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1. Spotify Error Code 18 Windows 10
2. Spotify Error Code 16
3. Spotify Error 17 Fix

This article discusses an issue that occurs when you remove or update a provisioned Microsoft Store app by using the Microsoft Store and then running sysprep on the computer.

Original product version: Windows 10 - all editions
Original KB number: 2769827

If you face any issue while using Spotify on Windows 10, you may try to install Spotify in compatibility mode and check if it helps. To install Spotify in compatibility mode follow these steps: a. Right-click on the setup file of the program and select “Properties”. Select “Compatibility” Tab. Method 4: Cleaning the Registry. Quite a rare way, but sometimes it can help. Moreover, it is absolutely simple. It so happens that Windows accumulates broken registry keys, where program records are stored, and does not clean them themselves.

Introduction

Sysprep is a tool for IT administrators who want to prepare an installation of Windows for duplication, auditing, and customer delivery. The guidance in this article is intended for use by support agents and IT professionals. If you are a home user who is encountering issues while using Microsoft Store apps, see Fix problems with apps from Microsoft Store in Windows 10.

Several Microsoft Store apps include built-in Windows 10 and Windows 8 images. These include the Mail, Maps, Messaging, Bing, Travel, and News apps, among others. These are known as provisioned apps. Provisioned apps are staged in the image and are scheduled to be installed for every user of the Windows image at first logon. In addition to the built-in apps, you can side-load your own line of business Microsoft Store apps into the Windows image without having to publish them to the Microsoft Store. You can side-load Appx packages by using online or offline servicing commands that are available in DISM.exe or through the DISM PowerShell module.

Symptoms

Consider the following scenarios:

Scenario 1

• You are creating a custom Windows 10 reference computer that you want to sysprep and capture.
• You want to remove some of the provisioned Microsoft Store apps (Appx packages) from this reference computer.
• You run dism -online /Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage /PackageName:<packagename> to deprovision the Appx packages.

When you run sysprep operation in this scenario, the operation may fail with the following error:

System Preparation Tool 3.14
A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine

Scenario 2

• You have an existing Windows image, and several Microsoft Store apps are side-loaded in the image.
• You want to remove some of the side-loaded Appx packages from your image and customize it further.
• You boot into the reference computer and run one of the following PowerShell commands to remove the provisioning of the Appx package:
  • Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -PackageName <PackageName>
  • Remove-ProvisionedAppxPackage -PackageName <PackageName>

When you run sysprep operation in this scenario, the operation may fail with the following error:

System Preparation Tool 3.14
A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine

Scenario 3

• You are creating a Windows 10 reference image.
• You connect to the Windows 10 Store, and then you update the built-in Microsoft Store apps by using the Microsoft Store.

When you run sysprep operation in this scenario, the operation may fail with the following error:

System Preparation tool 3.14A fatal error occurred while trying to sysprep the machine

Additionally, in the SetupErr.log, you may notice the following error entries:

<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP Package <PackageFullName> was installed for a user, but not provisioned for all users. This package will not function properly in the sysprep image.
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP Failed to remove apps for the current user: 0x80073cf2.
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP Exit code of RemoveAllApps thread was 0x3cf2.
<Date> <Time>, Error [0x0f0082] SYSPRP ActionPlatform::LaunchModule: Failure occurred while executing 'SysprepGeneralize' from C:WindowsSystem32AppxSysprep.dll; dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteAction: Error in executing action; dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP ActionPlatform::ExecuteActionList: Error in execute actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP SysprepSession::Execute: Error in executing actions from C:WindowsSystem32SysprepActionFilesGeneralize.xml; dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error SYSPRP RunPlatformActions:Failed while executing SysprepSession actions; dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error [0x0f0070] SYSPRP RunExternalDlls:An error occurred while running registry sysprep DLLs, halting sysprep execution. dwRet = 0x3cf2
<Date> <Time>, Error [0x0f00a8] SYSPRP WinMain:Hit failure while processing sysprep generalize internal providers; hr = 0x80073cf2

Cause

Sysprep has an additional provider that's added in Windows 10 to clean Appx packages and to generalize the image. The provider works only if the Appx package is a per-user package or an all-user provisioned package.

