Can't update Windows 10....Error Code 0x80070003

Question

Microsoft Community Brain Trust-

I haven't been able to update Windows 10 for several months now.  I searched on this forum and followed some of the troubleshooting steps as follows below.  I think I am going to need a little more personalized help

I ran the Windows Update Troubleshooter

I ran the DISM command-line tool and the System File Checker (SFC) tool to check the integrity of the Windows system files

After each step, I tried to update and got the same error message:  

Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later.

Error code: (0x80070003)

Any advice on how to fix this would be appreciated.  If you could stay with me on this thread as I accomplish your suggested steps, that would be appreciated as well.

Thanks for your time.

Answer 1

I'm still here Kevin if you have any more advice...........

Answer 2

Hi LITHSteve -

Thanks for the response and I do apologize for the delayed on mine.

Can you try to perform the below steps and check if it will resolve the issue that you have?

1. Boot you computer in safemode

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sta...

2. Reset Windows Update Components again by following the steps on the link below:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Note: This is another way of resetting update other than previous steps

3. Perform Cleanboot on your computer

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929135...

4. Restart the computer and check for updates again.

Feel free to reach back to us if you need further assistance

Regards,

Kevin B.

Kevin-

I followed all of your steps.  Unfortunately, the update didn't work.  When I followed all of your steps and got to step 4, when I checked for updates in safe mode (clean boot) by going to Settings->Update and Security->Windows Update, that "Windows Update" page was completely blank.  No options at all, just a white page.  So then I tried to get an update via back door methods by trying to use "find" to get me to an update or advanced update page, but no matter what update page I landed on, it was just a blank page.  All the other pages in "Update and Security" like "Windows Security," "Backup," etc., loaded fine and were useable.  Windows Update was blank.

I then went to the link you gave me above to try to update via the web page via the link you gave me in safe mode/clean boot.  It started to update, but then I got an entirely different error code 0xc0020036.

Finally, I disabled safe boot and went back to a normal boot.  I tried to do a Windows update, and then I got the same error code as my first post:  0x80070003

So that's where I am right now.  

I'm willing to try more ideas.

Answer 3

Hi LITHSteve -

Thanks for the response and I do apologize for the delayed on mine.

Can you try to perform the below steps and check if it will resolve the issue that you have?

1. Boot you computer in safemode

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sta...

2. Reset Windows Update Components again by following the steps on the link below:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Note: This is another way of resetting update other than previous steps

3. Perform Cleanboot on your computer

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929135...

4. Restart the computer and check for updates again.

Feel free to reach back to us if you need further assistance

Regards,

Kevin B.

Answer 4

Hi LITHSteve-

I'm Kevin B. Independent advisor and a Windows user like you. I do apologize for the inconvenience about your Windows update. Let me help you sort things out.

This issue may occur if there’s something wrong with Windows Update components. If Windows Update components corrupted, Windows Update may not work properly. In this case, try resetting Windows Update components. Here is how to do it:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and press Ctrl, Shift and Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator. You’ll be prompted for permission.

Click Yes to open Command Prompt.

2. In Command Prompt, type the command lines below and press Enter on your keyboard after typing each:

net stop bits

net stop wuauserv

net stop appidsvc

net stop cryptsvc

The Windows Update related system services will be stopped after executing the command lines above.

3. In Command Prompt, type the following command lines and press Enter after typing each:

ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old

You will rename the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folder as SoftwareDistribution.old and catroot2.old after you run these two command lines. These two folders are used by Windows Update to save temporary update files.

By renaming these two folders, Windows will think these two folders are missing, and Windows will create new ones to store Windows update files. By doing that, you can avoid many Windows Update issues caused by the old corrupted temporary files in these two folders.

4. In Command Prompt, type the following command lines and press Enter after each:

net start bits

net start wuauserv

net start appidsvc

net start cryptsvc

After you executing the command lines above, you start the Windows Update related system services.

If in case it didn't work try to update it using the website and check if it will push thru.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

Hope this will help and have a blessed day!

Thanks.

Kevin B.

Independent advisor

Kevin-

Thanks for the timely reply and your time.

I tried all of your steps, and nothing worked unfortunately.  I still get the error code 0x8007003.

The update software says I am running 1803 and the latest version is 2009.

Another little tidbit:  Sometimes when I boot my computer up at the beginning of the day, I get a little box that says "Window Update Assistant is already running" or a message very similar to that even though I didn't try to do anything that would warrant that message popping up.  It just pops up on its own.  I mention that because when I tried your step of updating through the website link, I did get that error message when I tried to update it again after the first failure.

Do you have any other ideas?  

Thanks,

Steve

Answer 5

Hi LITHSteve-

I'm Kevin B. Independent advisor and a Windows user like you. I do apologize for the inconvenience about your Windows update. Let me help you sort things out.

This issue may occur if there’s something wrong with Windows Update components. If Windows Update components corrupted, Windows Update may not work properly. In this case, try resetting Windows Update components. Here is how to do it:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to open the Run dialog. Type cmd and press Ctrl, Shift and Enter at the same time to run Command Prompt as administrator. You’ll be prompted for permission.

Click Yes to open Command Prompt.

2. In Command Prompt, type the command lines below and press Enter on your keyboard after typing each:

net stop bits

net stop wuauserv

net stop appidsvc

net stop cryptsvc

The Windows Update related system services will be stopped after executing the command lines above.

3. In Command Prompt, type the following command lines and press Enter after typing each:

ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old

You will rename the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folder as SoftwareDistribution.old and catroot2.old after you run these two command lines. These two folders are used by Windows Update to save temporary update files.

By renaming these two folders, Windows will think these two folders are missing, and Windows will create new ones to store Windows update files. By doing that, you can avoid many Windows Update issues caused by the old corrupted temporary files in these two folders.

4. In Command Prompt, type the following command lines and press Enter after each:

net start bits

net start wuauserv

net start appidsvc

net start cryptsvc

After you executing the command lines above, you start the Windows Update related system services.

If in case it didn't work try to update it using the website and check if it will push thru.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

Hope this will help and have a blessed day!

Thanks.

Kevin B.

Independent advisor