Solving Windows Update Error 0x80070057 in Windows 10: Easy Fixes

Encountering the Windows Update Error 0x80070057 in Windows 10 can be frustrating. This guide provides simple and effective solutions to resolve the issue and get your updates back on track.

How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80070057?​

1. Delete Drive Mapping​

• Open Command Prompt:
  • Press Windows + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
• Check for Drive Mappings:
  • Type subst to see drive mappings.
• Delete the B: Drive Mapping:
  • If you see a mapping like B: => C:\somefolder, type subst B: /D to delete it.
• Restart Your Computer:
  • Press Windows, click Power, then select Restart.

Deleting the B: drive mapping can resolve the error if Windows Update hangs on this drive. This fix is especially relevant if you've mapped drives to letters A: or B:.

2. Configure Automatic Updates​

• Press Windows + R to open Run, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
• Now that you have the Local Group Policy Editor in front of you, double-click on the Computer Configuration icon present in the right side.
• Now double-click to open the Administrative Templates folder.
• From the Administrative Templates folder, double-click to open Windows Components folder.
• From within the Windows Components folder, double-click to open Windows Update folder.
• In the Windows Update folder, search for Configure Automatic Updates, and make sure it is set to Not Configured.
• Once done, again press Windows + R to open Run, paste the following command, and hit Enter:gpupdate /force
  
  
• Let the process finish, and then reboot your Windows 10 computer.

3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter​

• Open Settings:
  • Press Windows + I.
• Navigate to Troubleshoot:
  • Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• Run the Troubleshooter:
  • Click Windows Update and then Run the troubleshooter.
• Follow On-Screen Instructions:
  • Complete the troubleshooting process.

Running the Windows Update Troubleshooter can automatically detect and fix common issues with Windows Update.

4. Clear Windows Update Cache​

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
  • Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
• Stop Services:
  • Type the following commands and press Enter after each:
    • net stop wuauserv
    • net stop cryptSvc
    • net stop bits
    • net stop msiserver
• Rename Cache Folders:
  • Type the following commands and press Enter:
    • ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    • ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
• Restart Services:
  • Type the following commands and press Enter:
    • net start wuauserv
    • net start cryptSvc
    • net start bits
    • net start msiserver
• Restart Your Computer:
  • Press Windows, click Power, then select Restart.

Clearing the Windows Update cache can resolve issues caused by corrupted or outdated cache files.

5. Repair your partition/ Run Disk Cleanup​

1. Right-click on the problematic partition, and choose Properties.
2. Go to Tools, and under Error checking, click on the Check button to check your drive for system errors.

Error 0x80070057 often occurs when the partition you reserved for your OS is damaged. Fortunately, you can quickly fix this issue by running a dedicated hard drive repair software to restore your partition health.

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6. Disable Third-Party Antivirus Software​

• Open Your Antivirus Software:
  • Locate and open your antivirus program.
• Disable Real-Time Protection:
  • Find the real-time protection setting and temporarily disable it.
• Restart Your Computer:
  • Press Windows, click Power, then select Restart.

Disabling third-party antivirus software can prevent it from interfering with the Windows Update process.

7. Manually Reset Windows Update Components​

• Download the Reset Windows Update Agent:
  • Go to the Microsoft website and download the "Reset Windows Update Agent" script.
• Run the Script:
  • Follow the instructions provided with the script to reset Windows Update components.

Manually resetting Windows Update components can resolve deeper issues that standard troubleshooting steps fail to address.

8. Perform a Clean Boot​

• Open System Configuration:
  • Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and hit Enter.
• Hide Microsoft Services:
  • Go to the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all.
• Disable Startup Programs:
  • Go to the Startup tab and click Open Task Manager.
  • Disable all startup items by right-clicking each item and selecting Disable.
• Restart Your Computer:
  • Click OK in System Configuration and restart your PC.

Performing a clean boot helps identify if third-party software is causing the error by disabling all non-Microsoft services and startup programs.

9. Run SFC and DISM​

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
  • Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
• Run SFC (System File Checker):
  • Type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
• Run DISM (Deployment Imaging Service and Management Tool):
  • If SFC finds errors it can't fix, type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:
    • DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
    • DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
• Restart Your Computer:
  • After running the commands, restart your PC.

Running SFC and DISM can repair corrupted system files, which might be causing the update error.

10. Check Disk for Errors​

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
  • Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
• Run Check Disk:
  • Type chkdsk /f /r and press Enter.
  • If prompted to schedule the scan at the next restart, type Y and press Enter.
• Restart Your Computer:
  • Allow the check disk process to complete during the restart.

Checking the disk for errors can identify and fix bad sectors that might be causing the update error.

11. Install Update Manually​

• Visit Microsoft Update Catalog:
  • Go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
• Search for the Update:
  • Enter the update number (e.g., KB123456) in the search box and press Enter.
• Download and Install the Update:
  • Find the correct update for your system, download it, and run the installer.

Manually installing the update can bypass issues with the automatic Windows Update process.

These solutions should help you resolve the Windows Update error 0x80070057 and keep your system up-to-date.