How to fix error 0x80070005 in Windows feature update 10 1903?

The feature update of 1903 it was a long-awaited update for the Windows operating system. The update offered several cool features, como Windows Sandbox, improved search mode and many other improvements. It has also been reported to fix a number of different bugs and issues.

0x80070005 in feature update 1903

However, despite its popularity and importance, many users experienced several different issues with the update process. This was mainly due to various problems with the operating system components, as well as user settings. In this article, we will go over all the reasons error code 0x80070005 occurs when updating.

What causes error 0x80070005 when upgrading to 1903?

After our extensive initial investigation into the problem and the components involved in the upgrade process, we combined our results with user reports and deduced that the problem was due to several different factors listed below:

• Update service: Windows Update update service is the main process that downloads and installs updates on your computer. This update service, if not configured in a running state, can make the update process difficult.

• Administrator privileges: as with all other major Windows updates, the team requires you to provide admin access to the entire event. If you don't have this access, you may experience the error message.

• Upgrade components: in some cases, we observed that some users had faulty update components, which was causing the update process to stop. In this case, we can use the Windows Update troubleshooter to diagnose what the problem is.

• Old update files: if there are old and redundant update files on your computer, may conflict with the new one that Windows is trying to download and install. Removing them usually fixes the problem.

• Software antivirus: in numerous cases, the error message may appear if there is antivirus software running on your computer that can make the update process difficult by granting it the permissions, you will not be able to install the update in any way.

• PC in error state: although this reason is often overlooked, it also turned out to be the reason why users were unable to upgrade to 1903. The power cycle helps here.

• Hard drives / additional devices: if there are multiple hard drives connected to your computer, they can be a problem. Although there should be no problem, since they are separated from the main unit, the exact reason is unknown.

• The executable is missing: if your system is missing some important executables needed to run the update process, it may get stuck. Replacing these components could help solve the problem.

• Third party programs: There may also be third-party applications that could conflict with the update process. Stopping each of them and updating them seems to fix the problem.

• Bad Windows installation: if all of the above causes do not apply to you, your Windows installation is probably corrupted. Here you can create a clean version after backing up your data and updating to the latest version 1903.

Before starting with the solutions, make sure you have an active internet connection. What's more, backup all your work beforehand.

Solution 1: run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Your operating system has a built-in tool to detect operating system problems and fix them automatically. If there is a corrupted file, the troubleshooter will also download a fresh copy. As a first step, we will try to run the update troubleshooter and check if the tool can detect and fix any issues with the update process.

1. Press Windows + S to launch the start menu search bar. Type »troubleshooting» in the dialog box and click on the first result that appears.

2. Once in the troubleshooting menu, select »Windows Update» and click the button »Run the troubleshooter«.

Windows Update Troubleshooter

1. Now Windows will start the troubleshooting process and look for any discrepancies. You may be told that the troubleshooter requires admin access to check for system problems. Click the option »Try to troubleshoot as administrator«.

Windows update module troubleshooting

1. Once the fixes are implemented, restart the computer and check if the problem has been fixed.

Note: this solution requires an active internet connection for best results. What's more, try running the troubleshooter multiple times instead of trying just once.

Solution 2: turn the computer off and on

Before moving on to more technical solutions, we should not ignore the possibility that the computer is in an error state. If any of the computer modules are idle and require a fast boot, we can fix it with a power cycle. Power cycling refers to the act of restarting the computer completely so that all temporary settings are cleared. When we turn the computer back on, will be automatically initialized as default values.

1. Turn off your computer and router. Now, Take out the main power supply and hold down the power button for about 2-3 minutes. Turn off and on your computer

2. Now wait a few 5-8 minutes before reconnecting the power supply and turning on your devices. Now, try to connect to the network after it has started streaming and check if the problem is resolved and you can connect to Outlook without any problem.

If the electric bike does not work and still cannot connect properly, you should proceed to the next step of checking internet.

