Fix Update Error 0x80070bcb Windows 10
Are you stuck with Windows update error 0x80070bcb? If yes, this guide will help you fix the same. Error code 0x80070bcb occurs not only during a Windows update, but also during a printer installation on a new machine. Since many users have asked to fix update error 0x80070bcb, we have put together an effective troubleshooting guide to help you avoid trouble.
How to fix update error 0x80070bcb Windows 10
There are several reasons that contribute to the discussed error code on your Windows 10 PC. They are listed below.
- The version of Windows does not support updating the computer.
- The connected external USB device is incompatible.
- Some basic services are not working.
- Antivirus and adware are blocking the update.
- Not enough space on the computer.
- Corrupted data, inadequate internet connection.
- Outdated BIOS and very old computer.
- Corrupted Windows registry and Windows file system.
Now you know the reasons causing the discussed error. Follow the troubleshooting methods below to fix the same.
Method 1: disable external devices
When you encounter update error 0x80070bcb on your Windows 10 computer, check if you have any external peripherals or USB devices connected. If so, you are advised to remove them to avoid electromagnetic interference contributing to the error. Follow the instructions.
1. First, disconnect all external USB devices connected to your computer.
2. Next, disconnect your webcam, printer, and other peripherals, and leave the most essential devices connected.
3. Finally, check if you have fixed update error 0x80070bcb.
Method 2: Ensure minimum update requirements
If there are no hardware issues with your PC, then you should check to see if Windows 10 update error 0x80070bcb is occurring due to some internal issue. In order to successfully install the latest update on your computer, you must check if your computer meets the minimum update requirements. Your computer must meet the hardware and software requirements for the update, and you can verify this by following the steps below.
- Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC.
- RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit.
- Hard disk space: 16 GB for 32-bit OS or 20 GB for 64-bit OS. May 2019 update, space increased to 32 GB.
- Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible or later with WDDM 1.0 driver.
- Display: 800 x 600.
Step I: Check the System Requirements
1. Press Windows Key + I at the same time to open Windows Settings.
2. Now click System.
3. Now, on the left pane, click "About", then you can check the specifications of the device as shown on the right screen.
Step II: Check the video card requirements
1. Open "Settings" and click "System".
2. Then click "Display" in the left pane and then "Advanced display options" in the right pane as shown in the figure.
3. Now click Display adapter properties as shown in the picture.
4. Detailed information about your video card will now be requested.
Step III: Check DirectX Version
1. Press the Windows key + R and type dxdiag, then press Enter.
2. The following screen will be displayed on the screen if your system already contains DirectX 12.
After checking all of these requirements, make sure they match the requirements of the application you are installing.
Method 3: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter
If your computer has any errors and problems, you cannot update your Windows PC. The built-in Windows troubleshooter helps fix network connection issues, corrupted registry keys, and corrupted Windows components that result in update error 0x80070bcb can also be fixed with this tool. Follow the instructions in our guide How to Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.
Follow as shown and thus fix the problems identified by the troubleshooter.
Method 4: Restart Essential Windows Services
Some important Windows services such as Windows Update and Background Intelligent Transfer Services must be enabled on your computer to avoid error code 0x80070bcb. Background Smart Transfer Services uses available bandwidth to install any latest updates, so your computer only installs any updates if no other installation is in progress. If these services are disabled on your system, you will most likely encounter the error discussed. Hence, restart the core Windows services as mentioned below.
1. Type "Services" in the search menu and click "Run as administrator".
2. Now scroll down and double click Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
3. Now set Startup Type to Automatic as shown in the figure.
Note. If the status of the service is "Stopped", click the "Start" button. If the status of the service is "Running", click "Stop" and "Start" again.
4. Click Apply > OK to save your changes. Check if you can install the latest updates.
5. Repeat all these steps for other Windows Services such as Cryptographic, MSI Installer and Windows Update Services.
Method 5: Repair System Files
If there are any corrupted files on your system, you must repair them first before installing any updates. The System File Checker (SFC command) scans and fixes any corrupted files on your computer. Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) fixes Windows errors using a powerful command line. To resolve update error 0x80070bcb, it is recommended that you run the SFC/DISM utilities on your Windows 10 computer as outlined in our guide How to Repair System Files in Windows 10.
