Tech support scams are an industry-wide issue where scammers trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services. You can help protect yourself from scammers by verifying that the contact is a Microsoft Agent or Microsoft Employee and that the phone number is an official Microsoft global customer service number.
See also:
Windows could not search for new update.
For most Windows user, it is really common to be faced with this kind of situation: 'An error occurred while checking for new updates for your computer. Error(s) found: Code 80070002 Windows Update encountered an unknown problem'.
You might get this issue when you're trying to install some Windows 10 updates, such as KB3200970, as well as other numbers. You will notice that the update starts to download, but as soon as it gets to the screen where it should be installed, it will either fail immediately, and uninstall itself, or reboot your computer, and then fail and uninstall.
Solutions to Fix Error Code 0x80070002
When you got this kind of error, do not worry! Here are a couple of solutions for this issue, which is fairly easy, even for a person that doesn't have a lot of technical experience. Just follow the instructions in the methods below to simply resolve Windows Update errors 0x80070002 or 0x80070003.
Solution 1. Quick Fix: Check Time Settings
Details are the key to success, the time settings have a great influence on the Windows update. Simply check the date and time settings may solve your problem:
- Click “Control Panel”
- Open “Date and Time”
- Press on “Change date and time” and make corrections if necessary
- Configure your time zone before pressing OK
- Press on “Internet Time” tab before selecting “Change Settings”
- Check “Synchronize with an Internet time server” before choosing the Time Server from the list presented
- Press “Update Now”
- Press “OK” twice to complete the configuration and close all open windows
After this, restart your computer before accessing Windows Update. if You had Incorrect time set on your system then doing the above steps should fix the 0x80070002 error for you.
Solution 2. Check and Remove the Corrupted System Files
If the quick fix does not work, it is therefore advised to scan and see if you have any corrupted files on your system.
First, Scan and Check the Corrupted System Files
- Click Windows icon and type CMD, then right-click command prompt and choose Run as Administrator
- Type “SFC /scannow” and hit enter
- Wait for this process to complete
If you get a message that everything succeeded then try to run Windows Update again, if you get an error message which contains that corrupted files were found but cannot be repaired then please try to remove the corrupted files
Second, Remove the Corrupted Windows Update Files
1. Click 'Start' button and select 'Control Panel'. Type 'Administrative Tools' in the search box and press Enter.
2. On the pop-up windows find and double-click 'Service'. If you are asked to provide administrator password or confirmation, type password and give confirmation.
3. Click the tab 'Name' to sort items alphabetically, after which you can find out Windows Update service easily. Right-click it and select Stop.
2. On the pop-up windows find and double-click 'Service'. If you are asked to provide administrator password or confirmation, type password and give confirmation.
3. Click the tab 'Name' to sort items alphabetically, after which you can find out Windows Update service easily. Right-click it and select Stop.
If deleting system files does not help you, you can fix the 0x80070002 error by deleting the software distribution folder to help you solve this case. Follow Solution 3 to get it fixed now.
Solution 3. Delete Software Distribution Folder to Fix 0x80070002
The Software distribution folder is found on the C drive of your system. It is in the folder where all downloaded Windows updates are stored.
It may turn out that some files in the folder are corrupt and therefore unable to or prevent the installation of updates. Deleting it can help in resolving error code 0x80070002. Here are the simple steps:
- Click 'This PC' or 'My computer'
- Navigate to 'C:Windows' folder.
- Search for and delete the folder named 'SoftwareDistribution'. You may also choose to rename the folder as “SoftwareDistributionOld” in case you do not wish to delete it.
- Restart your computer before accessing the Windows Update Store. You should be able to notice updates being downloaded and installed. This will make sure that this method works to fix error 0x80070002 code for you.
Solution 4. Try Windows Update Troubleshooter
The Windows Update Troubleshooter is always a method to consider when you have any problems running Windows Update. Go to the Microsoft official website, search for 'Troubleshooter' and download it, and this tool is able to automatically diagnose and fix common problems with Windows Update.
