Windows 10 Pro N fails applying the April 2018 update

When using Windows update or the Media Creation Tool 1803, upgrading to the April 2018 update fails at the Windows Update stage, with error code SAFE_OS.

What can I do to make this update work?

windows-10-v1803

LPChip

Posted 2018-05-02T14:30:35.350

Reputation: 42 190

Answers

If you navigate to the following folder: C:\$Windows.~BT\Sources\Panther you'll find a file called setuperror.log

If you open that file, the reason for why the error fails will be shown there.

If you have an N version of windows 10, it is quite likely that you will find the following line in this file:

Operation failed: Add [1] package 
C:$WINDOWS.BT\FODs\DU\f5d394a9-b4f4-457c-b5f8-438a6b8e72a0\
Microsoft-Windows-MediaPlayer-Package31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~.cab. 
Error: 0x800F081E[gle=0x000000b7]

This will happen if you have installed the Media Feature Pack in the past to add back support for Windows Media Player and the H.264 codec pack for use with websites such as Youtube, SoundCloud, etc.

In order to succesfully upgrade your installation, you need to uninstall the Media Features.

Here's how:

Open Control Panel
Go to Programs and Features
On the left side, access Turn Windows Features on or off
On the new window, untick Media Features. It has a subfolder with Media Player, but you need to uninstall it completely.
After it is removed, you can run the upgrade again (using the Media Creation Tool) and it should work this time. No need to reboot after removing the feature unless a popup is shown asking you to reboot. (didn't happen to me, so I did not reboot, and it worked great.)

Don't forget, to install the new Windows Media Feature pack, which can be downloaded from here.

LPChip

Posted 2018-05-02T14:30:35.350

Reputation: 42 190

Here is the media pack for 1803: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057437/media-feature-pack-for-windows-10-n-april-2018

– magicandre1981 – 2018-05-02T15:37:34.873

@magicandre1981 oh, awesome. Thanks for that link. Post edited. :) – LPChip – 2018-05-02T16:11:08.023

This only worked in combination with installing with the Media Creation Tool: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

– patrickf – 2018-05-02T18:57:13.847

I didn't actually test normal windows update. I'll edit that part in. Thanks @for3st – LPChip – 2018-05-02T19:08:25.020

I've had this issue on 2 machines running Windows 10 Pro N. The main thing to do is uninstalling media features AND Windows Media player.

After you do that you can just reinstall this specific 1803 update (even without the media creation tool)

Here's what to do:

In "Turn Windows Features On or Off" Expand Media features -> untick Windows Media Player -> Press OK
"Apps and Features" ->click "Manage optional features" -> Remove Windows Media Player
Check for updates and install

If all else fails use the Media creation tool

This is a major oversight and I suspect it affects all Windows 10 N with the Windows media player. Microsoft really need to resolve this ASAP. I spent hours until I managed to find this thread and fix it,

James Hill

Posted 2018-05-02T14:30:35.350

Reputation: 11