Windows 7 Updates Fail - Error Code 80070005
Win 7 Pro 64 Bit Clean Install 12/4/09. From 12/4 to 12/6 all 48 updates were successful. From 12/6 to 12/27 there were 37 updates of which 27 failed. Retried all failures to no avail. The error Code on all failures was 80070005.Additionally at about the same time frame the Documents, Pictures, Music, Computer and Control Panel windows are blank when opened.PC ConfigurationMother Board - Intel G35EC Quad CoreCPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.66GHzRAM - 4ea 2GB (8GB) Crucial DDR2-667Video - (On Mother Board)Drives - 3ea 750GB SATA II Seagate BaracudaOS - Windows 7 Pro 64 bit (Fresh Install)Former OS - Vista Ultimate 64 bit (Ran for 6+ Months with no similar issues)Thank you...
December 28th, 2009 9:06am

Hi,If windows hardly works with blank windows, try system restore and get back to the date 12\6 first.Open the windows update history and tell us which updates failes.Change the Windows update settings from Control Panel to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to install them". Then install them manually one by one to check if they can be installed successfully. However, if the same error code was received, I suggest trying the following steps to reset permissions first as the error code 80070005 usually means lacking permissions.1. Please download the subinacl.msi file from the following link and save the installation patch onto the Desktop: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e8ba3e56-d8fe-4a91-93cf-ed6985e3927b&displaylang=en#AffinityDownloads Please Note: The third-party product discussed here is manufactured by a company that is independent of Microsoft. We make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability. 2. Please go to the Desktop and double click the downloaded file. 3. Please select the C:\Windows\System32 folder as the Destination Folder during the installation. Later we will use this tool to reset the permission settings on the current machine. Note: If the UAC (User Account Control) window is prompted for permission to continue, please click Continue. 4. Click Start, in the Start Search bar, type: "notepad" (without quotes) and press Enter. 5. Copy the following commands and then paste them into the open Notepad window: @echo off subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=system=f subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=system=f subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=system=f subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=system=f @Echo ========================= @Echo Finished. @Echo ========================= @pause 6. After pasting the above commands, please close the Notepad window. Choose Save when you are prompted to save the file. Type "reset.bat" as the file name and choose Desktop from the left panel as the save location.7. Refer to the Desktop, right click the reset.bat file, and then choose "Run as administrator."8. You will see a DOS-like window processing.Note: It may take several minutes, please be patient. When it completes, you will be prompted with the message: "Finished, press any key to continue".Does the error 80070005 still occur?
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December 30th, 2009 8:17am

Hi,I found this steps to solve your issue perfectly 1. Stop update service: in run type services.msc, go to windows update and right click select stop.2. Rename your softwaredistribution folder:Go to C:\Windows and find the folder named SoftwareDistribution and rename it to something else.NB: to do this you will have to first make it visable (folder options>show hidden files), you may also have to alter permissions on the folder (right click>properties>security and make sure your user account has the permission to alter the file), also uncheck the read only box, then apply3. now create a new folder called SoftwareDistribution in c:\Windows4. Restart windows update: in run type services.msc, right click on windows update and select start5. Now restart your computer, and try to use windows update.Regards from www.windowsadmin.info[If this answer helps you to resolve the issue, please click the "Mark as Answer" or "Helpful" button at the top of this message. This will help others to find the answers faster]ManuPhilip
December 30th, 2009 8:35am

Renaming the SoftwareDistribution folder worth a try too.To help us dig the issue, please use the following method to collect Windows update log for further research: How to collect Windows Update log:===========================Click "Start", type: "%windir%" (without quotations) and then press "Enter". In the open window, we will see a file named "WindowsUpdate.log". You can paste it here.If the log file is too long, please upload the sfcdetails.txt to SkyDrive and provide us the link for analyzing http://cid-4b2f155953942dc9.skydrive.live.com/summary.aspx
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December 30th, 2009 12:33pm

There is no need to create the SD folder as it will be generated automatically once restarting.
March 24th, 2010 5:57am

i tried all the method but none of the method worked. I am getting this error when i am updating windows update.. Please help me
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June 6th, 2010 8:06pm

Too many issues with this. Try picking a restore point and restore the compter to an earlier date.
June 7th, 2010 7:51am

I recommend system restore since other issues will not be resolved ie: Documents, Pictures, Music, Computer and Control Panel windows are blank when opened.
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June 7th, 2010 8:58am

Thank you! I have been trying to fix this issue for many months, reading these forums, doing what was described and none of it worked until I tried your fix.
June 25th, 2010 5:35am

Magon, Renaming the SD Folder worked for me initially (downloaded and installed updates succesfully); but then later that day, again error code 80070005. Am I supposed to rename every time I want to update? That's just crazy. I tried your fix with subinacl.exe; it did not work. BTW for Windows 7, if you let the install wizard run for subinacl, by default the destination folder is Program Files (x86). I tried to install under the system32 directory and it could not be found and your reset.bat file would not work. After some trial and error, I allowed the subinacl file to be installed under Program Files (x86) and then cut and pasted the subinacl.exe file into the system32 directory. That finally allowed your reset.bat file to operate........but as I said, it did not work....... I got to thinking about all this and why renaming the SD folder worked for updating once and not a second time.......and then bang, it hit me. The original SD folder was hidden and so after I renamed it and ran windows update, I made my new SD Folder hidden too. So I'm trying to update and update and all that I get is this error code again....Like I didn't just fix it....So I said what the &@#^, and I made this folder unhidden. And it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just thinking....maybe if i would of just checked the original folder as unhidden that would have fixed it without having to rename anything. Not sure, but would be curious if only that would solve the problem out there for somebody else.
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August 5th, 2010 9:52am

Today I received this error on some C++ security update. I simply removed the read-only property from the entire tree on C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and that worked fine. Afterwards it was set to read-only again... that figures! I figure the Dear Microsoft Employee who packaged this update forgot to set the setting to RW.
April 16th, 2011 1:24pm

I had this same problem on Windows 7 and IE 9. Windows updates would install fine except IE9. Same error code. I notice that it would not download at all. When I tried to install IE9 manually it would seem to go through but would not run. I opened the program Files folder and clicked on Iexplore.exe and got a permission error. I went into my Antivirus settings (Sophos) and in the exclusions I added Iexplore.exe. It was blocking the executable from being installed. Once that was allowed the problem was resolved. Hope that helps someone.
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June 15th, 2011 6:08pm

Today I received this error on some C++ security update. I simply removed the read-only property from the entire tree on C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and that worked fine. Afterwards it was set to read-only again... that figures! I figure the Dear Microsoft Employee who packaged this update forgot to set the setting to RW. Perfect, Ive been forums browsing for solutions to this for over a month. After noticing all the desktop files set to hidden, I unhid them all, you mentioning them being read only made the light bulb go off, and I went and looked, sure enough.. they were read only. Turned read only off, and windows update works perfectly! Thanks! THANKS!!
June 18th, 2011 5:29pm

I have tried every "solution" listed here and on other forums and I'm still getting the download error. I see that this problem has been reported for at least the past four years. One would think that the MS brain trust would be able to come up with a solution by now.
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June 22nd, 2011 12:56am

System Restore has been disabled for some reason...
August 15th, 2011 6:46am

They just want our $$ not our headaches that occur after spending $199 for this OS
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August 15th, 2011 6:46am

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