Most updates are installed automatically in Windows. Unless the device owner pushes the updates manually. However, if you choose to install updates before the system automatically detects and installs them, you may occasionally experience problems. A potential error was detected in the Windows update database error occurs when Windows users access the Windows Update section and check for updates.

If you're having trouble downloading or installing Windows updates on your Windows 10 PC and running the Windows Update troubleshooter or the WU online troubleshooter to fix the problem - but instead of fixing the problem, the troubleshooter displays Detected potential Windows Update database error or Windows Update components must be fixed! What do you do in that case? Here are some troubleshooting ideas that are worth looking into.

Solutions to Potential Windows Update Database Error Detected
To backup files, you can take advantage of a piece of third-party software. Here, the professional Windows backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker is recommended.

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a user-friendly program. It has the ability to back up the operating system, file, folder, disk, and partition with its various powerful features.

It also enables you to synchronize files to two or more locations so as to keep data safe.

Solution 1. Use System File Checker Tool
The issue potential Windows Update Database error detected error may occur when there is a corruption of the system files. In order to repair Windows update, you can run System File Checker to check the status of system files and repair the corrupted system files.

You can rely on the following operation methods to repair Windows Update Database corruption.

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box of Windows and right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose Run as administrator to continue.

Step 2: In the popup command window, input sfc/ scannow and hit Enter to go on.

Step 3: Then the process will begin and it will take several minutes. You can’t close the command window until you see the message Verification 100% complete.

When the process is finished, you can restart your computer and check whether the issue potential Windows Update Database error detected is solved and whether you can perform Windows update.

Solution 2. Run DISM Tool
If you meet the issue potential Windows Update Database error detected when you run Windows Update Troubleshooter, you can try to run DISM tool to solve this problem. The DISM tool can be used in many situations and one of them is to repair the corrupted Windows update files.

So just follow the step-by-step instructions to run the DISM tool.

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box of Windows and right-click on the Command Prompt icon and choose Run as administrator to continue.

Step 2: In the popup window, input the following commands. Please remember that you need to hit Enter to continue after each command.

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /scanhealth
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

This process will take a long time, so please wait patiently and don’t interrupt it. When the process is finished, you can reboot your computer to check whether the Windows update error is solved.

Solution 3. Reset Windows Update Components Manually
Here, we will introduce the third method to fix Windows update error potential Windows Update Database error detected. In this way, you can try to reset Windows Update components manually.

Now, you can go on based on following instructions.

Step 1: Type cmd in the search box of Windows and right-click on Command Prompt icon and right-click it to choose Run as administrator to continue.

Step 2: In the popup window, type the following commands and please remember to hit Enter to continue after each command.

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
Ren C:\\Windows\\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
Ren C:\\Windows\\System32\\catroot2 Catroot2.old
net start wuauservnet start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Step 3: After the process is finished, you can exit the command window and try to reboot your computer to check whether the Windows update problem potential Windows Update Database error detected is solved.

Solution 4: Perform a Clean Boot
If you encounter the Windows Update error potential Windows Update Database error detected, you can try to boot your computer in a clean boot and check whether the issue is affected by the third-party software.

Step 1: Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, and type msconfig in the box and hit Enteror click OK to continue.

Step 2: Go to the General tab, choose Selective startup button and uncheck Load startup items option to go on.

Step 3: Go to Service tab, check the option Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all to continue.

Step 4: Then restart your computer to check whether you have solved the problem potential Windows Update Database error detected.

Solution 5. Reset the Computer
If all above methods fail to solve the problem potential Windows Update Database error detected, you can try to reset your computer to solve the problem.

Bonus Tips
After you have successfully solved the problem, you had better create a system image to avoid some accidents. Thus, MiniTool ShadowMaker is capable of doing that.

Step 1: Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker to enter its main interface.

Step 2: If there is no backup image on your computer, MiniTool ShadowMaker will remind you to back up immediately. Then you just need to click SET UP BACK in the Home page to continue.

MiniTool ShadowMaker is designed to back up the operating system by default. You can also click Source and Destination tab to choose backup source and destination.

Here, in order to provide better protection for your data and computer, three important things you need to know.

Click Schedule button to set the backup task on a regular basis. This feature can help you to create an automatic backup.
MiniTool ShadowMaker provides 3 backup schemes including Full, Incremental, and The incremental backup scheme is chosen by default.
Set more advanced backup parameters by clicking the Option.
Step 3: Now, you can click Back up Now button to perform this action.

Step 4: When the backup process is finished, you had better go to the Tools tab to create a bootable disc or a USB drive by clicking Media Builder feature, which can help you to boot the computer to enter MiniTool Recovery Environment so as to perform some recovery solutions when the computer can’t boot.

After you have successfully backed up all your important files or the operating system, you can protect your PC and data.

In conclusion, this post has introduced 5 solutions to the Windows update error potential Windows Update Database error detected. Since updating Windows always leads to some problems, it is advised to back up the important files before solving the problem.

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