So, you’ve installed a clean copy of Microsoft’s newest Windows 11. Everything looks neat and clean, but you’ve got some old apps you’d like to install, which require you to install .NET Framework v3.5. You may even want to reinstall .NET Framework 4.8 if you previously uninstalled it from Windows.
However, when you try to install it, you get an error with code 0x80071AB1. The issue, in most cases, is a result of a problem with the Windows Update feature.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through a few quick fixes so you can complete installing .NET Framework and use all the apps you want on your PC.
1. Try Updating Windows
If you’re trying to install the newer version of .NET, a Windows Update will typically make your job easier. All versions of the .NET Framework released after .NET Framework 3.5 were primarily distributed through Windows Update, so you might want to use it as the first line of defense.
Press Win + I to launch the Settings app and select Windows Update from the left sidebar. From the right pane, select the Check for Updates button.
Windows will search for available updates. If you see .NET listed there, go ahead and install it from within Windows Update.
2. Run an SFC Scan
The System File Checker (SFC) tool is a built-in utility that checks for corrupt or missing system files on your Windows PC. If you’re getting this error due to corrupt or missing system files, running the SFC command will fix it automatically.
Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch the Command Prompt as an administrator. Execute the following command:
sfc /scannowLet the scan complete. If it finds any system files that need to be repaired, it will automatically do what is required. Once the utility completes fixing the files, try reinstalling the .NET Framework.
3. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Windows has several built-in troubleshooters that can help you solve errors without having to jump through hoops.
The troubleshooters aren’t super effective, but worth a shot. If Windows Update is glitching out for some reason, you can use the built-in Windows Update troubleshooter and see if it fixes the issue.
Press Win + I to launch the Settings app and go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. You’ll find a list of troubleshooters here. Search for Windows Update and select the Run button next to it.
Doing this will launch the Windows Update troubleshooter. Just follow the on-screen instructions. The troubleshooter will try to find issues and fix the ones it can. If it doesn’t detect the problem, it will simply say it didn’t find any problems.
4. Start the Windows Update Service
If your Windows Update service isn’t running, you won’t be able to perform an update properly. However, starting a service that isn’t running is fairly simple. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter to launch the Services console.
Next, look for a service called Windows Update. Right-click on it and select Properties. Next, look at the Service status. If it says Stopped, select the Start button to start the service.
Doing this will start the Windows Update service. Try restarting the PC and see if it fixes the 0x80071AB1 error.
5. Reset Windows Update Components
If you’re still unable to fix the problem, you might want to try resetting the Windows Update components and see if that helps. Start by launching the Command Prompt as an administrator.
Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch Command Prompt with administrative rights. Then, stop Background Intelligent Transfer Service and Windows Update Service with the following commands:
net stop bits
net stop wuauservThen, run the following command to delete qmgr*.dat files:
Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%Application DataMicrosoftNetworkDownloaderqmgr*.dat”Now, you’ll need to reset both the services you just stopped using the following commands:
sc.exe sdset bits D: (A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)
sc.exe sdset wuauserv D: (A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)You don’t need to type these commands. Just copy and paste them into your Command Prompt window.
Then, you need to navigate to the System32 folder using the Command Prompt. Run the following command to change the directory to System32:
cd /d %windir%
ystem32Next, you need to run a batch of commands. Run each of the following commands one after the other by copy-pasting them into the Command Prompt and pressing Enter:
regsvr32.exe atl.dll
regsvr32.exe scrrun.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml3.dll
regsvr32.exe msxml6.dll
regsvr32.exe urlmon.dll
regsvr32.exe mshtml.dll
regsvr32.exe shdocvw.dll
regsvr32.exe browseui.dll
regsvr32.exe jscript.dll
regsvr32.exe vbscript.dll
regsvr32.exe actxprxy.dll
regsvr32.exe softpub.dll
regsvr32.exe wintrust.dll
regsvr32.exe dssenh.dll
regsvr32.exe rsaenh.dll
regsvr32.exe gpkcsp.dll
regsvr32.exe sccbase.dll
regsvr32.exe slbcsp.dll
regsvr32.exe cryptdlg.dll
regsvr32.exe oleaut32.dll
regsvr32.exe ole32.dll
regsvr32.exe shell32.dll
regsvr32.exe initpki.dll
regsvr32.exe wuapi.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng.dll
regsvr32.exe wuaueng1.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltui.dll
regsvr32.exe wups.dll
regsvr32.exe wups2.dll
regsvr32.exe wuweb.dll
regsvr32.exe qmgr.dll
regsvr32.exe qmgrprxy.dll
regsvr32.exe wucltux.dll
regsvr32.exe muweb.dll
regsvr32.exe wuwebv.dll
At this point, you need to run the following command to reset Winsock:
netsh winsock resetFinally, restart the services you stopped earlier with the following commands:
net start bits
net start wuauservThis should reset all Windows Update components. If it doesn’t work, try again, and execute three additional commands after the command that deletes the qmgr*.dat files:
Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak
Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak
Ren %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.bakError Code 0x80071AB1 Fixed
Hopefully, one of these fixes worked for you, and you were able to install .NET Framework successfully.
Windows 11 will usually automatically install the newest version of the .NET Framework, but you might need to update it later as and when Microsoft rolls out updates.
However, Windows Update does run into problems from time to time. They’re annoying, but in most cases, easy to fix.
Read Next
About The Author