Important Note: Backup Data When Error 0x80070002 Occurs
Data loss happens every day, any of the above solutions may cause data loss. So it is of vital importance to backup files. Some users think that backing up files may be very complicated. In fact, it is really easy if you have the help of a professional tool - EaseUS Todo Backup.
Step 1. Run EaseUS Todo Backup and choose 'File Backup'.
Step 2. On the 'File Backup' window, you can choose almost every type of files from many directories via the 'User Defined' mode, but it's even faster using the 'File Type' mode when you only back up some specific file types such as documents, pictures, videos, music and so on. So, use the proper way to choose the target files you want to backup.
Then add the plan name or text description to the file backup and then choose a backup location.
To backup files to an external hard drive, click 'Browse...' in the 'Destination' area.
Expand the 'Computer' and choose the external hard drive you've correctly connected to the computer. Click 'OK'.
Expand the 'Computer' and choose the external hard drive you've correctly connected to the computer. Click 'OK'.
Also, if you're interested in getting more backup features, go and find them by clicking 'Schedule', 'Image-reserve strategy' and 'Backup options'.
Step 3. After settings were all made, click 'Proceed'.
An automated script to fix the 'Checking for Updates' loop on Windows 7 SP1
Overview
After installing a fresh copy of Windows 7, Windows Update will hang when trying to check for updates. This problem occurs because a fresh copy of Windows 7 doesn't have the required updates to interface with Microsoft's servers. The fix is to download and install the following updates:
- April 2015 servicing stack update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (KB3020369)
- July 2016 update rollup for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (KB3172605)
- The latest Windows Update Agent for Windows 7 (v7.6.7600.256)
This script was written to automate the process. It is divided into three stages:
- Downloads the updates and resets all Windows Update components
- Installs the latest Windows Update Agent
- Installs KB3020369 and KB3172605
You can download and install the updates yourself, but running the script ensures that any previous Windows Update issues are cleared out before the updates are applied, and that the packages are installed in the correct order.
Compatibility
To install these updates or run this script, you should have Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 installed.
Instructions
- Download the latest release from here
- Exit any running applications
- Double-click the UpdateFix.exe file and follow the instructions
- The 'Custom (Advanced Users Only)' option allows you to skip to a specific stage of the fix
- For the best results, choose 'Express Fix (Recommended)' to run through all the stages in order
An Internet Connection is required to download the updates, however, it is recommended to disconnect from the Internet once the updates have been downloaded. Doing so prevents Windows Update from attempting to connect while it is being serviced.
Package Safety
This script is comprised of three (3) individual batch files. The batch files were archived into .7z format and then the archive was used to create a 7-Zip Self-Extracting Archive using the official modules provided by Igor Pavlov. The .exe file was scanned with Windows Defender using the latest definitions available at the time of upload to GitHub.
How The Script Works
When it is double-clicked, the self-extracting .exe file extracts three batch files to the Windows TEMP directory:
- master.cmd
- updates.cmd
- cleanup.cmd
As its name suggests, 'master.cmd' is the main batch file. It:
- Downloads the updates from Microsoft and stores them in C:packages
- Copies 'updates.cmd' and 'cleanup.cmd' to C:packages
- Resets Windows Update Components
- Installs the Windows Update Agent
- Sets the RunOnce registry key to run the next file, 'updates.cmd' after the restart
After the restart, updates.cmd unpacks the .msu files for KB3020369 and KB3172605 and installs them using DISM. A log file is created at C:install.log. It also sets the RunOnce registry key to run the final file, 'cleanup.cmd'.
After the final restart, 'cleanup.cmd' deletes the files in the C:packages folder, provides the user a summary of the operations, and then deletes itself.
Help
- With the sunset of Windows 7, version 5.0 is likely the last version, unless a bug needs to be fixed.
- See FAQ.md for a list of frequently encountered problems and solutions.
- See CHANGELOG.md for development history.
- For all other feedback, please open an issue on the GitHub repository. Include error codes, screen-shots, and system details.
Terms of Use
This script will modify sensitive system files. Please ensure that your files are backed up before running this script. This script has been tested extensively. The author is not responsible for any data loss.