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Windows Update Error 0x80070020? Here’s the Fix
Troubleshooting

Windows Update Error 0x80070020? Here’s the Fix

Last updated: 28 April 20269 min read
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TL;DR

Windows Update error 0x80070020 means files are locked by another process. Disable your antivirus temporarily, restart, then try the update again. If that fails, reset Windows Update components via Command Prompt. Success rate is around 70% with the antivirus fix alone.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
15 mins
Success rate
70-80% of users

Windows Update Error 0x80070020? Here’s How to Fix It

I’ve seen this Windows Update error 0x80070020 dozens of times, and here’s what most guides won’t tell you upfront: it’s almost always your antivirus getting in the way. Not corrupted files, not a dodgy registry entry. Just your security software doing its job a bit too well and locking files that Windows needs to update. The fix is usually dead simple, though there are a few other culprits if that doesn’t sort it.

⏱️ 11 min read
✅ 70-80% success rate
📅 Updated February 2026

Key Takeaways

  • Windows Update error 0x80070020 occurs when files are locked by antivirus software or background processes
  • Temporarily disabling security software resolves the issue in most cases
  • Resetting Windows Update components clears corrupted caches that cause persistent file locks
  • Clean Boot mode helps identify third-party software conflicts blocking updates

What Causes Windows Update Error 0x80070020?

Error 0x80070020 is technically called ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION. What that means in plain English is that Windows Update is trying to replace or modify a file, but something else has it open. The operating system can’t just yank the file away from whatever’s using it, so the update fails.

The usual suspects are antivirus programmes like Norton, McAfee, Avast, or even Windows Defender itself. These tools scan files in real-time, which means they’re constantly opening and checking them. When Windows Update tries to replace a system file that your antivirus is actively scanning, you get a file lock. It’s like two people trying to edit the same Word document at once.

Background processes cause this too. Windows services like BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) or WUAUSERV (Windows Update service itself) can sometimes get stuck holding file handles. System optimisation tools, backup software running in the background, or even OneDrive syncing at the wrong moment can trigger the 0x80070020 error.

Microsoft’s official documentation on Windows Update troubleshooting covers various error codes, though their guidance on 0x80070020 is a bit generic compared to what actually works in practice.

Less commonly, you’ll see this error from corrupted Windows Update cache files. If a previous update didn’t install cleanly, it can leave the SoftwareDistribution folder in a messy state. Those damaged files stay locked even after a restart, blocking new updates from installing.

Windows Update Error 0x80070020 Quick Fix

1

Disable Antivirus and Restart Easy

Time: 10-15 minutes | Success Rate: 70-80%

  1. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter first
    Open Settings, go to Update & Security, click Troubleshoot, then Additional troubleshooters. Select Windows Update and click Run the troubleshooter. Let it complete. This catches obvious issues straightaway.
  2. Open your antivirus software
    Find the icon in your system tray (bottom-right corner near the clock). Right-click it and look for options like “Pause protection”, “Disable real-time scanning”, or “Turn off temporarily”. Choose 15-30 minutes. For Windows Security, open it from Start menu, go to Virus & threat protection, click Manage settings, then toggle Real-time protection to Off.
  3. Restart your computer immediately
    Don’t just click Check for updates yet. A proper restart clears file handles that processes were holding. Use Start > Power > Restart.
  4. Check for updates whilst antivirus is still disabled
    Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Click Check for updates. The Windows Update error 0x80070020 should be gone now and the update will proceed.
  5. Turn antivirus back on as soon as the update finishes
    Don’t leave your system unprotected. Go back to your antivirus and re-enable real-time protection immediately.
If the update installs without the 0x80070020 error, you’ve confirmed antivirus was the culprit. Consider adding Windows Update folders to your antivirus exclusion list to prevent this happening again.
Warning: Never browse dodgy websites or open email attachments whilst your antivirus is disabled. Only disable it for the update, then turn it straight back on.

