How to Fix Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update

Wondering how to fix the fatal error C0000034 when applying Windows update on your PC?

Installing the latest Windows updates might not be too exciting for you, but it is essential to install them as they are packed with the latest features and address the bugs within the app or system. By ignoring the call for updates, you miss out on the new features and make your system vulnerable to hackers and malicious software. 

However, not installing updates by choice is one thing, while not being able to install them because of an error is another, and surely the more depressing one. 

Some users recently reported that their screens are displaying the fatal error C0000034 after installing a pending update and rebooting the PC. We had a look into this matter and have concluded that this error can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as corrupt Windows Update files and third-party conflict. 

If you are facing a similar issue, you are in the right place. 

We have listed some of the most effective solutions below, which will help you quickly fix the issue.

Let’s get started!

1. Disable Windows Update and Run Troubleshooter. 

If your screen is displaying the fatal error C0000034 when applying an update, then the first thing you should try is disabling the Windows Update service. 

Most of the time, a corrupted Windows Update file prevents the users from using their PC after installing a pending update, and disabling it has helped several users eliminate the C0000034 error. Once you have managed to disable it, we suggest running the Windows Update troubleshooter to fix the corrupted file. 

Here is what you need to do:

  1. Insert an installation media and start your PC. 
  2. A message stating ‘Press any key to boot from CD’ will appear on your screen. You must press any key from your keyboard to proceed.
  3. Inside the Windows Setup window, click on Repair your computer.
  4. Now click on Troubleshoot and then select Command Prompt from the list of advanced options available on your screen. 
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Inside the Command Prompt window, type the command mentioned below and hit Enter
CD Windows\System32
  1. In the System32 folder, type ‘msconfig’ in the search bar at the top-right corner of your window. Doing so will open the System Configuration menu.
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Inside the System Configuration menu, go to the Services tab and locate Windows Update from the list of services available. 
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Uncheck the box against Windows Update and click on Apply to save the changes. 
  2. Now exit the Recovery menu and check if doing so resolve the error. 
  3. If you managed to boot the system normally, open the Control Panel. 
  4. Type Troubleshoot in the search bar of the Control Panel and hit Enter.
  5. Click on Troubleshooting, and inside the Troubleshooting tab, click on Fix problems with Windows Update under System and Security.
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Checkmark the box against Apply repairs automatically and click Next
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Wait for the process to complete, and then restart your PC. 

If a corrupt Windows Update file was causing the issue, the steps mentioned above would fix fatal error C0000034. 

2. Run SFC, DISM, and CHKDSK Scans.

It is common for Windows users to face temporary errors now and then. Luckily, most of the errors are not that complicated and can be resolved in no time using the built-in troubleshooting utilities. 

We discussed the Windows Update troubleshooter in Method 1, and several other similar scanners identify the errors and fix them with little to no user input. A few such handy utilities are the System File Checker (SFC), Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), and Check Disk (CHKDSK) tools. 

System File Checker (SFC) scans through the protected system files. It replaces the corrupt files with their cached copies to resolve the error if it detects any corrupted files. Similarly, Check Disk (CHKDSK) identifies hard drive errors, while DISM is a command-line tool that scans for Windows errors and restores them. 

If any corrupt system or hard drive files are causing the C0000034 error code, running these utilities will resolve it. 

Here is all that you need to do:

  1. Insert an installation media and start your PC. 
  2. A message stating ‘Press any key to boot from CD’ will appear on your screen. Press any key from your keyboard to proceed.
  3. Inside the Windows Setup window, click on Repair your computer.
  4. Now click on Troubleshoot.
  5. Select Command Prompt from the list of advanced options available on your screen. 
  6. Inside the Command Prompt window, type the command mentioned below and hit Enter. Don’t forget to replace C with the drive containing Windows installation. Typically, it is the C folder in most computers. 
CHKDSK C:
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Once the process is complete, restart your PC and check if you can boot normally. If not, follow the first five steps again. 
  2. Now type the command mentioned below in the Command Prompt window. 
sfc /scannow
SFC command DISM
  1. Restart your PC and if the error persists, repeat the first five steps again. 
  2. Type the command mentioned below in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter. Make sure you have a stable internet connection before proceeding with the following command. 
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Once done, restart your PC. 

