Fix ERROR_SXS_INVALID_IDENTITY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME 0x370B

What's this error and why do you care?

You'll see this when Windows can't parse a side-by-side (SxS) assembly identity — usually during an app install, Windows Update, or .NET setup. The error code 0x370B is rare on consumer machines but shows up on Windows 10/11 when the component store is corrupted or when leftover temp files confuse the installer.

The culprit here is almost always a corrupted Component-Based Servicing (CBS) store. Don't bother chasing registry fixes first — they rarely help. Start with the quick checks, then move to the heavier repairs.

Fix 1: Quick scan (30 seconds)

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Not regular. Admin.

sfc /scannow

Let it finish. SFC checks system files and replaces corrupted ones from the local cache. If it finds issues, reboot and try your install again.

If SFC says “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations” — that's not a dead end. It means the system files are fine; the component store itself is likely the problem. Go to Fix 2.

Fix 2: DISM repair (5 minutes)

DISM fixes the underlying component store — the thing SFC depends on. Run this in the same admin Command Prompt:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This can take 5-15 minutes depending on your disk. It pulls fresh copies from Windows Update by default. If you're offline or it fails, you can specify a source:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\repairSource\windows /LimitAccess

That assumes you have a Windows ISO or install media mounted. But try the default first — it works most of the time.

Fix 3: Clear temp and SoftwareDistribution folders (5 minutes)

Sometimes the error pops up because Windows Update left half-baked files behind. This is especially common if you're applying a feature update or a driver package. Stop the relevant services first:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver

Now delete the contents of these folders (you can keep the folders themselves):

del /f /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\*.*
rd /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

I also like to clear the temp files:

del /f /q %temp%\*.*
del /f /q C:\Windows\Temp\*.*

Reboot and try the install again. This clears out stale update metadata that sometimes triggers the identity validation error.

Fix 4: Deep fix — re-register Windows Update components (15+ minutes)

Still stuck? The component store might be so far gone that DISM can't repair it from itself. This is when I nuke the update components manually. It's a bit aggressive but reliable. Run these in order in an admin command prompt:

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 wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

Then re-run the DISM command from Fix 2. The .old folders are just backups — once you're sure the error is gone, you can delete them to reclaim space.

Fix 5: Last resort — install from clean media

If none of that worked, and the error persists for a specific app, download the latest installer directly from the vendor — not through Windows Update. For example, if it's a Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable failing, grab the newest version from Microsoft's site and run it as admin.

Also check if the app is 32-bit vs 64-bit mismatch. Installing a 32-bit app on a 64-bit system shouldn't trigger this error normally, but I've seen it happen with poorly packaged installers. Try the other architecture if available.

What if the error is tied to a specific update?

When 0x370B appears during Windows Update, note the KB number. Sometimes it's a known bad update that Microsoft has already pulled. Check your update history, note the failed KB, and Google it with “0x370B”. If that KB is the problem, you can hide it temporarily or wait for a revised version.

A word about event logs

If you're still troubleshooting after 20 minutes, check Event Viewer under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > SideBySide. You'll see the exact assembly name and attribute that's failing. That detail can tell you whether it's a missing manifest or a corrupted attribute. Usually it's the latter.

That's the flow. Start with SFC, move to DISM, clean temp, then go nuclear. In my experience, Fix 2 and Fix 3 solve about 90% of these cases. Rarely do you need Fix 5, but it's there if you do.