We all know the situation: You install a Windows update or new software and everything seems to be going fine when suddenly an error message pops up on the screen, leaving you wondering what you are supposed to do next.

0x8000fff is one such error, and like so many Windows error codes, at first glance it can appear as mysterious as The Da Vinci code. An obscure name notwithstanding, 0x8000fff is fairly easy to troubleshoot. And in this post we’ll show you exactly what you need to do to troubleshoot it. 

What causes 0x8000fff error?

In most cases, a third-party antivirus tool is to blame for this error. The error typically occurs during these situations:

• Windows updates
• System recovery
• Software installation

The exact steps you need to perform to fix the 0x8000fff error code depends on when this error occurs.

Troubleshooting when the error occurs during software installation

More often than not, an incomplete uninstall is the root cause in this situation. This means the software you’re installing was earlier installed and some remnants of it are still present in the system.

To fix the issue, completely remove the application in question (i.e. no trace of it should be left on the system).

Here’s what you need to do:

Step #1 – Uninstall the program

• Disable your third-party antivirus software (You can do this from the app’s user interface)
• Close all other running apps
• Type apps and features in the Start search bar and hit Enter
• All the installed apps on your system will appear on the next screen. Locate the app you want to uninstall and click the three-dot icon next to it and select Uninstall
• Wait for Windows to uninstall the program

Step #2 – Remove application data and remnants

After you’ve uninstalled the program, it’s important to delete all its app data and remnants. Here’s what you need to do:

• Delete the folders that were created for this program in the following directories:  “.\Program Files,” “.\Program Files (x86),” “.\Users\\AppData\Local” and “.\Users\\AppData\Roaming”

Step #3 – Delete the app’s registry entries and empty temporary directories

• Press Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box
• Type regedit and press OK
• In the Registry Editor window, search for and delete the entries of the program under “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software” and “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software” 

After you’ve removed the app’s registry entries, empty these temporary directories:  “.\Temp,” “.\Windows\Temp” and “.\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp.”

Now, restart Windows and check if the error is fixed.

Troubleshooting the error during a system restore by restarting Windows (Method 1)

Are you getting 0x8000fff when you try to use a system restore point that you have recently created or create a new restore point? If so, perform the following steps to fix the issue once and for all.

• Press Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box
• Type msconfig and hit Enter
• Click the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all
• Click the Startup tab and then click Open Task Manager
• Disable all the Enabled services one by one by right-clicking them and selecting Disable
• Restart the computer

Upon restart, disable your third-party antivirus tool. Now check if you’re able to create a new restore point or use a recently-created one. Finally, open Task Manager and enable all the startup programs in the System Configuration window and services in Task Manager.

Troubleshooting the error when it occurs during a system restore using DISM (Method 2)

If you are getting 0x8000fff error during a system restore and the cause is corrupt system files, using System File Checker and DISM — both tools are pre-installed in Windows — can help fix the issue.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Type command prompt in the Search box in the taskbar
• Right-click Command Prompt in the search results and select Run as administrator
• Type the following command in Command Prompt and hit Enter

DISM/Online/Cleanup-image/Scanhealth

• Wait for the command to run. If no error is found, Command Prompt will show the following message: “No component store corruption detected”. If you see this message, skip the remaining steps
• In case an error is shown, type the following command and hit Enter

DISM/Online/Cleanup-image/Restorehealth

• The DISM tool will will try to repair the detected errors, which may take some time

Once the detected errors have been successfully repaired, run the SFC scan by typing the following message in Command Prompt and hitting Enter.

Troubleshooting the error when it occurs during a Windows Update

Windows Update Troubleshooter is a built-in tool in Windows 11 that can help you fix errors, such as 0x8000fff, that occur during a Windows update.

Here’s how you can access it.

• Type settings in the Search box in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Click System in the left-side pane and then click Troubleshoot in the right-side pane
• Click Other troubleshooters in the right-side pane
• Click the Run button next to Windows Update under the Most frequent section in the right-side pane
• Wait for the troubleshooter to fix the issue

That’s it! Which method worked for you?

Let me know if this blog post has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please share it to help others.

Before signing off for the day, a final tip: Many issues and errors in Windows occur due to driver-related problems. Keeping your device drivers up-to-date is an easy way to keep your system healthy and error-free. Since manually updating drivers can be tedious, I recommend a third-party tool called Driver Updater. With just a single mouse click and in less than two minutes, it can update all outdated drivers on your computer.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download