Windows Update error 0x800f0831: how to fix it

Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server, with cumulative updates, .NET updates and feature updates.

What error 0x800f0831 means

Windows updates build on each other. To install a new one, the servicing stack (CBS) sometimes needs the manifest of a previous update package. If that manifest is missing from the component store in C:\Windows\WinSxS, Windows can’t continue and Windows Update shows Install error – 0x800f0831.

According to Microsoft, this is more likely on PCs that can’t reach Microsoft Update directly, for example when updates come from a company WSUS server. It can also happen after an earlier update was interrupted or removed. Your files aren’t affected; only the update fails.

Fix 1: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

• Windows 11: go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and select Run next to Windows Update.
• Windows 10: go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Update and select Run the troubleshooter.
• Apply any fixes it suggests, restart and try the update again.

The troubleshooter rarely fixes 0x800f0831 on its own, but it’s quick and resets a few things that make the next steps more reliable. If it won’t start, see the Diagnostics Policy Service is not running.

Fix 2: Repair the component store with DISM and SFC

This is Microsoft’s first recommended fix. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one at a time:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

/RestoreHealth downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so stay online. It can sit at the same percentage for a long time; let it finish. Restart the PC, then go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.

If SFC says it found corrupt files it couldn’t fix, or won’t run at all, see Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.

Fix 3: Find the missing package in CBS.log

If DISM didn’t help, the log tells you exactly which earlier package is missing. Copy the log to your desktop first (Windows keeps the original in use), then search it:

copy %windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log %userprofile%\Desktop\cbs.txt
findstr /c:"manifest missing" %userprofile%\Desktop\cbs.txt

Look for a line like Store corruption, manifest missing for package: Package_for_.... The package name usually contains either a KB number (for example Package_for_KB5012345) or, for monthly cumulative updates, RollupFix followed by a Windows build number. Note it down for the next step.

If the search finds nothing, the log may have rolled over; try the update again so the error is logged, then repeat the search.

Fix 4: Install the update manually

1. Check your system type in Settings > System > About (x64 or ARM64) and your Windows version under Windows specifications (for example 24H2 or 22H2).
2. Open the Microsoft Update Catalog and search for the KB number of the missing package from Fix 3. If you only have a build number, search for the KB of the cumulative update with that build, which is listed on Microsoft’s update history page for your Windows version.
3. Download the version that matches your Windows version and system type, and run the .msu file.
4. Restart, then install the update that originally failed. If the missing package can’t be found, try installing the failing update itself from the Catalog; a newer cumulative update often includes what the old one was missing.

You can see which update failed, and its KB number, in Settings > Windows Update > Update history.

Fix 5: Reset Windows Update components

If downloads keep failing or the same update loops, clear Windows Update’s download cache. In Command Prompt as administrator:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Restart and check for updates again. Your update history list may look empty afterwards; that’s normal. For more Windows Update commands, see how to run Windows Update from the command line.

Fix 6: Repair Windows without losing files

If nothing above works, the component store is too damaged to patch. An in-place repair install replaces Windows system files and the component store while keeping your apps, files and settings.

• Windows 11: on recent versions, go to Settings > System > Recovery and use Fix problems using Windows Update (Reinstall now) if it’s there. Otherwise run setup from the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or an ISO and choose to keep personal files and apps.
• Windows 10: use the Media Creation Tool to upgrade this PC, keeping files and apps, as described in how to reinstall Windows 10.

Back up important files first, as you should before any major repair. After the repair, Windows Update usually installs the pending updates normally.

Related guides

• How to run Windows Update from the command line
• Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation
• We couldn’t connect to the update service
• How to reinstall Windows 10
• How to install a CAB update file manually
• Windows upgrade rolled back with 0xC1900101 – 0x20017? How to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Learn: Error 0x800F0831 when you install an update
• Microsoft Update Catalog

Frequently asked questions

What does CBS_E_STORE_CORRUPTION mean?

It’s the name for error 0x800f0831. CBS is the Component-Based Servicing system that installs updates, and “store corruption” means a file it needs from the component store is missing or damaged.

Is it safe to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder?

Renaming it, as in Fix 5, is safe: Windows creates a new one and downloads updates again. Don’t delete or edit the WinSxS folder by hand, though; that’s the component store itself.

Can I just skip the failing update?

You can pause updates for a while, but security updates are cumulative, so later updates often fail the same way until the store is fixed.

I get 0x800f0831 on Windows Server with WSUS. What’s different?

The cause is the same. Make sure the server can reach Windows Update or a repair source for DISM, and approve the missing earlier update in WSUS, or install it from the Catalog.