More Windows Update Error 0x80070020 Solutions

2

Reset Windows Update Components Intermediate

Time: 30-45 minutes | Success Rate: 60-70%

This one’s for when the quick fix didn’t work. We’re going to stop all the Windows Update services, rename the cache folders (which forces Windows to rebuild them fresh), then restart everything. It sounds technical but it’s just typing commands.

  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
    Right-click the Start button and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”. If you see a User Account Control prompt, click Yes.
  2. Stop the Windows Update services
    Type each command and press Enter after each one:
    net stop wuauserv
    net stop cryptSvc
    net stop bits
    net stop msiserver
    You’ll see “The service was stopped successfully” for each one (or “service is not started” if it wasn’t running, which is fine).
  3. Rename the update cache folders
    These commands create backups of potentially corrupted folders:
    ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
    ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
    If you get “Access denied”, make sure you’re in an Administrator Command Prompt.
  4. Restart the Windows Update services
    Type these commands to start everything back up:
    net start wuauserv
    net start cryptSvc
    net start bits
    net start msiserver
  5. Run DISM to repair system image
    Type this command and wait (it takes 15-20 minutes):
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
    Don’t interrupt it. You’ll see progress percentages. This fixes corrupted Windows components that might be causing the Windows Update error 0x80070020.
  6. Run System File Checker
    After DISM finishes, run:
    sfc /scannow
    This takes another 10-15 minutes. It scans and repairs corrupted system files.
  7. Restart and try the update again
    Close Command Prompt, restart your computer, then go to Windows Update and check for updates.
The renamed .old folders can be deleted after a successful update to free up space. They’re often several gigabytes. Just delete C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.old and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2.old when you’re sure everything’s working.
If you’re dealing with other Windows Update problems beyond 0x80070020, the DISM and SFC commands above are good general-purpose repair tools worth running anyway.

Advanced Windows Update Error 0x80070020 Fixes

3

Clean Boot and Manual Update Installation Advanced

Time: 45-60 minutes | Success Rate: 50-60%

Right, if you’re still getting Windows Update error 0x80070020 after trying the above, we need to eliminate third-party software interference completely. Clean Boot mode starts Windows with only Microsoft services running. It’s a proper diagnostic approach.

  1. Configure Clean Boot
    Press Win+R, type msconfig, press Enter. Go to the Services tab, tick “Hide all Microsoft services” at the bottom, then click “Disable all”. Now go to the Startup tab and click “Open Task Manager”. In Task Manager, disable every startup item one by one (right-click each, select Disable). Close Task Manager.
  2. Restart in Clean Boot mode
    Back in System Configuration, click OK and restart when prompted. Your system will boot with minimal third-party interference.
  3. Try Windows Update in Clean Boot
    Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates. If it works now, you know some third-party software was causing the 0x80070020 error.
  4. Identify the problematic software (if update succeeded)
    Go back to msconfig, re-enable services and startup items in small groups (maybe 5 at a time), restart, and test the update each time. When the error returns, you’ve found the group containing the culprit. Narrow it down from there.
  5. If update still fails, download it manually
    Go to Microsoft Update Catalog, search for the specific KB number from your Windows Update history (like KB5034441), download the .msu file for your system (x64 for 64-bit Windows, x86 for 32-bit), then double-click to install it manually. This bypasses the Windows Update service entirely.
  6. Last resort: In-Place Upgrade repair
    Visit Microsoft’s Windows download page (UK version), download the Media Creation Tool, create an ISO, mount it (double-click the ISO file), run setup.exe, and choose “Keep personal files and apps”. This repairs Windows whilst preserving your data. Takes 1-2 hours and requires 10-20GB free space.
  7. Restore normal boot
    After everything’s working, go back to msconfig and re-enable all services and startup items (or leave the problematic one disabled if you identified it).
The In-Place Upgrade is essentially a repair installation. It’s worked on systems where literally nothing else would, including persistent Windows Update error 0x80070020 issues that survived multiple troubleshooting attempts.
Important: Back up your important files before attempting an In-Place Upgrade. Whilst it’s designed to preserve everything, power failures or interruptions can cause data loss. Use OneDrive, an external drive, or both.
🛠️

Still Stuck? Let Us Fix It Remotely

If you’ve tried these fixes and Windows Update error 0x80070020 keeps coming back, there might be a deeper conflict with specific hardware drivers or a corrupted system component that needs proper diagnosis. Sometimes it’s faster to have someone take a look remotely than spend hours troubleshooting blind.