Hopefully, you will now be able to boot your PC normally. If the error persists, proceed to the next method below. 

3. Launch Startup Repair.

Startup Repair is a powerful recovery tool that scans for issues that prevent Windows from launching and attempts to fix them automatically. 

Many users found launching Startup Repair helpful, which is why we encourage you to give it a shot. 

Here is what you need to do:

  1. Start your computer and reboot it while it is starting up. 
  2. An error will pop up on your screen. Click on Launch Startup Repair. In case you don’t have this module already, insert an installation media before proceeding with this method. 
  3. Once the Startup Repair starts, click on Cancel and then select Don’t Send.
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Next, click on ‘View advanced options for recovery and support’.
Fatal Error C0000034 when Applying Windows Update
  1. Select Command Prompt, and inside the Command Prompt window, type the command mentioned below, and hit Enter
 %windir%\system32\notepad.exe
  1. Doing so will open Notepad. Inside the Notepad window, click on File and then select Open.
  2. Click on the drop-down menu at the bottom of the window and select All Files.
  3. Now inside the same screen, go to C:\Windows\winsxs\ and locate pending.xml
  4. Copy the file and paste it into the same folder, just as a backup. 
  5. Now open the original pending.xml file and press Ctrl + F simultaneously. 
  6. Search for ‘0000000000000000.cdf-ms’ and delete the text mentioned below from the file.
 <Checkpoint/>
  <DeleteFile path="SystemRootWinSxSFileMaps_0000000000000000.cdf-ms"/>
  <MoveFile source="SystemRootWinSxSTempPendingRenamese56db1db48d4cb0199440000b01de419._0000000000000000.cdf-ms" destination="SystemRootWinSxSFileMa_0000000000000000.cdf-ms"/> 
  1. Finally, save the file, close the Command Prompt and reboot your PC. 

You should now be able to start your system without any issues. 

4. Turn Off Windows Defender.

There are times when programs like Windows Defender and other third-party antivirus programs block Windows actions and cause temporary errors. These are nothing more than false alarms and can be fixed by simply disabling Windows Defender

If you use third-party antivirus applications on your PC, you must disable them temporarily. If disabling the program fixes the error, you can enable it back once the installation process is completed successfully. 

5. Clean the Registry Using CleanMyPC.

Another common reason behind the fatal error C0000034 when applying Windows update is the corrupt files in the Windows Registry. 

Windows Registry contains vital information about the system and its programs. Sometimes the files get piled up and end up getting corrupt, which is why it is essential to clean your Windows Registry now and then. Cleaning the Windows Registry prevents your system from crashing and will help it run more efficiently. 

Cleaning your Registry manually can be a tedious task, which is why we recommend using CleanMyPC

Install CleanMyPC on your PC

CleanMyPC is a reliable PC cleaner that comes with a wide range of system maintenance tools. It will scan through the Windows Registry, identify junk files, and attempt to eliminate them in no time. 

Install CleanMyPC now and improve the overall performance of your PC!


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6. Clean Boot Your PC. 

If none of the methods mentioned above work for you, we encourage you to clean boot your PC.

A clean boot state launches Windows with a minimal set of drivers to eliminate the issues that occur upon installing a program. 

Here is how you can clean boot your PC:

  1. Type System Configuration in the search bar and go to the Services tab.
  2. Checkmark the Hide all Microsoft services box and click Disable all.
  1. Now go to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.
  1. Disable all the items inside the window and restart your PC. 
  2. Upon restarting, try installing the updates again.

Hopefully, a clean boot will resolve the issue once and for all. 

This brings us to the end of our guide on fixing the fatal error C0000034 that occurs when applying Windows updates. We hope that our easy-to-execute methods helped you resolve the error on your PC. If you have any questions regarding the troubleshooting steps, please let us know in the comment section below. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Zainab Falak

    Zainab Falak is a staff writer for Saint and an expert in Microsoft Windows, having authored more than 200 posts. She has a Bachelors in Actuarial Sciences and her passion for computers extends to exploring various aspects, from UI customization to the Windows registry and exploring error codes. Twitter LinkedIn

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