How to Fix Windows 10 Download Error Code 0x80070020

Are you looking for a solution to fix Windows 10 download error code 0x80070020? Here, we will enlighten you about the best and effective methods to get rid of Windows download error code 0x80070020.

How Does “Windows update error 0x80070020” trouble you?

As the title suggests, you receive this error when you install the latest Windows on your computer. Most users report that they encounter Windows 10 download error code 0x80070020 under numerous circumstances.

Below are the following problems a user may encounter due to “Windows install error code 0x80070020”:

• The New Windows version does not get downloaded.
• The latest version of your operating system gets downloaded and cannot be installed easily.
• In some cases, the latest update gets downloaded and installed but it fails instantly. Moreover, your system rolls back to the earlier condition.

If you encounter such issues due to Windows update download error code 0x80070020, then you need to figure this out. Therefore, in this blog, we bring you the best solutions ever. By following this curated guide, you can kick out this Windows update error instantly. Let’s know more.

How to Fix Windows 10 Download Error Code 0x80070020?

Windows 10 update download error code 0x80070020 does not indicate the exact cause of this bug. It may be related to the Windows update service or third-party antivirus software. The reason could be anything. But the only purpose here is to remove this error using several methods.

For instance, you can remove third-party antivirus software, restart BITS service, run system file checker, run Windows update troubleshooter, reset Windows update components, uninstall the latest Windows update, clean boot, clear all the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder, bad sector on your hard drive, and scan your system.

Now let’s understand these methods with a manual procedure so that you can implement these methods and fix Windows 10 download error 0x80070020 quickly.

Method 1: Uninstall the Third-Party Antivirus Program

Windows error code 0x80070020 may occur due to the presence of third-party antivirus. Programs like Avast, Macfee, and others often affect the Windows Update components.

To deal with this, you can simply remove the third-party antivirus software from your computer. To do so, go through the following steps:

• Press “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Esc” on your keyboard. This will open the “Task Manager”.
• Find the “third party security program” and choose the “End task” option.
• Now, type “Apps & Feature” in the search bar available in the “Taskbar”.
• Here, select the anti-virus program from the list and click the “Uninstall” button.
• Then, “Reboot” your computer.

Once these anti-virus programs are removed, you will find the error-free computer. Yet if you encounter the same error, it means there was nothing wrong with the anti-virus software. In this case, you can try on other methods and fix the Windows 10 download error 0x80070020.

Method 2: Restart BITS Service

Windows install error 0x80070020 is associated with Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS). This has the responsibility of preparing Windows updates. If you encounter error 0x80070020 during Windows 10 update then you can restart the BITS. To understand better, walk through the following steps:

• Press the “Windows” + “R” key on your keyboard. This will bring up the “Run” box.
• Type “services.msc in the text field.
• Click on the “Ok” button.
• Find “Background Intelligent Transfer Service” and right-click on it.
• Select “Properties”.
• Go to the “General” tab.
• Search for “Startup Type”.
• Select the “Automatic” option.
• If you find the “Background Intelligent Transfer Service” not running then right click and click on the “Start” option.
• Then, confirm your actions and close the “Services” window.

Once you are done resetting BITS then you can try to update your Windows and check if the Windows error code 0x80070020 exists. If yes, you can switch to the next method.

Method 3: Run System File Checker

Windows has a built-in scanner called System File Checker. To get rid of Windows 10 update (kb4089848) error 0x80070020, you can run this scanner. For that, you need to run CMD on your PC. Here is what you need to do:

• Press the “Windows” key and type “Command Prompt” in the search bar.
• Now, find the program, right-click on it, and select “Run as administrator”.
• When you see the “User account control” option, click “Yes”.
• On the “Command Prompt” type “sfc/scannow”.
• Hit the “Enter” key.

Now, you can let the scanner work and diagnose the issues automatically. Running the sfc scan always works efficiently. In case this method does not help, you can switch to the next one. 

Method 4: Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Another built-in tool on Windows is the troubleshooter. By running this Windows update troubleshooter, you can detect and fix the issues smartly. To learn more, go through the following steps.

