How to Fix Windows Update Install Error 0x80070020

By | December 31, 2019

Generally, this is the error declaration that appears when updating the installed OS, this error 0x80070020 is quite common and can be encountered in your system during updates.

There can be different reasons that cause this error code 0x80070020 and does not allow you to access your update or applications. Here is some reason:

  • Threat of viruses.
  • Antivirus installed.
  • Disk space.
  • Updates date pending.

These are the various problems that can cause the code 0x80070020 and our developers have filtered solutions for you in simpler and more understandable ways, they will help you to easily correct this code manually.

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Method 1: Restart the update components 

  • Open an elevated command prompt by pressing the Start button, typing cmd, and opening it as an administrator.
  • At the elevated command prompt, type the following commands to stop the services related to Windows Update. Press Enter after each command:
    • net stop bits 
    •  net stop wuauserv 
    • net stop msiserver
    • net stop cryptsvc
  • Rename the backup copies of the software distribution folder. This can be done by entering the following commands:
    • ren% systemroot% \SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak 
    • ren% systemroot% \ system32 \ catroot2 catroot2.bak
  • Restart the BITS services, Cryptographic, MSI Installer and Update service that you stopped earlier using these commands:
    • net start bits 
    • net start wuauserv 
    • net start msiserver
    • net start cryptsvc
0x80070020
  •  Restart your PC and check if the Update stops producing the error when you try to update.

Method 2: Disable the antivirus and firewall

One of the main reasons for this error 0x80070020 is a third-party anti-virus that prevents updating processes.

The anti-virus and firewalls are designed to protect your PC against viruses and malware. But sometimes the PC and the antivirus don’t work as well together.

This means that the operating system is facing incompatibilities with third-party antivirus software.

Method 3: Restart the BITS service

Background Intelligent Transfer Service, abbreviated as BITS, is primarily responsible for automatically and intelligently updating your PC in the background.

When this service is down, update problems 0x80070020 are caused. Thus, restarting this service could restore its proper functioning again. To restart the BITS, follow the steps indicated:

  • Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously to open the task manager.
  • Go to the Services tab and find BITS or Smart Transfer Service in the background on the list.
  •  Right-click and select Restart.
0x80070020

This will restart BITS and may resolve the Update problem.

Method 4: Windows Update TroubleShooting

After disabling your antivirus still, you could not resolve the problem, then the Microsoft Update Problem Solver can fix it. To run the troubleshooter:

  • Press the Windows key and type Troubleshooting and press Enter.
  • If you don’t have one, download it by clicking here.
  • Choose the Update option from the list and click Run the troubleshooter.
  •  The system will automatically detect the problems and guide you through a few on-screen instructions to resolve them.
0x80070020

I hope this built-in functionality has helped you out of this update issue 0x80070020.

Method 5: Run CHKDSK

You should also run the CHKDSK utility, this will help you repair bad sectors which can cause error 0x80070020 and many other problems.

  • Open the Start menu and right-click on Command Prompt – then select Run as administrator.
  • Click the “Yes” button to open the window.
  • Type “chkdsk” and “C“, which is the drive for your system
  • Note: It is recommended to leave a space between “chkdsk” and the drive letter.
  •  Press ENTER to execute this command.
0x80070020

Conclusion:

I hope you will be able to correct 0x80070020 using the methods given in the article. If you’re still stuck after performing all of the above solutions, try formatting your PC.

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