How to fix Windows 11 Update error 0x80070103

What is error 0x80070103

0x80070103 is an update error that has gained substantial popularity across many Windows 11 users. It occurs when users are trying to install the latest pending update in their system. The error becomes evident when the following message comes up on the screen:

The reason why this issue appears is usually related to driver incompatibilities. This can be if Windows Update is attempting to install an already installed driver, if you have an incompatible driver version installed, or if the driver is being used by some other program while Windows tries to update it. The guilty driver can be related to any piece of hardware like graphics, audio, and so forth. Luckily, there are a couple of simple solutions that may resolve the issue and get you to install the update successfully. Use our guide to try them.

1. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

You should try this method in the first order, unless you tried it already. The in-built Windows Troubleshooter features are a perfect starting point for resolving various issues that surface on Windows. And sometimes these features can succeed in addressing issues related to updates. Windows has a troubleshooting utility for that as well. You can use it to detect update issues and try to fix them immediately:

1. Open Settings from the bottom taskbar.
2. Choose System on the left and go to Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters on the right pane.
3. Then, find Windows Update and click Run next to it.
4. Finish the process following the on-screen instructions and restart your PC.

After this, try to perform the update again. If this does not work, go further below to try other solutions.

2. Check integrity of the system files

One of the reasons that we did not tell you about above could be the lack or corruption of some system files. You can check if that is the case by using SFC (System File Checker) and DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) scanning utilities to detect and restore absent components (if any). Make sure to use both utilities as they may have a different impact on solving the problem. This is how:

Using SFC

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching loop next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console is opened, type the sfc /scannow command and click Enter.
4. When the fixing process is done, restart your computer.

Using DISM

1. Open Command Prompt as we did in the previous step.
2. Copy and paste this command DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth.
3. Click Enter and wait until Windows ends the scanning and fixing.
4. Once done, restart your PC and try to open the problematic program again.

Once both of these scans are performed, attempt to install the same update again.

3. Install Optional Updates

Apart from installing major updates, Windows can sometimes generate updates for upgrading drivers separately. And since the 0x80070103 error is related to problems with drivers, this solution could be effective. Try to follow the steps listed below:

1. Right-click on the Start Menu button at the bottom taskbar of your desktop and choose Settings. You can also press Windows Key + I buttons instead.
2. Navigate to Windows Update and on the left pane.
3. Then, go to Advanced Options and Optional updates.
4. Expand Driver updates and try to install the available updates, if any.

If this does not work or there is simply nothing to update, move on to the next solutions below.

4. Reset Windows Update components

You can also try resetting Windows Update settings. Statistically, this method has proven itself quite effective when handling a vast range of update problems. The whole procedure involves restarting BITS, Cryptographic, MSI Installer, and Windows Update services as well as renaming some update folders (SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2). These folders contain temporary files necessary for implementing Windows Updates. Based on this, we will force Windows to delete corrupted elements and create update-related components from scratch. Although the entire procedure may seem advanced and complicated, it will not require too much of your time and knowledge. Just follow the steps below:

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching box next to the Start Menu button.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
3. Copy-paste this list of commands one by one clicking Enter after each. (This action will disable services responsible for Windows Updates)

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver

4. Then, we have to rename the above-mentioned folders. Simply paste these commands by clicking Enter after each.

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old

5. Finally, all left to do is to turn the disabled services back. So apply these commands likewise we did previously.

net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

6. Now we are all done with it. Go to the Windows Update center and try to perform the installation again.

5. Skip over the update

If you do not mind missing this update, you can use an official Microsoft utility called “Show or hide updates”. It allows users to prevent some problematic or simply unnecessary updates from showing up again. Although it is no longer available on the official Microsoft website, you can still download it directly here and follow the steps below:

1. After downloading the tool, open it up.
2. Go to Advanced and select Apply repairs automatically.
3. Then, click Next and wait until your system finishes collecting information about updates. This might take some time.
4. Once another window appears, choose Hide updates.
5. The utility will therefore show you a list of available updates that can be hidden. Choose the one you are unable to install and click Next to finish.

After doing these steps, the problematic update will no longer appear. This utility is indeed very useful, and it is unclear why Microsoft removed it from their official download page. Also, if you ever end up willing to show the hidden update again, you can do this as well using the same utility again. If you still want to try installing the update that leads to the error, then you may check our last solution right below.

6. Use Media Creation Tool

If there is still no sign of getting the issue resolved, then our final suggestion comes down to trying Media Creation Tool – a great Microsoft utility designed to reinstall Windows and also act as an alternative tool for obtaining the latest available updates against traditional methods. We are going to use the latter feature of this tool. Follow the instructions below:

1. At first, you have to download the utility from the Microsoft website.
2. Then, execute the downloaded file.
3. After agreeing with the Terms of use, there will be two options to choose from. Select Upgrade this PC now.
4. Choose to Keep Personal Files to ensure they will be untouched.
5. Finally, launch the process and wait until it ends.
6. Hopefully, this method helped you combat the 0x80070103 error.

Summary

Hopefully, these methods were enough to get the issue resolved. In the worst case, you can also hide the update and not install it eventually as was described in the penultimate method above. In theory, error 0x80070103 can also occur on Windows 10. Most of the steps in this guide look almost the same for Windows 10, so feel free to try them if the error happens to appear on the older OS as well.