Fix Windows Update Error 0x800704c7 in Windows 10

  • Bipul 
  • Fix

Windows update error 0x800704c7 prevents Windows users from updating their operating system to the latest version. The latest version of Windows update provides security patches, features, and improvements to your system. This error can interrupt an ongoing update and can be caused by a variety of reasons.

If you are also experiencing this error code 0x800704c7 and wondering what to do, you have come to the right place. Here,  I will discuss multiple methods to fix this error without taking any professional help.

What are the reasons behind this error?

The error looks like this:

“There were problems installing some updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help- <Update Name> – Error 0x800704c7”

Please note that the updated version could be 1903 or 1809 or anything else depending on the version it was getting downloaded.

Reasons behind this error can be:

  1. Corrupted Windows update files: When Windows update files get damaged or corrupted, errors like 0x800704c7 can arise as they are a crucial part of the update package.
  2. Windows Defender interfering: Some users have reported that their antivirus program or Windows defender was conflicting with Windows update. This was most likely due to a bug on Microsoft’s side and disabling Windows defender fixed their problem.
  3. Malicious Programs running in the background: Programs that carry malware can be the cause of most update related errors. It is advised to run a virus and threat scan on your PC using your antivirus software.

Why you should not ignore this error:

Updates are an essential component of an operating system. If ignored, your system will not receive the latest features, optimization patches, improvements in the system, and will be vulnerable to security risks as the latest security patches won’t be delivered.

Follow the methods below to fix the error code 0x800704c7.

Methods to fix the error 0x800704c7 in Windows Update

Using the Windows Update Troubleshooter

The Windows update troubleshooter is the first thing we need to turn to in case of any Windows update related error. Troubleshooters are the component of Windows which can detect and fix errors automatically. Follow the steps below-

1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings window

2. Click on the option ‘Update & Security’

Windows update security

3. In the left side panel, look for Troubleshoot option and click on it

4. Click on Windows Update and run the troubleshooter

Windows update troubleshooter

If you can’t see any troubleshooter, click on the blue link that says ‘Additional Troubleshooters’ and from the list of available troubleshooters, choose Windows Update and run it.

5. Let the troubleshooter run for a few seconds and fix the errors. Check if the problems were resolved.

Manually update your operating systems

Windows update is just a component of Windows that communicates with Microsoft’s update server and automatically downloads and installs the best version for your PC. Do you know that we can manually download these updates easily? Follow the steps below-

Based on manually downloading, we will categorize the updates in two categories-

I) Feature updates

Feature updates are Windows version updates. It will look something like this-

“Feature update to Windows 10 version 2004” Where 2004 depicts the version number. If you are experiencing problems installing a feature update, use the following steps-

1. Go to this official Microsoft link- https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/windows10

2. Click on the Update Now button under the update assistant section

Windows update tool

3. An application will be download, open it, and proceed through the steps to download and install the Windows update.

II) Non-feature updates

All other updates that are not mentioned as feature updates (like Cumulative updates, Security updates, Driver updates, etc) are categorized as non-feature updates. To download these updates, you have to know your 1. system type (64-bit/32-bit/ARM64) and the 2. Identification number of the update you were not able to download due to the error.

To know the system type:

1. Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings window

2. Click on the option called System

system-settings

3. In the side panel, click on the About option and you will be able to see your computer’s specification along with the System type

To know the identification number:

The identification number of an update is the KB (Knowledge Base) number at the end of the name of the update.

1. Go to Windows update where you are seeing the error

2. Click on View Update History button

Windows update history on Windows 10

3. Check for the failed update(s) and their KB number (for example, refer to the image below)

identification number of failed update

Now to download the update manually:

1. Go to this official Microsoft Update Catalog link: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx

2. Enter the identification number in the update catalog search bar

3. Look for the appropriate version of the update suitable for your system (x64 for 64-bit and x86 for 32-bit) and download it

ms-update-catalog

4. A .msu file will be downloaded. Install it and restart your PC.

Using this method you will successfully be able to download and install the desired updates but this won’t fix the Windows Update error in your PC. To fix the update error, proceed through the following methods.

Reset the Windows update components

Windows Update components are crucial files needed for the proper working of Windows update on your PC. We can reset Windows update to its original condition by deleting some log and cache files. To do this, follow the steps below-

1. In the start menu, type cmd and open command prompt as administrator

Command prompt run as administrator

2. In the command line, type the following commands one by one and press ENTER key after each of them

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc

3. Type following command then press ENTER; Press Y for confirmation of the deletion

Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\*.*"

4. Enter the below commands one by one to delete Windows update cache file in the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 system folders

rmdir %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution /S /Q
rmdir %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 /S /Q

5. Enter the following command to restart the services stopped in step 2

net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc

6. Restart your computer and see if the problem is resolved.

Turn off the Real-Time protection 

Disabling their antivirus software temporarily has fixed the problem as per claims of some users on Microsoft’s official forum page regarding the same issue.

You can try disabling your antivirus if you are using a third-party one. To disable Windows Defender temporarily, we need to turn off Real-time Protection-

1. Search Windows Security in the start menu and open it

2. Click on Virus & threat protection

3. Under Virus & threat protection settings, click on Manage Settings

virus manage settings

4. Turn off the radio button that says ‘Real-time Protection’

realtime-protect

5. Try downloading the update again now.

Scan your system files using SFC

SFC (System File Checker) is a utility of Windows which has the ability to detect and fix the damaged system files automatically.

1. Bring up the start menu by pressing the Windows Key and search for command prompt

2. Run command prompt as administrator

3. Type the command sfc/scannow and press ENTER to run the SFC utility

sfcscannow

system file checker verifies the integrity of system files

4. Let it finish and see if the problem is resolved.

Conclusion

I hope that the information in this article was ample to be helpful to you. Please leave a comment below or write to us in case you have any suggestions or queries regarding the article.

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Bipul

Bipul is an undergraduate engineering student, who has used five different Windows releases over 8 years of him being a true PC enthusiast.

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