What causes Windows Update error 0x80070020

The Windows update service provides you with the latest security updates and features. However, the update process is not always smooth. A variety of update errors can occur, e.g. e.g. error 0x800705b4 , 0x80070422, 0x80070020 etc.

Usually, Windows update error 0x80070020 occurs when you try to perform a Windows update and install the downloaded updates. There are several causes for the error:

• The real-time scanning of antivirus programs can cause error 0x80070020.
• The Windows Update components like Background Intelligent Transfer Service are corrupted.
• The corrupted or missing system files or hard drive errors can also be responsible for the update error.

Continue reading the following part. You will learn several methods with detailed steps to get rid of the error.

Solution 1. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows Update Troubleshooter is an inbuilt utility that can fix some update errors without complex steps. This utility is designed to quickly diagnose and automatically fix various computer problems. It is therefore the first choice to fix some Windows update errors.

Here we will show you how to run Windows Update Troubleshooter.

Step 1. Type Windows update settings in the search box and open the Settings window. Then select Troubleshoot in the left pane.

Step 2. Go to Windows Update and double click on it. After that, you will see Run the troubleshooter option, just click on it.

Step 3. You have to wait for some time for the troubleshooter to detect and fix the problem.

Step 4. Stop the troubleshooter and restart your Windows and then check if Windows 10 update error 0x80070020 is fixed or not.

Solution 2. Disable Antivirus Software Temporarily

It is possible that the installed antivirus software like Avast, Macfee etc. is interfering with the Windows Update and causing the error. So here we recommend you to temporarily uninstall your antivirus software to make sure it is not the cause of the error.

After the uninstallation is complete, you can try updating Windows and see if error 0x80070020 persists. You can reinstall the currently installed antivirus program or switch to a different antivirus software if needed.

If you’re not sure how to disable your antivirus software, here’s a guide to help you.

Solution 3. Restart Background Intelligent Transfer Service

The background intelligent transfer service ( English: Background Intelligent Transfer Service, abbreviation: BITS ) is a Windows component. It can be used to deliver updates to your computer during the installation process. When the BITS is corrupted, the problems in receiving Windows updates occur, which can cause error code 0x80070020.

In order for the BITS to work again, we recommend that you restart it. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1. Press Win + R keys to open Run box, then type services.msc and press Enter.

Step 2. Go to Background Intelligent Transfer Service in the list of services and right click on it and then select Properties.

Step 3. In the new window, navigate to Startup Type and set it to Automatic.

Step 4. If the service is not running, click Start. If the service is running, click Stop and then click Start again to restart the service.

Step 5. After that, click OK and Apply to save the change.

Then you can try updating your Windows and see if the error still persists. If everything is fine with your BITS, just move on to the next solutions.

Solution 4. Restart Windows Update Services

In order for Windows Update to function properly, it must use certain services. When there are problems with the services, a Windows update error can occur. So, you can try to reset Windows Update services to fix error code 0x80070020.

Step 1. Press Win + R keys to open Run box. Then type cmd and press Enter. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open an elevated command prompt that grants you administrative privileges.

Step 2. When Command Prompt (Administrator) opens, type the following command one by one and press Enter.

• net stop wuauserv
• net stop cryptSvc
• net stop bits
• net stop msiserver
• ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
• ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old
• net start wuauserv
• net start cryptSvc
• net start bits
• net start msiserver

After running the above commands, see if Windows 10 update error 0x80070020 is fixed.

Solution 5. Run a DISM scan and an SFC scan

As mentioned above, the corrupted or missing system files can cause the Windows update error. A DISM scan and SFC scan are commonly used to repair some hard drive corruption errors. You can follow the steps below to perform a DISM and SFC scan.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2. Type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command and press Enter.

When the DISM scan is complete, you can run the sfc /scannow command to check for corruption and restore Windows system files.

Step 1. Type sfc /scannow command in Command Prompt (Administrator) and press Enter.

This process will take some time, just wait patiently. After the scanning is complete, try updating Windows and see if the error 0x80070020 still persists.

Solution 6. Check your hard drive for errors and repair them

In addition to the corrupted or missing system files, the disk errors can also be responsible for the update failure. There is a built in Windows utility that can be used to check the integrity of your hard drive. Usually, it can examine and repair some common errors.

Here is a quick guide for you to run it through Command Prompt (Administrator).

Step 1. Open Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2. In the pop-up window, type chkdsk C: /f command and press Enter (C: is the letter of the disk you want to check).

When it comes to checking and fixing the errors on your hard drive, CHKDSK might be the first choice for you. However, in some cases, this tool may not work. For example, many Windows users reported that they encounter some errors such as CHKDSK write protection error , CHKDSK stuck in Windows 10, and so on.

Why not choose a simple method to check and fix your hard drive errors? Here is a free alternative to repair disk errors on Windows 10. It is highly recommended to use MiniTool Partition Wizard Free.

This powerful software is an easy-to -use partition manager . You can use its Check File System features to fix the logical disk errors easily. Here are detailed steps.

Step 1. Launch this software to get its main interface. Then select the disk you want to check and click Check File System in the left pane.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, you can choose Check Only (Do not fix the detected errors.) or Check and fix the detected errors. Here we recommend you to choose the latter. Then check Start.

Step 3. Then you will get a question asking you to check (Y/N) next time you reboot the system. Just click Yes.

Step 4. Reboot your Windows to check and fix the hard drive errors.

After completing the above steps, you can try updating Windows and see if error 0x80070020 is resolved.