• Per-user package means that the Appx package is installed for a particular user account and is not available for other users of the computer.
• All-user package means that the Appx has been provisioned into the image so that all users who use this image can access the app.

If an all-user package that's provisioned into the image was manually deprovisioned from the image but not removed for a particular user, the provider will encounter an error while cleaning out this package during sysprep. The provider will also fail if an all-user package that's provisioned into the image was updated by one of the users on this reference computer.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, remove the package for the user who's running sysprep, and also remove the provisioning. To do this, follow these steps.

Note

To prevent Microsoft Store from updating apps, unplug the Internet connection or disable Automatic Updates in Audit mode before you create the image.

1. Run the Import-Module Appx PowerShell cmdlet.

2. Run Import-Module Dism.

3. Run Get-AppxPackage -AllUser Where PublisherId -eq 8wekyb3d8bbwe Format-List -Property PackageFullName,PackageUserInformation.

   Note

   • In the output of this last cmdlet, check the users for whom the package is showing up as Installed. Delete these user accounts from the reference computer, or log on to the computer by using these user accounts. Then, run the cmdlet in step 4 to remove the Appx package.
   • This command lists all packages that were published by Microsoft and installed by any user of that reference computer. Because the computer is to be sysprepped, we assume that these user profiles no longer require the package.
   • If you have manually provisioned apps that belong to other publishers, run the following command to list them:
     Get-AppxPackage -AllUser Format-List -Property PackageFullName,PackageUserInformation

4. Run Remove-AppxPackage -Package <packagefullname>. /will-spotify-download-a-song-more-then-once.html.

5. Remove the provisioning by running the following cmdlet:

   Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName <packagefullname>

If you try to recover from an update issue, you can reprovision the app after you follow these steps.

Note

The issue does not occur if you are servicing an offline image. In that scenario, the provisioning is automatically cleared for all users. This includes the user who runs the command.

More information

For more information about how to add and remove apps, see:

A common error encountered by people trying to install Spotify, the popular music streaming service, on Windows, is the so-called Error 17. This article describes how to fix Spotify could not be started error code 17.

Method 1: Allow the App Through Windows Firewall

If you were able to install Spotify and an error appears when the program starts, then there are several options for solving this problem in the Windows operating system without the need to use a third-party software.

Firewall might be blocking Spotify. To fix this, you need to add an allow rule to this system component.

1. Open the “Firewall & network protection” via Search bar;
   
2. Click on “Allow an app through firewall”;
   
3. Press “Change settings”;
4. In the list of programs, find Spotify and check the boxes for it under the Private and Public columns. If it’s absent here, click on the “Allow another app …” button and add it manually.

Method 2: Changing the Country

Sometimes Spotify does not work due to some regional issues. Most likely, this is due to restrictions either in the country itself or in the program. In any case, this can easily solved by changing the country in the Spotify profile settings.

Please note that the location of menu items and icons may be slightly different due to the site update, but the principle of operation will remain the same.

1. Go to
2. Log in with your account.
3. Click on “Profile” → “Account”.
   
4. Choose the “Account overview” and press “EDIT PROFILE”.
   
5. Click on the “Country” list and edit it.
   
6. Save the changes and re-login the application again.

Method 3: Installing via Safe Mode

The underlying cause of this issue is still unknown, however there is a way to get around it, which is by installing Spotify after starting Windows in Safe Mode. The following tutorial will guide you through the process and hopefully help with other issues as well.

READ ALSOHow to Fix Internet Connection Problem for Windows 10 Users?

Step 1: Download the full Spotify installer package

You will probably want to spend as little time as possible in Safe Mode (which is an unusual experience, during which a lot of features don’t work and the screen resolution is really low), it is best to download the full Spotify installer package before getting on with anything else. It’s also a good idea to leave the installer package somewhere you can easily access it, like the desktop.

