How to Fix: Windows 10 KB3135173 Won't Install (10586.104)

Infopackets Reader Sammy T. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I own two systems running Windows 10; my laptop just updated yesterday and I confirmed that it's running the latest version of Windows 10 (10586.104). However, my desktop PC is still running an earlier version (10586.63) and hasn't been updated in over a month. When do a manual check for Windows Updates on the PC, it says 'checking for updates ...' and continues to do so for a very long time, until I receive the windows update error 0x800705b4. Any idea how I can get my desktop PC updated to Windows 10 version 10586.104? "

My response:

I also had this problem - my server updated to the latest version but my main PC still hadn't updated. There are two ways you can fix this problem: one option is to modify some windows update settings to coerce the updates to download; another is to download the latest update manually through the Windows Update catalog site.

How to Tell Which Version of Windows 10 You Have

You can manually check which version of Windows 10 you are running by doing the following: click start, then type in "winver" (no quotes), then press Enter on the keyboard. An "About Windows" window will appear and will say "Microsoft Windows / Version 1511 (OS Build 10586.xxx)". It's the last few digits in the OS build you are interested in knowing. If it does not say 10586.104 then you are not running the latest version of Windows 10.

If you like, you can also correspond that data from 'winver' with the list of Windows 10 releases from Microsoft's website.

Option #1: Modify Windows Update Settings to Coerce Download

In the past I've had issues downloading Windows 10 Updates (because it seems to 'take forever') and ends up in windows 10 windows update error 0x800705b4. One way to get around this is to adjust the Advanced Windows Update options. To do so:

1. Click Start, then type in "advanced windows update options"; wait for the Advanced Windows Update Options to appear in the list, then click it.
    
2. Under the heading "Choose how updates are installed", look for the option that says "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows", and un-check mark it.
    
3. Close the Advanced Windows Update Options, then click Start, shutdown, and reboot the machine.
    
4. After the computer reboots, click Start and then type in "windows updates" (no quotes); then click on the Windows Update icon when it appears to have it check for Windows Updates again. This time it should work without giving you the windows 10 windows update error 0x800705b4.
    
5. Once your system downloads the latest updates, apply them, then go back into the Advanced Windows Update Options and put the check mark back onto the "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows" option - just follow from Step #1 again above.

If you still have issues checking for updates and cannot download KB3135173, continue on to Step #2.

Option #2: Download kb3135173 Manually

Windows 10 update kb3135173 is a rather large update - up to 489 megabytes depending on your architecture. You can manually download the update and run it, and hope that it installs without any issues. To do so:

1. Click Start and type in "Internet explorer" (no quotes); wait for Internet Explorer to appear in the list, then click it. Note that you will need to be running Internet Explorer in order to use the Windows Update Catalog site.
    
2. If you're not using Internet Explorer to view this page, then right click over this link: Windows Update Catalog page for KB3135173 and select copy from the dialogue menu, then paste the link into Internet Explorer. If you are using Internet Explorer to view this page, then simply click on the link.
    
3. When you get to the Windows Update Catalog page for KB3135173, click on the "Add" button next to "Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 (KB3135173)" if you are running Windows 10 32-bit, or "Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1511 for x64-based Systems (KB3135173)" if you are running Windows 10 64-bit.
    
4. Next, click on the 'view basket' link near the top right of the screen, then click the Download link to begin downloading KB3135173 to your system. Save it to a place that is easily accessible, such as your Download folder or desktop.
    
5. When the download is complete, run it. The setup program will initiate; hopefully you won't receive any errors when applying the fix.

What to do if KB3135173 fails to Install

If KB3135173 fails to install, then something else might be amiss. One option is to reset the Software Distribution directory, which basically resets the Windows Update service; this may or may not help with the failed update (I have written an article which explains this in great detail). If you still can't figure it out or if it still fails to install, you are welcome to contact me for remote desktop support and I can troubleshoot the problem for you. Simply contact me via email so we can discuss further.

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I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question - or even a computer problem that needs fixing - please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I'll do my best.

About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.