If you install the device driver which already has existed on your computer, you may encounter the Windows update code 80070103. See this post if you receive the error message.

At this point it is known that the fact that the installation fails with code 80070103 is due to compatibility problems with the Windows 10 March updates that were released on March 9th. It is ironic, isn't it?



The problem seems to be widespread and on one of the computers we had this problem. Namely on my laptop. On the desktop everything went smoothly.

What Causes the Windows Update Error Code 80070103?
When you are trying to update the Windows, you may receive the error message Windows Update encountered an unknown error with the code 80070103.

The code 80070103 may also come with other messages, such as Windows could not search for new updates or Windows Update ran into a problem. However, what may cause the code 80070103?

There are several possible reasons that may lead to the error code 80070103.

If you install the device driver which already has existed on your computer, you may encounter the Windows update code 80070103.
If the device you run is outdated or corrupted, you may encounter the error code 80070103.
There may be an internal conflict or a proxy issue.
If the device driver is not compatible with your system, you may encounter the Windows error code 80070103.
After knowing what causes the error with code 8070103, do you know how to solve this problem? In the following section, we will walk you through several ways to address the code 80070103.

Figure out What the Specific Driver Causes the Code 80070103
To figure out the specific device drivers, you can refer to the following operations.

We will show you the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Open Windows Update

Type Windows Update in the search box of Windows and choose the best matched one to continue.

Step 2: Figure out Device Drivers

In the pop-up window, choose the View installed update history to continue.
Then you can see a list of successful or failed updates.
After that, you need to find out the problematic device drivers and choose to update them to fix the code 0070103.

After figuring out the device driver, it is time to fix the Windows error code 80070103. So, keep on your reading.



However, as we have mentioned in the above section, the device driver may lead to the Windows update error code 80070103. So, before proceeding, we need to figure out what the specific driver causes the code 80070103.

Solution 1. Update Device Driver
The first way you can try to fix the error with code 80070103 is to update device driver. Now, here is the tutorial.

Step 1: Open Device Manager Window

Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, type devmgmt.msc in the box and click OK to continue.

Step 2: Start to update driver

In the Device Manager window, expand the problematic driver and right-click it, then chooseUpdate driverto continue. If there are several drivers to be updated, you should do this one by one.
In the pop-up window, choose the option Search automatically for updated driver software. Then follow the wizard to continue.
After that, you can reboot your computer and run Windows update again to check whether the Windows Update error code 80070103 is solved.

Solution 2. Remove Problematic Driver
Sometimes, an incorrect installation creates a barrier to the Windows update, thus giving rise to the Windows Update error code 80070103. In particular, the operating system doesn’t have the error code 80070103 before, but after a new installation, the error occurs.

In this situation, you need to remove the problematic driver first and check whether the issue is solved.

Now, here is the tutorial.

Step 1: Open Device Manager

Press Windows key and R key together to open Run dialog, then type devmgmt.msc in the box and click OK to continue.

Step 2: Start to Remove the Driver

In the Device Manager window, scroll down to find out the problematic driver and right-click it. Then choose Uninstall device to continue.
Then you are required to confirm the change.
After that, reboot your computer and run Windows update again to check whether the code 80070103 still occurs.

Solution 3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
If the above methods are not effective, you can try to run Windows Update Troubleshooter. The Windows Update Troubleshooter is a tool used to detect any errors with Windows update.

So, to solve the error code 80070103, you can try this way.

Now, here is the tutorial.

Step 1: Open Windows Update Troubleshooter

Press Windows key and I key together to open Settings. Then choose Troubleshoot in the left pane to continue.
On the right panel, choose Run the troubleshooter under the Windows Update section to continue.
Step 2: Start to run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Then the Windows Update Troubleshooter will begin to detect the problem on your computer.
You can follow the instruction to continue. If there are problems with your computer, it will remind you to fix it.
When all processes are finished, you can reboot your computer and check whether the Windows error code 8007013 still occurs.

Solution 4. Hide the Windows Update
If you have already updated the device driver but you still encounter the Windows Update error code 80070103 when updating, you can temporarily hide the driver updates on your computer.

Now, here is the tutorial to perform this solution.

Step 1: Open advanced system settings

Right-click This PC and choose Properties to continue.
In the pop-up window, choose Advanced system settings from the left panel to continue.
Step 2: Start to hide update

In the pop-up window, go to theHardwaretab, and choose Device Installation Settings to continue.
Then check the option No (your device might not work as expected). Click Save Changes to execute the operation.
Now, restart your computer to take effect. In general, this method can solve the Windows update error with the code 80070103.

But after that, Windows will not inform you of any driver updates on your computer any longer. So it is essential to enable this option later when this Windows Update error is solved.

Solution 5. Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder
The fifth way to fix the Windows update error with the code 80070103 is to rename the software. And now, we will show you the detailed tutorials.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Type Command Prompt in the search box of Windows and choose the best-matched one.
Right-click it to choose Run as administrator to continue.
Step 2: Reset SoftwareDistribution Folder

In the pop-up window, type the following commands and hit Enter 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



After you have finished all steps, reboot your computer and run Windows update again to check whether the error code 80070103 is solved.

How to Safeguard Your PC After Fixing the Error Code 80070103?
After solving the Windows update error with the code 80070103, it is strongly recommended to create a system image to safeguard your computer. Hence, you may wonder why you should create a system image.

As a matter of fact, there are many reasons for you to do that.

First of all, the operating system is easily crashed or attacked by the virus. If it happens, you can use the system image created before to restore your computer to a normal state or restore the important files.
Secondly, if your computer encounters some errors such as the Windows update error with the code 80070103. You can restore the system to an earlier state with the system image created before.
Thirdly, if your mistaken operations lead to some problems, you can use the system image to restore the computer to the previous state.
So, having known why you should create an image to safeguard the PC, do you know how to create a system image? To create a system image easily, you can use the professional Windows backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker.

It can be used to back up the files, folders, disks, partitions, and the operating system. It is a clone tool that can clone the OS from HDD to SSD without bringing any damage to the original data.

Now, I will show you how to create a system image to safeguard your PC.

Step 1: Install and launch MiniTool ShadowMaker

Install MiniTool ShadowMaker on your computer and launch it.
Click Keep Trial.
Click Connect in This Computer to continue.
Step 2: Choose backup source and destination

MiniTool ShadowMaker chooses the operating system as the backup source by default. There is no need for you to choose again.
Click Destination source to choose backup destination. It is recommended to choose an external hard drive as the destination because you can also access it even if the computer is crashed.
Click OK to continue.
Step 3: Start to back up

After selecting the backup source and destination, you can click Back up Now to perform the task immediately.
You can also click Back up Later, but you should restart on the Manage page.
Then wait for the process to be finished. After it is finished, you successfully create a system image.

And then, you had better create the bootable media which can be used to boot the computer or enter MiniTool Recovery Environment.



With the newly created system image, you can directly restore your computer to a normal state when encountering the Windows update error with code 80070103 again and it can also safeguard your PC and files.

Bottom Line
In conclusion, this post has introduced 5 ways to fix the error with code 80070103. If you come across the same error when running Windows update, try these solutions.

If you have any better solution to fix this problem, you can share it in the comment zone. After having solved the problem, create a system image to safeguard your PC.

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