21H1 - Update error 0x80073701

I have tried all 5 solutions listed at Fix Windows Update Error 0x80073701
Unfortunately, none worked.
Here is the excerpt from CBS.log


2021-11-18 19:12:57, Error CSI 000000a8@2021/11/19:03:12:57.314 (F) onecore\base\wcp\componentstore\csd_locking.cpp(95): Error STATUS_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING originated in function CCSDirectTransaction::LockComponent expression: (null)
[gle=0x80004005]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CBS.log to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CbsPersist_20211119030238.cab to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CbsPersist_20211119022423.cab to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CbsPersist_20211119014525.cab to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CbsPersist_20211119013220.cab to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Added C:\WINDOWS\Logs\CBS\CbsPersist_20211119012011.cab to WER report.
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Not able to add pending.xml to Windows Error Report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Not able to add pending.xml.bad to Windows Error Report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Not able to add poqexec.log to Windows Error Report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Not able to add SCM.EVM to Windows Error Report. [HRESULT = 0x80070002 - ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Error CSI 000000a9 (F) STATUS_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING #2296481# from CCSDirectTransaction::OperateEnding at index 0 of 1 operations, disposition 2[gle=0xd015000c]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Error CSI 000000aa (F) HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(ERROR_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING) #2296336# from Windows::ServicingAPI::CCSITransaction::ICSITransaction_PinDeployment(Flags = 0, a = Microsoft-Windows-Embedded-ShellLauncher-Deployment, version 10.0.19041.1023, arch amd64, nonSxS, pkt {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, cb = (null), s = (null), rid = 'Microsoft-Windows-Embedded-ShellLauncher-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1023.452ba6337308b2b7ab23de2c69e95976', rah = (null), manpath = (null), catpath = (null), ed = 0, disp = 0)[gle=0x80073701]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Failed to pin deployment while resolving Update: Microsoft-Windows-Embedded-ShellLauncher-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1023.452ba6337308b2b7ab23de2c69e95976 from file: (null) [HRESULT = 0x80073701 - ERROR_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING]
2021-11-18 19:12:57, Info CBS Failed to bulk stage deployment manifest and pin deployment for package:Microsoft-Windows-MediaPlayer-Payload-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.19041.1266 [HRESULT = 0x80073701 - ERROR_SXS_ASSEMBLY_MISSING]



Any idea what I should try next ?

Perform a In-place Upgrade:

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

You’re welcome.

The In-place Upgrade is the quickest fix in this case.

Let me know how it went.

dalchina said:

Should be - see step 9:
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

Yes, if I had used Media Creation Tool and followed the procedure, there probably would have been one.
I just downloaded the ISO, mounted it, and ran setup, and the option wasn't presented. It started checking for updates. That's when I disabled the NIC in control panel, and it skipped them.

The upgrade to 21H2 just finished. Took a while, almost an hour. Not sure why it has to be that long. The machine is not that old - i5-6600k with 32GB of RAM, though it's booting Windows off an old Kingston SSD Now 96GB SATA II SSD, but still.

Anyway, the update to 21H2 completed. The Aquantia 10Gbps NIC came back as enabled automatically. Guess I should have pulled the Ethernet cable if I really wanted to stop network use during the upgrade ! Good news, though, the problem is solved. Windows update now runs fine. Time to run an Acronis backup.