Once the scanning process is complete, check if you can install the latest updates.
Method 6: Delete the SoftwareDistribution folder
If you have verified that Windows Update services are still encountering Windows 10 update error 0x80070bcb, there is another simple workaround to fix update issues. First, stop the Windows Update service and delete the SoftwareDistribution folder in File Explorer. Then start the Windows Update services again. Follow the instructions below.
1. Run services as an administrator.
2. Now scroll down the screen and right click Windows Update.
3A. If the status is not set to Running, go to step 4.
3B. If the status is "Running", click "Stop" as shown in the figure.
5. Wait 2-3 seconds at the prompt screen, Windows is trying to stop the following service on the local computer…
6. Now open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E keys at the same time. Now go to the following path.
C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDataStore
7. Now select and right click on all files and folders and select the Delete option.
8. Similarly, navigate to the specified path and delete all files and folders.
C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload
9. Switch back to the Services window, right-click on Windows Update and select the Start option.
10. Wait 3 to 5 seconds at the prompt, Windows is trying to start the following service on the local computer…
12. Finally, you have restarted the Windows Update services, thereby deleting the contents of the Software Distribution folder. Check if you can install the latest updates on your Windows 10 PC.
Method 7: Temporarily disable your antivirus (if applicable)
An antivirus package can sometimes prevent any of the latest updates from being installed on your computer. Many Windows users identify many compatibility issues that are difficult to fix. Antivirus software like Norton and Avast can interfere with any latest Windows update, and you are advised to temporarily disable any built-in or third-party antivirus software to fix this issue. Read our guide on how to temporarily disable your antivirus in Windows 10 and follow the instructions to temporarily disable your antivirus program on your PC.
After fixing error code 0x80070bcb on Windows 10 PC, be sure to re-enable your antivirus program as a system without a security pack is always a threat.
Method 8: Use Google DNS
Some users have suggested that changing DNS addresses helped them fix update error 0x80070bcb on Windows 10 computers. Google DNS has IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 which are simple and easy to remember to establish a secure DNS connection between client and server. Here is our simple guide on how to change DNS settings in Windows 10 to help you change DNS addresses on your computer. You can also switch to any Open DNS or Google DNS on your Windows 10 computer by following our guide on how to switch to OpenDNS or Google DNS on Windows. Follow the instructions and check if you can install cumulative updates on your computer.
Method 9: Uninstall the latest updates
Any previous incompatible updates on your Windows 10 PC may prevent you from downloading new updates to it. Hence, you are advised to uninstall the latest updates that are being installed on your PC in order to resolve error code 0x80070bcb. This is very easy to do and the steps are shown as follows.
1. Press the Windows key and type Control Panel. Then click "Open" as shown in the picture.
2. Set "View by > Category", then click "Uninstall a program" in the "Programs" menu, as shown in the figure.
3. Now click "View Installed Updates" on the left pane as shown.
4. Now find and select the most recent update by entering the date "Installed on day" and clicking "Uninstall" as shown below.
5. Finally, confirm any prompt and restart your computer.
See if you can fix Windows 10 update error 0x80070bcb.
Method 10: Extend the system partition
If there is not enough space on the system partition, you will not be able to install new updates on your Windows 10 PC. There are a few other ways to increase your computer's memory, but they may not always work for you. You must extend the system reserved partition to fix update error 0x80070bcb. Although there are many third-party tools to expand the system reserved partition, we prefer to do it manually by following our guide "How to expand the system drive partition (C:)" in Windows 10.
Method 11: Clear Disk Space
If your computer doesn't have enough disk space to install new apps from the Microsoft Store, you'll encounter update error 0x80070bcb. Therefore, check your disk space first and clean up temporary files if necessary.
Step I: Check Disk Space
To check the disk space on a Windows 10 PC, follow these steps.
1. Press and hold Windows Key + E to open File Explorer.
2. Now click "This PC" on the left screen.
3. Check the free disk space in the "Devices and Drivers" section, as shown in the figure. If they are highlighted in red, consider cleaning up temporary files.
