Fix Windows Update 0x80070002 (Cache Reset Works)

Quick answer

Stop the Windows Update service, delete the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder, restart the service, and run Windows Update again.

What's actually happening here

Error 0x80070002 translates to ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND — Windows Update is looking for a file that isn't there. This usually happens when the update cache in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download gets corrupted or partially deleted. A common trigger: your system shuts down mid-update during a power outage, or you force-rebooted because the update seemed stuck. The next time you run Windows Update, it tries to resume from the leftover state, but some temporary files are gone. The update engine doesn't re-download missing pieces; it just reports that it can't find them.

Another scenario: You've run disk cleanup or a third-party junk cleaner that nuked files inside SoftwareDistribution. Those tools don't know that folder is sacred.

The fix is simple: clear the cache completely so Windows Update starts fresh. Here's how to do it properly.

The fix: reset the update cache

Open Command Prompt as administrator. Press Win, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
Stop the Windows Update service and related services. Run these three commands one after another:
```
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
```
Why all three? The Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and the Cryptographic Services hold locks on update files. If you skip them, the delete below will fail with "file in use".
Delete the download cache. In the same window, run:
```
rmdir /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
```
This removes the folder entirely — not just its contents. Windows will recreate it on the next service start. Don't delete the whole SoftwareDistribution folder, only Download.

Restart the services.

net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits

Run Windows Update again. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for updates. It will re-download everything from scratch.

In my experience this resolves 0x80070002 about 80% of the time. The other 20% typically involves a deeper system file corruption, which we cover next.

If the cache reset doesn't work

The error can also appear when the Windows Update component store itself is damaged. That's separate from the download cache. Here's the second-line approach.

Run DISM and SFC

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these in order:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

The DISM command repairs corruption in the system image — it's what SFC uses as a reference. Run it first. Then SFC checks system files against that repaired image. This order matters. If you run SFC first, it might replace files with corrupted copies from the store. Wait for both to finish; DISM can take 15–20 minutes.

After both complete, reboot and try Windows Update again.

Manually rename the SoftwareDistribution folder

If deletion fails (permissions or weird locks), rename instead. In the admin Command Prompt, after stopping services, run:

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

Then restart services and try updating. Windows creates a fresh SoftwareDistribution folder. You can delete the .old folder later — it's just a backup.

Prevention: keep the cache clean

The main culprit is disruption during an update. Don't force shutdown when Windows says "Working on updates". Let it sit. If your machine is prone to power loss, plug it into a UPS. Sounds obvious, but most 0x80070002 cases I've seen trace back to exactly that.

Also, avoid aggressive disk cleaners that scan into C:\Windows. Stick to the built-in Disk Cleanup tool, which knows what's safe. Or better, don't clean update caches at all — Windows manages that on its own.

If this error keeps coming back regularly, check your disk health. A failing drive can silently corrupt downloaded files. Run chkdsk /f every few months, especially if you're on a spinning HDD.