Fix Error Code 0x80070002 on Windows (2023 Guide)

1 Method. Use Windows Update Troubleshooter

Troubleshooters are fun because they can look for the cause of the problem and bring it up to you. Although they do not always work wonders, we find them quite useful and time-saving. Here’s how the troubleshooter can help you to fix 80070002 or 80070003:

1.  Open Windows Start menu and type troubleshoot in Windows search bar. Launch the matching result, which opens Settings > Troubleshoot window.
2. Here, click on the Windows Update option. Then click on Run the troubleshooter button which appears on the screen.
3. Now, follow the instructions the troubleshooter provides. Choose either Skip this fix or Apply this fix.

2 Method. Check if Date & Time settings are correct

Experts know that many Windows errors, including 0x80070002 and 0x80070003, can be caused by incorrect Date & Time settings. Although it seems there is no connection between these errors and time settings, believe us, there is. Windows update service can’t function properly if time settings are off, so make sure you fix this issue.

1. In Windows Start menu, use search to find Date & Time settings.
2. First of all, check if the Set Time and Time Zone automatically options are toggled on. With these options toggled on, your computer should pick and set the correct time automatically. If it doesn’t, you will have to select the time zone and set the time manually. Instructions on how to do it are provided in the next step.
3. To control these settings manually, turn off Select time automatically & Set time zone automatically options. Then click Change button below Change date and time. Here, set the correct time and click Change again.
4. Restart your PC before trying to update Windows.
   

3 Method. Sfc /Scannow

It is yet another easy method that may fix Error 0x80070002 Windows 10 update for you. All it takes is to perform two simple commands using the Command Prompt (Admin).

1. Open the Command Prompt as Administrator – type cmd  in Windows search, right-click it > Run as Administrator. Click Yes in UAC prompt.
2. Now, type the given command and press Enter: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
3. Wait until the process is finished.
4. Type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
5. Wait until the process is finished. If it says that the procedure finished successfully, restart your PC and try to install the update. If it says that some files were corrupted and could not be repaired, you will need to delete them manually. Follow instructions in Method 4 to do it.
   

4 Method. Delete corrupted Windows update files

1. Press Windows key + R and type services.msc. Hit OK or Enter.
2. Find a service called Windows Update. Right-click it and choose Stop option.
3. Now, you will need to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder, which is located in C:\Windows. Right-click the SoftwareDistribution folder and Delete it. If you do not want to delete it, you can Rename it, for instance, to SoftwareDistributionX.
4. Finally, follow steps 1-2, but when you right-click on Windows update service, choose Start option.
5. Restart your PC and see if 0x80070002 occurs when trying to install updates.
   

5 Method. Set Primary Partition Active

Error Code 0x80070002 can occur if your Windows OS is installed on inactive partition. That is to say, you need to activate it or repartition hard drive (which we do not suggest, as it wipes everything off your computer). Therefore, we will stick with the first option and make the current system partition active. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Launch Run prompt by pressing Windows key + R together.
2. In Run, type diskmgmt.msc, press Enter.
3. In Disk Management, drag the right line of the Status column to expand it. Now, look which partition is marked as Primary Partition. Right-click this partition as click Make Partition As Active.
4. If a pop-up asking to confirm appears, click Yes or OK.
   

6 Method. System Restore

You can use System Restore to fix 0x80070002 on Windows 10 and other versions. System Restore basically restores your Windows computer system settings back to previous state. Typically, Win10 operating system creates a backup BEFORE installing an update, so even if you haven’t created a backup manually, you should find one to use.

TIP. Try to choose a backup prior to changes to system settings you or someone else have made and can’t determine what caused the discussed error.

1. In the taskbar, click on Windows icon.
2. Then hit the Gear icon to open Settings.
   
3. In Settings, click on Update & Security.
4. On the left panel, choose Recovery.
5. Here, scroll down to find Advanced Startup section. Click Restart Now under it.
6. Wait until your computer restarts. Then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore.
7. Here, choose a restore point and click Next. Follow instructions and restore a previous version.

NOTE. System restore rolls back all your system and hardware changes. It DOES NOT delete your personal files. In addition, we suggest restoring from most recent backups, moving to older ones, since older ones tend to fail sometimes.

2 Scenario: Fix Something Happened: 0X80070002 – 0X20016 Error

Error Code: 0x80070002 – 0x20016 on Windows 10 often occurs when running a Microsoft Media Creation tool. This tool typically allows creating Win 10 installation USB drive or .ISO file, which can later be used to install Windows OS on another PC.

If you ran into 0x80070002 – 0x20016 error when installing Windows 10 on your computer using Media Creation Tool, you need to solve the issue via Windows Registry Editor. Here’s what needs to be done. 

1. Boot into normal or Safe computer mode. Now, open Run prompt (Windows key+R) and type regedit into it.
2. Press OK in User Account Control pop-up.
3. Expand folders on the left in the given order:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / WindowsUpdate / OSUpgrade.
   TIP: If you can’t find OSUpgrade folder, then right-click WindowsUpdate folder and click New>Key and name it OSUpgrade.
4. Once in OSUpgrade folder, right-click on the right panel and select New. Choose DWORD (32-bit) value.
   
5. Rename the key: Right-click the default New Value #1 and click Rename. Type AllowOSUpgrade and press Enter.
6. Right-click the key and choose Modify. Now, set its value data to 1, and base Hexadecimal. Click OK to save.
   
7. Try updating Windows.

Additional tips that may help in this scenario:

• Run Windows Media Creation Tool as administrator. Simply right-click the file and choose Run as Administrator.
• Set your computer’s primary language English (United States). You can change this setting later, after installing Windows.
• Temporarily disable Windows firewall or security programs present on your computer. You can activate them after installation of the Windows 10 update.

3 Scenario: Fixing 0x80070002 – 0xA001A error

Error Code 0x80070002 – 0xA001A is related to the USB device used to create Bootable USB with the Media Creation Tool. Possible reasons for the error message to appear:

1. Some files were corrupted or were deleted while creating the media creation tool. In such situation, you should restart your PC, and try to create a bootable USB again.
2. Your USB might not be recognized by the Media Creation Tool. In such situation, you should open Device Manager and see if your USB is shown in the Universal Serial Bus controllers list. If it is not, try connecting your USB to another port (2.0) or just use another USB drive.

Fix Microsoft Security Client Error Code: 0x8007002

If you recently installed an update and now you receive Microsoft Security Client error code 0x80070002 at logon, you need to perform a little fix using WinRegistry. Please be careful while in Windows Registry, otherwise you can mess up your operating system strongly.

1. Press Windows key+R at the same time to open Run prompt. Type services.msc and press OK.
2. Find Windows Update and right-click it to select Properties.
   
3. In Properties, select Startup type: Automatic (Delayed Start).
4. Click Apply and OK.
   
5. Close the Services window by clicking X in the right corner.

Fix 0x80070002 Error when installing/uninstalling programs

In this scenario, people run into this problem when installing or uninstalling various programs such as Adobe or games like Far Cry 3/4/5. If you are running into this error, we suggest running system file checker first to find out if the problem is related to Windows system files:

1. Search for CMD, then right-click it and Run As Administrator. Click Yes in UAC.
   
2. In CMD with admin’s privileges type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
   
3. Wait until the process is finished and try installing or uninstalled your selected program again.