Step 2: Print out these instructions or have them available on another device (optional)

We can’t stress this enough: Safe Mode is a strange experience, so accessing the information you are currently reading might be a bit more difficult than you think. That’s why it is best to either print these instructions, or have the link open on another device like a laptop or a smartphone.

Step 3: Restart the computer in Safe Mode

Windows describes Safe Mode in the following way:

Safe mode starts Windows with a limited set of files and drivers. Startup programs don’t run in safe mode, and only the basic drivers needed to start Windows are installed. Safe mode is useful for troubleshooting problems with programs and drivers that might not start correctly or that might prevent Windows from starting correctly.

And just like it says there, starting Windows in this mode allows the installation of Spotify without the occurrence of that pesky Error 17 almost every time. There are two ways to boot in Safe Mode, which we will describe below:

For Windows Vista and Windows 7:

1. First, you should remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer. Then, click the Start button, go to Shut Down and hit Restart.

2. Now, if your computer has a single operating system installed, just press and hold F8 as it restarts (you’ll have to do that before the Windows logo appears, otherwise you have to try again with the restarting process).

If, on the other hand, your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the one you want to restart in Safe Mode, and then hold F8.

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3. Once you reach the Advanced Boot options screen, once again use the arrows to highlight the safe mode option you want (in this case it will be Safe Mode with Networking), followed by pressing Enter.

When you log on to your PC make sure to select a ser account which has administrator rights.

At this point you should be in Safe Mode. It is going to say “Safe Mode” somewhere on the screen (most likely in the corner of the screen), but you won’t have any trouble recognizing something is different about your desktop.

For Windows 8:

Booting into Safe Mode in Windows 8 is not quite as straightforward, but it still shouldn’t be a problem.

1. First, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, then move the mouse pointer down, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.

2. When in PC settings, click on General, which opens the Advanced startup – here you should click Restart now.

3. While on the Choose an option screen hit Troubleshoot. Then click Startup Settings, and finally hit Restart.

4. On the Startup Settings screen, select the startup setting you want. For the case at hand, you will want to select Windows Safe Mode with Networking.

Spotify Error Code 18 Windows 10

Just as before, sign in to your computer with a user account which has administrative rights. And just as we’ve pointed out earlier, you’ll be in Safe Mode so it’s going to look a bit odd, so don’t worry about that and focus on the task.

Step 4: Run the Spotify installer

As you can imagine, all this restarting in Safe Mode business is the most important and most complicated part of the fix. All you have to do next is run the Spotify installer you’ve downloaded earlier, which should be a piece of cake – and should probably work this time without a hitch.

READ ALSOHow to Convert ESD to WIM File on Windows 10?

If the error still occurs, try rebooting your computer in Safe Mode, only this time don’t select the versionwith Networking.

There have been issues with WiFi drivers causing problems with the installer, so this might do the trick. The downside is you be able to test Spotify, since you won’t have any internet access.

Step 5: Restart your computer

To get back to normal mode, simply restart your computer and Windows will return to its default settings automatically.

Step 6: Enjoy your music!

Certainly not a process you want to go through every time you install something, but hopefully it worked and you can now enjoy the music streamed through Spotify, like millions of other people from around the world.

Method 4: Cleaning the Registry

Quite a rare way, but sometimes it can help. Moreover, it is absolutely simple.

It so happens that Windows accumulates broken registry keys, where program records are stored, and does not clean them themselves. Then programs that do it efficiently and quickly come to the rescue. One of these is CCleaner.

1. Download, install and run CCleaner.
2. Go to the Registry section and click “Scan for Issues”.
3. Upon completion of the scan, click on “Fix selected Issues …”. Key backups can be omitted.
   
4. In the key removal window, select “Fix All Selected Issues”.
5. Wait for the operation to complete and close the program.

After that, try running Spotify again.

AuthorRecent PostsCyril KardashevskyI enjoy technology and developing websites. Since 2012 I'm running a few of my own websites, and share useful content on gadgets, PC administration and website promotion.Latest posts by Cyril Kardashevsky (see all)

Spotify Error Code 16

Spotify Error 17 Fix