Solution 3: remove additional devices

Another problem that came to mind was that the additional devices (if they are connected) would cause various issues with the update mechanism. This is a very common scenario seen with multiple iterations of Windows. Therefore, it is recommended that you remove all additional devices connected to the computer, like webcams, consoles.

Removing additional devices

What's more, there are some rare cases where to remove (disconnect) Non-primary hard drives of the computer helps a lot. The update mechanism seems to have trouble deciding which drive to install. Be sure to shut down the computer before proceeding to remove the drives. If this doesn't work, you can always reconnect them.

Solution 4: disable antivirus

Antivirus software is always monitoring services, processes and downloads that occur on your computer. When the update mechanism starts working, there is a chance that antivirus software will block it even if there are no signs of malware.

Disable antivirus software

In this solution, you should resort to uninstalling your antivirus software rather than just disabling it because even if the software is disabled, there are still some dependencies in your registry that may persist.

This is the method of how to uninstall the software from your computer.

1. Press Windows + R, type »appwiz.cpl» in the dialog box and press Enter.

2. Once in the application manager, look for antivirus software. Right click on it and select Uninstall. Uninstall antivirus software

3. After uninstall, restart your computer and start updating again. Check if the problem is resolved.

Solution 5: restart update service after deleting downloaded content

It may also be the case that the update files 1903 downloaded to your computer are incomplete or damaged. This can be due to a number of different reasons, ranging from a bad internet connection to corruption of the modules themselves.

The alternative method we will resort to will disable the update service, will remove all content already downloaded and then re-enable it. This will restart the update process and the new components will be downloaded from scratch. Make sure you are logged in as an administrator before continuing.

Disable update service

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run application. In the dialog, type »msc«. This will show all the services that are running on your computer.

2. Browse through the list until you find a service called »Windows Update«. Right click on the service and select Properties.

Windows Update Properties

1. Click Stop Present under the Service Status subheading. Now your Windows Update service is stopped and we can continue.

Delete downloaded files

Now we will navigate to the Windows Update directory and delete all the updated files that are already present. Open your file explorer or My Computer and follow the steps.

1. Navigate to the address written below. You can also start the Run app and copy and paste the address to get there directly.

C:N-Software Distribution in Windows

1. Delete everything inside the Software Distribution folder (you can also cut and paste it in another location in case you want to put it back). Delete software distribution files

Reactivation of the update service

Now we have to re-activate the Windows update service and run it again. Initially, It may take a few minutes for Update Manager to calculate the details and prepare a manifest for download. Be patient and let the process complete itself.

1. Open the Services tab as we did earlier in the guide. Navigate to Windows Update and open its Properties.

2. Now start the service again and start your update manager.

Solution 6: configure services in automatic

If the above method doesn't work, we will try to run some commands and restart the update module manually. Make sure you are logged in as an administrator before continuing.

1. Press Windows + S to launch the search bar from your start menu. Type command prompt, right-click on the first result that appears and select »Run as administrator«.

Configure update services as automatic

1. Once on the command line, run the following commands one by one and make sure each command is executed before moving on to the next.

SC config wuauserv start=auto
config bits start=auto
SC config cryptsvc start=auto
SC config trustedinstaller start=auto

Using these commands, we configure all services in automatic. If they were in a manual command, the configuration will be changed.

1. Exit the command line and restart your computer. Now check if the update can be installed again.

Solution 7: clean windows installation

If all the above methods don't work and you still can't fix the problem, we can try to install a new version of Windows on your computer. This fixes any problems with the installation files (if appropriate) and solve the problem instantly. Make sure to backup all your data before proceeding, as all your information will be deleted, as well as installed applications.

Clean up Windows installation

See our article on how to install Windows 10 On your computer. You can easily create a bootable Windows with Rufus or with the Windows Media Creation Tool. Note that you would have to manually install the update by updating the installed version of Windows (or if you clean the Windows installation directly in the update 1903, the problem will disappear automatically).