Windows Update error 0x80073712: how to fix it

Published Sources checked By helps.wiki editorial team

Error 0x80073712 means Windows found the component store (WinSxS) damaged or missing a file the update needs. The fix that most often works is running DISM /RestoreHealth and then sfc /scannow from an elevated Command Prompt, restarting, and retrying the update.

Applies to:Windows 11Windows 10Windows Serverincluding 2019
On this page

What it means

The code 0x80073712 stands for ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT. Windows keeps the files it uses for servicing in the component store, the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder. When an update needs something from there and finds it damaged, inconsistent or missing, the update stops. Windows Update usually words it as: "Some update files are missing or have problems. We'll try to download the update again later. Error code: (0x80073712)." The same code is written to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.

Because the problem sits on your PC, retrying the update rarely helps by itself. The repair is to fix the component store first. The steps below go from the quickest and safest to the most invasive, so work through them in order and retry the update after each one.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • The update downloads, then fails during installation or at the "Preparing" stage, and every retry fails the same way.
  • Windows Update shows "Some update files are missing or have problems" with error code (0x80073712).
  • Installing the same update by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog fails with the same error.
  • In some cases DISM or sfc also report errors.

The usual causes, most common first:

Damaged or missing component store files
An interrupted update, a power loss, or components removed from a customised Windows image can leave WinSxS inconsistent.
Incomplete download or damaged update cache
A partly downloaded update or a corrupted SoftwareDistribution folder can make Windows think files are missing.
DISM cannot get replacement files
If Windows Update is broken, blocked, or pointed at a WSUS server that does not host the files, DISM has nowhere to fetch repairs from. A Group Policy repair source also decides where DISM looks.
A bug in one specific update
The optional March 2026 preview update KB5079391 failed to install with 0x80073712 on some Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 PCs. Microsoft stopped offering it and replaced it with the out-of-band update KB5086672.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Check whether the failing update is the known problem one

Easy

If the update is the March 2026 preview KB5079391, repairing your PC will not help. Microsoft replaced it with KB5086672.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note the KB number of the update that failed.
  2. If it is KB5079391 on Windows 11 24H2 or 25H2, install KB5086672 through Windows Update instead. It was released on 31 March 2026 as an out-of-band update (builds 26100.8117 and 26200.8117) and includes the preview's changes plus a fix for the install problem.
  3. If your failing update has a different KB number, continue with the next fix.

2.Repair the component store with DISM, then SFC

Easy

DISM checks and repairs the component store, and SFC then repairs protected system files. Microsoft documents both in its Repair a Windows Image page.

  1. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) or search for Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
  2. Run the DISM checks one after another. The scan takes several minutes, and /RestoreHealth can take a while too, so give it time. If /CheckHealth reports the image as non-repairable, skip ahead to the in-place repair upgrade.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  3. Then run the System File Checker.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    sfc /scannow
  4. Restart the PC and run Windows Update again.

3.Give DISM a local repair source

Advanced

Use this if /RestoreHealth fails because it cannot get replacement files from Windows Update. /LimitAccess stops DISM from using Windows Update, so it uses only the source you give it.

  1. Prepare a Windows image of the same version, edition and language as your installed Windows, mounted so its files are available in a folder. Microsoft's example uses c:\test\mount\windows; replace that with your own path.
  2. Run the repair with your source path.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:c:\test\mount\windows /LimitAccess
  3. Run sfc /scannow, restart, and retry the update. If you specify more than one /Source, DISM uses the first location where it finds the files. Without /Source, it uses the default repair source, which Group Policy can change (see Configure a Windows Repair Source).

4.Reset the Windows Update cache

ModerateChanges settings

Renaming SoftwareDistribution forces Windows to download the update files again, which helps if the cached download is damaged.

Before you start: This only renames the folder, so it is reversible, but Windows Update history may appear reset. Close other installers first.

  1. In an elevated Command Prompt, stop the services, rename the folder, and start the services again.
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
net start wuauserv
net start bits
  2. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.

5.Install the update manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog

Moderate

Worth trying after the repairs above. A Microsoft Q&A poster found it also failed while the component store was still damaged, so it is not a first step.

  1. Search for the KB number on the Microsoft Update Catalog website, download the package that matches your Windows version and architecture, and run it.

6.Last resort: in-place repair upgrade

AdvancedChanges settings

It reinstalls Windows system files while keeping your files and apps, which can fix a store that DISM cannot repair. Microsoft's repair page says an image reported as non-repairable should be discarded; on a live PC this is the closest equivalent.

Before you start: Back up your important files before you start. Use only an ISO downloaded from Microsoft that matches your installed edition and language.

  1. Mount the matching Windows ISO and run setup.exe from it while signed in to Windows.
  2. When asked what to keep, choose to keep personal files and apps, then follow the prompts.
  3. After the upgrade, check Windows Update again.

Check that it worked

  • Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates: the update installs without error 0x80073712.
  • Update history lists the update as Successfully installed after the restart.
  • sfc /scannow finishes without reporting unrepaired corruption.

If it still fails

  • Look at C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log for the lines around the 0x80073712 entry to see which component is damaged.
  • If the standard repairs fail, as reported in one Microsoft Q&A thread on Windows Server 2019 with no posted resolution, an in-place repair upgrade or a reinstall is the realistic next step.
  • Ask in the Microsoft Q&A thread for this error) or contact Microsoft Support, and include the CBS log excerpt.
  • Similar servicing errors have their own guides: 0x80073701 and 0x800f0831.

Questions

Is it safe to delete the WinSxS folder to fix this?

No. WinSxS is the component store Windows depends on, and deleting its contents makes the damage worse. Repair it with DISM instead.

Sources

  1. KB5086672 (Microsoft support)Official · Microsoft Support
  2. Repair a Windows ImageOfficial · Microsoft Learn
  3. Error code: (0x80073712) (Microsoft Q&A thread) · Microsoft Q&A (community)

Browse