Microsoft is working to resolve a known issue in Windows 10 that causes 0x80070643 when installing security update KB5034441 that fixes the BitLocker vulnerability CVE-2024-20666.
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Although the security issue was resolved during this month's Patch Tuesday, installing KB5034441 on systems with a WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) partition that is too small will fail and display incorrect generic messages '0x80070643 – ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE' instead of the correct error message CBS_E_INSUFFICIENT_DISK_SPACE.
As a temporary solution, until a fix is available, the company is providing customers with problems with their systems with detailed - and quite complicated - instructions on how to resize their WinRE partitions via support website .
If creating a new WinRE partition large enough to complete this update fails, you can run the reagentc /enable to re-enable the partition.
“Devices , attempting to install the Windows Recovery Environment January 2024 update (KB5034441) may experience an error related to the size of the Recovery Environment partition. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release” Microsoft said in a Windows version health dashboard update.
“It may be necessary to increase the size of the WinRE partition to avoid this issue and complete the installation. Note that 250 GB of free space is required on the recovery partition.“
See also: Microsoft: Fixes the problem installing security updates in Windows 10
Microsoft has also published a PowerShell script that helps automate the update of the WinRE partition to fix the CVE-2024-20666 vulnerability that allows bypassing BitLocker.
The script addresses the known issue that causes KB5034441 installation failures on Windows 10 systems, leaving devices vulnerable to attacks that exploit the BitLocker weakness and give attackers access to encrypted data.
After running the script, you should also use Microsoft's " Show or Hide " tool to hide the KB5034441 update, in order to prevent Windows Update from repeatedly attempting to install the faulty update and causing 0x80070643 errors.
If you decide to resize the WinRE partition manually, it is highly recommended to back up your data, as there is always a chance that the system partition may be damaged during the process.
See also: Windows 10 KB5027293 update: Released with 3 new features
The causes of the most common Windows 10 errors can vary. One of the most common causes is driver problems. This can include drivers that are old, incompatible, or even malicious. Windows 10 errors can also be caused by software problems. This can include software that is not fully compatible with Windows 10, software that has been installed incorrectly, or software that contains bugs.
Another common cause of Windows 10 errors is hardware problems. This can include hardware that is faulty, overheating, or incompatible with Windows 10. Finally, Windows 10 errors can be caused by problems with the operating system. This can include problems with installing Windows 10, problems with Windows 10 updates, or problems with the way Windows 10 manages hardware or software.
Source: bleepingcomputer