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Preventing Windows Update Error 0x80070020

Most important thing: add Windows Update folders to your antivirus exclusion list. Go into your antivirus settings and exclude C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2. This prevents your security software from scanning these folders whilst updates are installing, which stops the file locking that causes 0x80070020.

Keep at least 15-20GB free on your C: drive. Windows Update needs space to download and extract files before installing them. If you’re running low on space, the update process gets messy and you’ll see various errors including this one.

Close everything before major updates. I mean everything. OneDrive, Dropbox, Steam, Discord, whatever’s running in your system tray. These programmes can lock files unexpectedly. For feature updates (the big twice-yearly ones), it’s worth doing a proper system cleanup first too.

Run maintenance scans monthly. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth followed by sfc /scannow once a month. Catches corrupted files before they cause update problems. Takes half an hour but prevents hours of troubleshooting later.

Schedule updates for overnight or weekends when you’re not using the computer. Windows will install updates when the system’s idle, reducing the chance of conflicts with software you’re actively using. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Change active hours to tell Windows when you typically use your PC.

Windows Update Error 0x80070020 Summary

The Windows Update error 0x80070020 is frustrating but usually straightforward to fix. In most cases, your antivirus is locking files that Windows Update needs to replace. Disable it temporarily, restart, and try the update again. That works about 70-80% of the time.

If that doesn’t sort it, reset the Windows Update components by stopping services, renaming cache folders, and running DISM and SFC scans. This clears out corrupted files and gives Windows Update a fresh start. Takes longer but has a good success rate.

For stubborn cases, Clean Boot mode helps identify third-party software conflicts, and you can always download updates manually from Microsoft’s catalog. The In-Place Upgrade repair is the nuclear option but it works when nothing else will.

Prevention is mostly about excluding Windows Update folders from antivirus scans and keeping enough free disk space. Run monthly maintenance scans and close background software before major updates. Do that and you probably won’t see this error again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Error 0x80070020 (ERROR_SHARING_VIOLATION) means Windows Update cannot access or replace a file because another process, application, or service has it locked. This typically happens when antivirus software is scanning files that Windows needs to update, or when background processes hold file handles. The update fails because Windows can't modify files that are currently in use.

Start by temporarily disabling your antivirus software, then restart your computer and try the update again. This works in 70-80% of cases. If that doesn't help, reset Windows Update components by opening Command Prompt as Administrator, stopping update services (net stop wuauserv, bits, cryptSvc, msiserver), renaming the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders, restarting services, then running DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow.

Antivirus software scans files in real-time to detect threats. When Windows Update tries to replace system files, your antivirus may be actively scanning those same files, creating a file lock. Windows can't modify files that another process has open, so the update fails with error 0x80070020. This is why temporarily disabling antivirus during updates often resolves the issue.

Yes. Add C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 to your antivirus exclusion list so these folders aren't scanned during updates. Keep at least 15-20GB free disk space, close all non-essential applications before installing updates, and run monthly DISM and SFC maintenance scans to catch corrupted files early. Schedule updates for times when you're not actively using the computer.

If standard fixes don't work, try Clean Boot mode to eliminate third-party software conflicts, or download the specific update manually from Microsoft Update Catalog and install it directly. As a last resort, perform an In-Place Upgrade by downloading Windows installation media from microsoft.com/en-gb and running setup.exe with the "Keep personal files and apps" option. This repairs Windows whilst preserving your data.