The Windows Update error 0x80073701 is the result of the KB4524570 update and the 1909 upgrade.

If Windows Update-related services are corrupt, then you get this error. To fix this, you need to stop these services and rename a few system folders.

The simple solution to mitigate this error is to update your Windows 10 computer with the following Microsoft download.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10.

It indicates that something related to the WinSxS folder is missing or corrupt in previous versions of Windows 10. The above download should fix it automatically, without applying any tweaking commands.

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Table of Contents

Result of Error Code 0x80073701

Your update might get reversed after 50% or more or less. The process can go into a loop. Your precious bandwidth is lost, and you have to wait for the download to start again.

Instead of these troubles, you can download the update as an ISO file, which is a complete image of a disk that can be used to upgrade your desired system.

Try the Windows 10 troubleshooter if the Windows Update assistant did not work for you.

Your computer may restart even after the 0x80073701 error code has been fixed. This can happen for hardware failures, network adapter problems, and driver issues.

The earlier updates, like kb4520390 and kb4515384, can be installed without much fuss. But to install the 1909 version, you need the KB4524570 update.

In this post, we are going to see 5 more methods to resolve error code 0x80073701.

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Fix #1 – Enter Powershell commands

You can open Windows PowerShell in administrator mode by right-clicking the Start menu. Then copy and paste the following commands below and press Enter.

Set-Service -Name wuauserv -StartupType Automatic

Set-Service -Name BITS -StartupType Automatic

Set-Service -Name cryptSvc -StartupType Automatic

Set-Service -Name msiserver -StartupType Automatic

Stop-Service wuauserv

Stop-Service BITS

Stop-Service cryptSvc

Stop-Service msiserver

Rename-Item C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.oldFolder

Rename-Item C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 C:\Windows\System32\catroot 2. oldFolder

Start-Service wuauserv

Start-Service BITS

Start-Service cryptSvc

Start-Service msiserver

Get-Service wuauserv | Select-Object -Property Name, StartType, Status

Get-Service BITS | Select-Object -Property Name, StartType, Status

Get-Service cryptSvc | Select-Object -Property Name, StartType, Status

Get-Service msiserver | Select-Object -Property Name, StartType, Status

This should fix the update error caused by the 0x80073701 error code. The above PowerShell scripts do the following.

They set the following Windows services—Windows Update, BITS, Cryptographic, and Windows Installer—to Automatic. It means that they automatically start when Windows 10 starts.
Then the next set of commands stops these services.
The next commands rename the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders to a different name.
Next, the stopped services are started.
Finally, startup type and status are checked for these services.

This solution can save time to download the above-mentioned installer and solve the error offline.

Fix #2 – Check for Registry Errors

Open the command prompt as admin in Windows 10.

Then type the following commands.

- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth
- DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
- DISM.exe /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup

It will take up some time for the cleanup process to complete. Then run the following command:

- sfc /scannow

This command should clear any registry errors causing the 0x80073701 error code. However, this solution is less likely to be the cause of the problem. If the above two methods fail, then you can try this fix.

Fix #3 – Old KB Updates and 0x80073701

Windows 10 users who are still using the 1607, 1703, or 1511 version can update to the latest version of Windows, 1909.

Since the following KB updates are not available for download—

KB3081448, KB3081449, KB3081452, KB3206632, KB3213986, KB4512508

You can use the update assistant tool on Microsoft. Also, many old versions of Windows 10 have had their support period ended. So it’s better to upgrade to the 1903 or 1909 version.

Fix #4 – Reset Windows Update Components

If nothing works for you, then you can reset all the services and components related to Windows Update.

This includes deleting the qmgr*.dat files, renaming DataStore and Download folders under the SoftwareDistribution folder, deleting the catroot2 folder under system32, reregistering the BITS service files and Windows Update files, resetting WinSock components, and clearing the BITS queue for Vista or Server 2008.

Fix #5 – Download the Required KB Updates

You can use the following link—https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx—to download the failed KB updates on your Windows 10 system.

This will take less time and resources than the Windows Update tool. Also, you can update your system anytime offline using these catalog updates.

You can also block some of these updates if they are causing issues to update to the 1909 version. This can also fix the error code 0x80073701. You can also do a repair install of your PC using the Media Creation Tool of Windows 10. Then select the “Upgrade this PC” option.

Best Fix for 0x80073701 Error Code and 5 Solutions to Solve It