Windows Update Error 0x80070003

Hi,

Run these commands on the command prompt to restart windows update services

net stop bits

net stop cryptsvc

net stop wuauserv

net stop msiserver

ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution softwaredistribution.old

ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

net start bits

net start cryptsvc

net start wuauserv

net start msiserver

SC config wuauserv start= auto

SC config bits start= auto

SC config cryptsvc start= auto

SC config trustedInstaller start= auto

After executing the commands I would suggest performing a clean boot to disable third party services

Clean boot,



In the search box on the taskbar, type msconfig and select System Configuration from the results.

On the Services tab of System Configuration, select Hide all Microsoft services, and then select Disable all.

On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select Open Task Manager.

Under Startup in Task Manager, for each startup item, select the item and then select Disable.

Close Task Manager.

On the Startup tab of System Configuration, select OK. When you restart the computer, it's in a clean boot environment.

Try initiating the update and if it still occurs, I recommend an in-place upgrade

By performing an in-place upgrade, this process overrides the system files which would fix corruptions or damages within the system files/packages.



To perform an in-place upgrade,



1. Open this link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

2. Select Download tool, and select Run. You need to be an administrator to run this tool.

3. On the License terms page, if you accept the license terms, select Accept.

4. On the What do you want to do? page, select Upgrade this PC now, and then select Next.

5. After downloading and installing, the tool will walk you through how to set up Windows 10 on your PC.

6. When Windows 10 is ready to install, you'll have an option to keep your personal files and apps, keep personal files, or to keep nothing during the upgrade

7. The process would take a while and may consist of multiple reboots. Make sure that there won't be interruption within the process to make sure that everything would sort everything out

If the prior response doesn't fix the situation, maybe there are some log files.

Look for a Panther folder with a setuperr.log or setupact.log on the last date the events failed.  Note:  Setupact.log files can be very large and overwhelm Notepad.

Search the CBS.log in the Windows\Logs\CBS folder for the error number around the time of the failure.

You can make a WindowsUpdate.log but it may not show such activity as to why they are failing.

They also require a version of the Servicing Stack which is being install by one of the updates.  To see if you have those you can look at the Settings-Updates-Update History and Uninstall Updates from the link at the top left.

The error means:

ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND

3 (0x3)

The system cannot find the path specified.

After nearly 30 years of using Windows, it's so hard to accept that there is still any software that reports "The system cannot find the path specified" without bothering to report on what that path was. 

This

https://ntsblog.homedev.com.au/index.php/2016/04/26/windows-10-kb3147458-windows-update-failure-0x80070003-error_path_not_found/

Seems to help me in this case. I also tried all the troubleshooters, deleting software distribution folders etc. with no result.

In my case it was missing atheros network drivers.

Apparently Windows cannot recover from this with troubleshooters unfortunately.

access is denied

at command prompt access denied

Thank you to jumpingjackflash5 and his reference to this website by jcrawfor74 which told me in what log file to find the name of the missing folder:

https://ntsblog.homedev.com.au/index.php/2016/04/26/windows-10-kb3147458-windows-update-failure-0x80070003-error_path_not_found/

The very short version of the explanation by jcrawfor74 is:
Look in this log file: c:\windows\Inf\setupapi.dev.log

Search for “Exit status: FAILURE”

If there are several, choose the one with the appropriate time stamp on the line above “Exit status: FAILURE”.

On the line or two above that will be the path to the missing file and its folder.

In my case it was this folder missing:

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpsamd.inf_amd64_0784fd3ef0d7ec93

The folder contains files for the HP Smart Array SAS/SATA Controller Support (which the PC doesn't even have).

The PC is an HP Pavilion 510-p020 with Windows 10 1909.

I copied the same folder from a healthy PC to the problem PC and then Windows Update completed successfully.  I didn't even need to do anything with folder permissions to complete the copy as the author warned of. 

Before finding this solution, I ran the Windows Update troubleshooter which found nothing wrong.  I did not try any of the tricks of deleting folders or using SFC or DISM.

Thank you Saltgrass, jumpingjackflash5 and frankoms.

I had not been able to install any updates since the mid-March updates. My problem was identical to the original poster CallMeSabs.

The long and short of it was I too was missing the same folder as frankoms:

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpsamd.inf_amd64_0784fd3ef0d7ec93

I don't have a HP PC but I operate a three-monitor system which includes two HP monitors. My laptop is a HP Envy 360x which had the folder so I just sent it across my network to my PC and everything is fine again.

Chirs Harlow uk, I share your sentiments entirely having been a user for the same amount of time. As an aside, I have never ever been helped by a Windows Troubleshooter. 

Thank you all again.

My gosh - I cannot believe this worked - I found the hpsamd.inf... folder in my HP laptop, stored it on an old usb drive and placed it in the folder in my desktop, and after weeks of trying, this update worked.  Thank you for finding this solution!  Nothing else I tried worked, but this did!  Thank you!!!

Art

Thank you to jumpingjackflash5 and his reference to this website by jcrawfor74 which told me in what log file to find the name of the missing folder:

https://ntsblog.homedev.com.au/index.php/2016/04/26/windows-10-kb3147458-windows-update-failure-0x80070003-error_path_not_found/

The very short version of the explanation by jcrawfor74 is:
Look in this log file: c:\windows\Inf\setupapi.dev.log

Search for “Exit status: FAILURE”

If there are several, choose the one with the appropriate time stamp on the line above “Exit status: FAILURE”.

On the line or two above that will be the path to the missing file and its folder.

In my case it was this folder missing:

C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\hpsamd.inf_amd64_0784fd3ef0d7ec93

The folder contains files for the HP Smart Array SAS/SATA Controller Support (which the PC doesn't even have).

The PC is an HP Pavilion 510-p020 with Windows 10 1909.

I copied the same folder from a healthy PC to the problem PC and then Windows Update completed successfully.  I didn't even need to do anything with folder permissions to complete the copy as the author warned of. 

Before finding this solution, I ran the Windows Update troubleshooter which found nothing wrong.  I did not try any of the tricks of deleting folders or using SFC or DISM.

Thank you Frankoms, I looked for a solution for two days and tried many solutions. Finally, the update was installed as you told me.