Step II: Run Disk Cleanup
If your computer has minimal available space contributing to update error 0x80070bcb, follow our 10 Ways to Free Up Hard Drive Space in Windows guide to help you clean up all the junk files on your computer.
Method 12: Reset Windows Update components
An effective way to fix error code 0x80070bcb is to reset Windows Update components if no other options have worked for you. All Windows update files are stored on your computer, and if they are corrupted or incompatible, you should be facing a number of annoying issues. To fix corrupted Windows Update components on your PC, follow our guide How to reset Windows Update components in Windows 10.
This simple process involves running a set of commands at the command prompt to restart all essential Windows services on your Windows 10 PC. After running all the commands, check if you can install cumulative updates.
Method 13: Install updates manually
If all the other solutions in this guide don't work for you, you can still manually download the required update. The Windows 10 Update History webpage has a complete history of the updates that have been released for your Windows PC. Follow the instructions below to force updates to be installed.
1. Press the Windows + I keys at the same time to open the settings on your system.
2. Now click on Update & Security.
3. Now select the View Update History option as shown below.
4. In the list, verify that the KB number is pending download due to conflicting errors.
5. Here, enter the knowledge base number in the search bar for the Microsoft Update Catalog.
6. Finally, click "Download" according to your latest update and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Method 14: Update via Media Creation Tool
If you are unable to install the update manually, you can try installing it using the Media Creation Tool. This is the official download platform recommended by Microsoft to fix any update errors on your Windows 10 PC. Follow the steps below to do the same.
1. Go to the official Windows 10 Media Creation tool download page.
2. Now click on the "Download tool now" button under "Create Windows 10 installation media". 
3. Run the setup file and click "Yes" in the User Account Control (UAC) window, if available.
4. Now click the "Accept" button on the Windows 10 setup window as shown in the picture.
5. Wait for the scanning process to complete and select the "Upgrade this PC now" option, and then click the "Next" button.
6. Wait for the Windows ISO image to download to your computer and click Accept.
Note. You need to wait until all pending updates on your computer are installed on your computer so that Media Creation Tool can update your operating system to the most recent version.
7. Finally, click "Install" to complete the process.
Method 15: Tweak the Windows Registry
Next, it is advised to clear the Windows Registry Path corresponding to the Windows Update Download Path in order to fix the error code in question. You should always be careful when handling the Windows Registry, otherwise you may lose your files. Follow the steps below to tweak the registry keys, thereby fixing the error in question.
1. Go to the search menu and type Registry Editor. Then click "Run as administrator".
2. Now go to the following path in the registry editor.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsWindowsUpdate
3. In the right pane, find WUServer and WIStatusServer.
3A. If you can't find them, you can't delete the Windows Update download path. Proceed to the next troubleshooting method.
3B. If you can find the entries, right-click them and click Delete.
4. Finally, restart your computer and check if you have fixed the problem in question.
Method 16: Update the BIOS
Several Windows 10 users around the world have reported that the 0x80070bcb update error has disappeared after updating the BIOS. But in case you have the latest BIOS version installed and the same error still occurs, you need to reinstall the BIOS. If all of the above methods fail to solve your problem, it is recommended to update your BIOS as outlined in our guide What is a BIOS and how do I update the BIOS?
After updating the BIOS, you will have the Windows 10 update error 0x80070bcb fixed.
Method 17: Perform a System Restore
If you are not satisfied with any of these methods, the only option left is to restore the previous version of the computer. To do this, follow our guide "How to use System Restore in Windows 10" and follow the instructions as shown. In the end, your computer will be restored to its previous state, in which no errors will occur at all.
After restoring your Windows 10 PC, check if the update error 0x80070bcb has fixed it.
Method 18: Perform a Clean Boot
If your PC is dealing with severely corrupted Windows components, an effective way to clean up all those corrupted components and boot up your data is to restore your installed PC, as outlined in our How to Reset Windows 10 Without Losing Data guide. Follow the instructions in this article and at the end you would have fixed the error in question.
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We hope the guide was helpful and you were able to fix Windows 10 update error 0x80070bcb. Let us know what you want to know about next. Feel free to contact us with your questions and suggestions through the comments section below.