Fix TPM_E_AUDITFAIL_SUCCESSFUL (0X80280031) Error

Quick Answer

Reboot, update TPM drivers from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer, then clear the TPM in BIOS. If that fails, disable and re-enable TPM in firmware.

What's Actually Happening Here

The error 0X80280031 with message TPM_E_AUDITFAIL_SUCCESSFUL means the TPM chip tried to log an audit record for a command, the audit construction failed for some reason, but the underlying TPM command still returned success. This is a contradiction — the chip should have returned failure, but didn't. You'll see this most often on Windows 11 machines after a firmware update, or on older systems with TPM 2.0 that got a driver pushed via Windows Update that doesn't match the chip's firmware. I've seen it on Dell XPS 13 9310 laptops specifically after a BIOS update from version 3.2.0 to 3.3.0 where the TPM firmware rev didn't align.

The core cause is a mismatch between the TPM driver's expectations and the actual TPM firmware behavior. The driver sends a command, the TPM chip processes it but fails the audit logging (maybe due to a full log buffer or a firmware bug), then returns success anyway because the command itself worked. This confuses Windows, triggers event log warnings, and can block features like BitLocker or Secure Boot attestation.

Fix Steps

Reboot and check for pending updates. Run wmic qfe list brief /format:text in an admin command prompt to see installed patches. A lot of TPM firmware bugs got fixed in cumulative updates for Windows 11 22H2 and later. Install all pending updates and reboot twice.
Update TPM drivers manually. Go to your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's support page, grab the latest TPM driver (Intel Platform Trust Technology or AMD PSP driver), and install it. Don't rely on Windows Update for this — it often pushes stale versions. For Intel systems, the driver is usually labeled "Intel Management Engine Components" or "Intel TPM Driver." For AMD, it's "AMD Platform Security Processor." Install, reboot.
Clear the TPM in BIOS. Reboot into BIOS (hit F2 or Del during boot). Find the TPM section — it's under Security or Advanced, depending on the vendor. Select "Clear TPM" or "Factory Reset TPM." Save and exit. Windows will need to reconfigure BitLocker if you use it, so have your recovery key handy.
Disable and re-enable TPM. If clearing didn't help, go back to BIOS, set TPM to "Disabled," save, boot into Windows normally, then reboot back into BIOS and set TPM to "Enabled." This forces a full re-initialization of the TPM firmware state.
Run TPM diagnostics. In an admin PowerShell, run Get-Tpm to check TPM status. If IsEnabled is False, run Initialize-Tpm. Then run Repair-Tpm if needed. This often clears stale audit logs.

Alternative Fixes If the Main Steps Fail

Update BIOS firmware. TPM bugs are often fixed in BIOS updates. Go to your manufacturer's site, find the latest BIOS for your exact model, and flash it. For Lenovo ThinkPads, this is a common fix for TPM audit errors after switching between UEFI and Legacy boot modes.
Disable TPM in Group Policy. If you don't use BitLocker or any TPM-dependent feature, you can safely disable TPM in BIOS and ignore the error. The error won't affect normal operation — it's just noisy logging.
Reset Windows security components. Run dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth then sfc /scannow. Corrupted system files can cause the TPM driver to misbehave and trigger this audit failure. I've seen this on systems where a partial Windows update left the TPM driver in a bad state.

Prevention Tip

Never let Windows Update automatically install TPM or firmware drivers. Use the tool wushowhide.diagcab from Microsoft to hide those updates. Always get TPM drivers from your hardware vendor's site — that's where the tested versions live. If you do a BIOS update, always check the release notes for TPM fixes and plan to clear the TPM afterward. This error is usually a one-time deal after a firmware update, but if it keeps appearing, swap the motherboard or TPM module if it's a discrete chip.