In this post, we are going to discuss a Windows installation or upgrade error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A, why it occurs, and what are the possible ways to fix it on Windows 11 or 10 PC. Since you are here, you must have faced this issue. Well, you must have also received an error message that resembles the following –
Error 800704B8 – 0x3001A, The installation failed in the FIRST_BOOT phase with an error during BEGIN_FIRST_BOOT operation.
What causes Error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A on Windows 11/10?
If you are struggling with an error code 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A while installing or upgrading to a new Windows OS, this must have occurred because of one or more of the following reasons –
- Buggy or Faulty Peripheral devices attached to the computer
- Lack of sufficient storage spaces
- Missing or corrupted system files or Windows Images
- Disabled Windows update services or filled Windows Cache folders
Moreover, an active third-party antivirus program may also trigger this issue on Windows 11/10. So, make sure to disable security apps first before applying any fixes.
How to Fix Upgrade Error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A
If you are getting an error code 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A while upgrading Windows, try out these methods and see if any help to address this issue –
1] Remove Peripheral devices
When you are experiencing update-related issues on your computer, the first thing that you must ensure is the removal of all peripheral devices like attached printers, Bluetooth devices, speakers, etc. This is essential because any issue with these secondary devices may aid in preventing an update from occurring on Windows 11 or 10 PC.
Another important thing that you should also do is disable your third-party antivirus program. Even if you are using Windows Defender, make sure to disable it temporarily.
Now that you have removed all the peripheral devices and stopped the security application, check if you can now install the Windows OS that you were hoping to. In case the error still persists, try out the next set of solutions outlined below.
2] Free up Storage spaces
When your PC lacks sufficient storage space to install or upgrade to a new operating system, errors like 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A may appear. The storage issues become prominent for users who use SSD instead of HDD. SSD being costlier, several users end up with an SSD of disk space of around 128 or 256 GB.
As you are planning to install or upgrade to a new Windows OS, you may use DISK Cleanup Tool to free up the spaces that are otherwise filled with cache or temp files. Using this tool, you may even clear old Windows installations as well.
Note: To install or upgrade to a new Windows OS, you require a minimum of 30 GB of free space. In case you already have this much amount of disk space on your hard disk, skip this solution, and proceed to the next one.
3] Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
The update troubleshooter is an in-built utility program in Windows that you may run to find and fix issues preventing Windows installation or even an update. Here’s how to use this tool –
- Press Win + X and select the option – “Settings”.
- Go ahead and select System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Under the “Most frequent” section, hit the Run button beside Windows update.
Tip: If you are on Windows 10, find the troubleshooter at the below location –
Settings > Update & Security > troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters
After you reach out to the above path, click Windows Update, and hit the button – Run the troubleshooter.
- When the troubleshooting window launches, click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
This tool will diagnose the underlying causes behind the error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A and repair them. Even if it doesn’t fix this issue, this will let you know the right approach to address the problem.
4] Run SFC/DISM scans
The presence of corrupted system files or Windows Images may also prevent you from upgrading your operating system. In such scenarios, running SFC and DISM scans are the best ways to resolve internal corruption. Here’s how to perform both of these scans –
- Launch Command Prompt as administrator first.
- When it launches, copy/paste the following and press Enter –
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- This command will look for any abnormalities with the existing Windows 11 or 10 Image and fix them.
- Once this scan completes, run the System file checker by executing the command below –
sfc /scannow
- Both these scans take 20-30 minutes to run successfully, so wait patiently. Don’t interrupt the scanning once started.
After you have checked and repaired internal corruption, check if you can now install or upgrade Windows without experiencing the 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A issue. In case it does appear, try out the next solution.
5] Reset Update Components
At times, Windows update fails because of disabled update-related services or Windows cache folders filled with unnecessarily stored cache or update log files. You may fix this problem by resetting Windows Update Components. This can be completed in three stages as elaborated below –
Stage 1: Stop all update-related services
- Launch CMD as administrator and run these codes one by one.
Net Stop bits Net Stop wuauserv Net Stop appidsvc Net Stop cryptsvc
Stage 2: Purge SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders
- On the same elevated console, run these commands next to purge Windows cache folders.
Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak Ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
Stage 3: Restart the services that you had stopped earlier
- Execute the below codes on the Command Prompt to restart the previously stopped services.
Net Start bits Net Start wuauserv Net Start appidsvc Net Start cryptsvc
Reboot your PC after purging Windows Cache folders and stopping/starting all update-related services. The Windows update should now occur error-free.
6] Boot into the Clean boot state and reinstall Windows
The chances of receiving error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A are pretty less after resting update components. Still, this may occur in certain scenarios. What you can do in such cases is boot into the Clean boot state and try to install or upgrade to the next available version of Windows while being in this state.
Clean boot disables third-party apps or service interactions with the system apps or files. So, it should work if none of the above solutions had worked in your case. Here’s how to enter the Clean Boot state on Windows 11 or 10 PC.
I hope the solutions above indeed help to solve the Windows installation or upgrade error 0x800704B8 – 0x3001A. In case you have any queries or suggestions, let us know in the comment section.
