows 8.1 and Microsoft decided to make it mandatory, with users who refuse to deploy it to stop receiving updates and security patches on May 13.
One of the main problems is that some of the users running Windows 8.1 are still unable to deploy Windows 8.1 Update due to a number of issues, so Microsoft has decided to lend them a hand by providing more information on how to fix three of the main problems experienced when trying to install this new OS version.
Basically, users are stuck with three different error codes, namely 0x80073712, 0x800F0923, 0x800F0922, all of which are encountered when launching the Windows 8.1 Update installer.
Microsoft recently updated the Windows 8.1 Update documentation page to provide workarounds on these three errors, clearly in an attempt to help those in trouble before the May 13 deadline.
Redmond says that the 0x80073712 error can be fixed using the workaround we've already told you about approximately one month ago, due to some corrupted files that block the manual installation of the operating system.
On the other hand, if the error you're getting is 0x800F0923, Windows 8.1 Update might not be able to deploy due to a driver issue. “This error might mean that a driver or other software on your PC isn’t compatible with the update,” Microsoft says. In this case, you have no other option than to contact Microsoft support and ask for assistance.
The good news is that those stuck with error code 0x800F0922 can deal with it, according to Microsoft's very own instructions. Basically, the error is caused due to the fact that your PC cannot connect to Windows Update servers, so make sure that your firewall is turned off and you're not using a VPN connection.
“The error could also mean there isn't enough free space in the System Reserved partition. You might be able to fix this problem by using third-party software to increase the size of the System Reserved partition,” the company says.
Of course, it remains to be seen how many users actually manage to deal with these errors in time for the May 13 deadline, but there's no doubt that these issues have caused more frustration among Windows 8.1 adopters.