1803 creating a system image fails with RPC server error 0x800706BA

In 1803 build 17134.1 32-bit (x86) as released on 30th April creating a system image fails with "The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)". This happens with an upgrade or a clean install. Creating a system image works correctly in 1803 x64, it's just the 32-bit version that fails.




This problem has also been reported (and confirmed by another poster) in this thread on TechNet...

After the Windows 10 version 1803 upgrade on April 30, 2018, my System Image Backup keeps failing with two messages. "The backup failed" "The RPC server is unavailable (0x800706BA)"...
... I have Windows 10 Pro client, 32 bit software...

https://social.technet.microsoft.com...=windowsbackup

Attempting to restore any system image by booting to Advance Startup from the installed Windows or from an 1803 (x86) install USB and using 'Troubleshooting > System Image Recovery' also fails with the same RPC server error. The image is known to be good, as it can be restored when booting from an x86 recovery drive or install USB from 1709 (and all previous versions).



As this error occurs when booting from the install media made by the MCT it is almost certainly an inherent fault in the 32-bit version of 1803 as released.

Bree said:

In 1803 build 17134.1 32-bit (x86) as released on 30th April creating a system image fails with "The RPC server is unavailable. (0x800706BA)". This happens with an upgrade or a clean install. Creating a system image works correctly in 1803 x64, it's just the 32-bit version that fails.




This problem has also been reported (and confirmed by another poster) in this thread on TechNet...

https://social.technet.microsoft.com...=windowsbackup

Attempting to restore any system image by booting to Advance Startup from the installed Windows or from an 1803 (x86) install USB and using 'Troubleshooting > System Image Recovery' also fails with the same RPC server error. The image is known to be good, as it can be restored when booting from an x86 recovery drive or install USB from 1709 (and all previous versions).



As this error occurs when booting from the install media made by the MCT it is almost certainly an inherent fault in the 32-bit version of 1803 as released.

Well I guess we do not have to tell you to use M.............

cereberus said:

Well I guess we do not have to tell you to use M.............

cereberus said:

Well I guess we do not have to tell you to use M.............

That is besides the point. The fact is that the 32-bit install media as currently supplied by the Media Creation Tool is fundamentally flawed - it fails at a repair task that all previous versions of the media, 1507, 1511, 1607, 1703 and 1709 were capable of.

This is not a simple matter of a configuration error in the installed Windows. This is a bug in the x86 WinRE environment for 1803, and that you cannot modify. It's loaded from boot.wim, be that from the installed recovery partition or from the Sources folder on the bootable install media. It's particularly puzzling how this got broken for x86 given that it isn't broken in x64.

It's not something you can modify - and it's broken in the current x86 1803 install media that Microsoft supplies. Makes you wonder what else is broken in this release?






(and BTW I have tested Macrium Reflect (free) and it has no such problems)

rlatting said:

I was on the phone with MS for over 3 hours trying to figure out this problem (32-bit System Image backup failure). The solution was "wait for an update that fixes it."

Instead i retrieved the 1709 version of wbengine.exe from the 32-bit installation media and used the recovery command prompt to rename the 1803 version and insert the previous version in its place. System image backup works fine once again.

Should use Macrium Reflect Free, it is much more reliable then a Windows backup.
Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

rlatting said:

...i retrieved the 1709 version of wbengine.exe from the 32-bit installation media and used the recovery command prompt to rename the 1803 version and insert the previous version in its place. System image backup works fine once again.

Welcome to TenForums @rlatting

Now you have made a system image that's half the battle won, but how do you propose to restore it?

You cannot boot to the x86 1803's Advanced Start up, either from the bootable x86b 1803 install usb, a recovery drive made by x86b 1803 or from the Settings in the installed x86 1803. They will all fails with the RPC error.

Make sure you have a 1709 (or earlier) recovery drive handy, as the only way you'll be able to restore an image is by using the tools from a previous version.

OldMike65 said:

Should use Macrium Reflect Free...

Yes, and as I have said earlier I've tested it and it works in 1803 x86. But that is beside the point, which is that the install media is broken. There is a bug in the very tools that the install media provides to 'fix' your system by restoring an image. What else may be broken that uses the same RPC calls?

rlatting said:

My point is that it has little to do with the RPC server... I'd say the battle is "won" by showing that the problem is the 1803 version of wbengine.exe.

I'd agree, the RPC error being reported is the symptom, not the cause. Can we be sure that wbengine is involved when booting from 1803 install media? Advanced Start up uses the WinRE recovery environment and there's no way we can modify that.

It seem odd that only the 32-bit version of 1803 has this bug. The 64-bit one works without problem, I've tested it both for creating and restoring images.