• Right-click on the “Start” button.
• Select “Settings”.
• Type “Troubleshoot” in the search bar.
• Alternatively, you can type “Windows update settings” in the search bar and open the “Settings” to select “Troubleshoot” from the pane on the left.
• Select “Windows Update” in the “Troubleshoot” window.
• Click “Run the troubleshooter”.
• When the troubleshooter is done finding the fixes, Windows will start fixing them automatically.

After this, you can exit the troubleshooter window, restart your computer and check if the error still persists on your PC. If yes then you should reset Windows update components.

Method 5: Reset Windows Update Components

To reset Windows update components, you need to access a Command Prompt with the administrative permissions. Below are the following steps that one can perform.

• Press the “Windows” key on your keyboard or click the “Start” menu.
• Type “Command Prompt” or “CMD” in the text field.
• Right-click on “Command Prompt” when it appears in the search result.
• Choose “Run as administrator”.
• When the “Command Prompts” window appears, type the following commands as they are written. Make sure you hit the “Enter” key after each command.

net stop wuauserv

net stop cryptSvc

net stop bits

net stop msiserver

ren C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old

ren C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 Catroot2.old

net start wuauserv

net start cryptSvc

net start bits

net start msiserver

After executing these commands, Windows update error code 0x80070020 would be resolved. In case, you encounter the same error then you can try to remove the latest update of Windows. Read in the next method.

Method 6: Uninstall Latest Windows Update

When you see “feature update to Windows 10, version 1703 – error 0x80070020”, you may try to uninstall the latest update of Windows:

• Type “Control Panel” in the Windows search bar (located on the bottom left).
• Hit the “Enter” key.
• Select “Program”.
• Go to “Uninstall a program”.
• Choose “View installed updates” on the left.
• Now, choose the most recent “Windows updates”.
• Right-click on it and click “Uninstall”.
• Once done, “Reboot” your computer.

After uninstalling the latest Windows update, you can restart your computer. Later, you can install the latest updates after performing the next method.

Method 7: Remove All Contents of SoftwareDistribution Folder

The SoftwareDistribution folder (temporary place) stores Windows updates files. Removing these files may solve errors like feature update to Windows 10, version 1909 – error 0x80070020.

• Open “Windows Explorer.
• Go to the following path
  • C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
• Press the “Delete” button on your keyboard.

This will clear all the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder. Yet you see Windows 10 download error 0x80070020, go with the clean boot process.

Method 8: Clean Boot and Download Latest Windows Update

When you turn on your computer, a few of the applications run in the background automatically. These programs may conflict with your Windows update.

The clean boot process can be very beneficial as it starts your PC with minimal startup programs and a set of drivers. This avoids software conflicts when you install Windows updates. Let’s know how to clean boot and install the latest Windows update.

• Press “Windows” + “R” keys on your keyboard. This will bring up the “Run” box.
• Type “msconfig” in the text field.
• Hit the “Enter” button.
• Go to the “Services” tab inside the “System Configuration” window.
• Select the “Hide All Microsoft Services” checkbox.
• Click the “Disable all” button.
• Choose the “Apply” button to save your actions.
• Now, go to the “Startup” tab.
• Click the “Open Task Manager” option.
• Select the first enabled app in the “task Manager”.
• Click the “Disable” option.
• Now, you can disable all the enabled applications one after another.
• When done, close “task Manager” and click “OK” in the “System Configuration Startup” tab.

After implementing these steps, you can restart your computer and update the Windows. If you still find Windows error code 0x80070020 then make sure that no bad sector is there for your hard disk.

Method 9: Check the Bad Sectors on Hard Disk

To perform this method, you can use the free hard drive test tool as this will help you to know if there is any bad sector on your hard disk.

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition can be used to check the bad sector. To use this tool, you can do the following:

• First, choose the hard drive that you wish to check.
• Click the “Surface Test” option located on the left pane.
• Click the “Start Now” button to start the disk surface test.

This program automatically tests the disk and displays the result. If you see blocks in Red, it indicates the bad sector on your hard drive. This is the reason that it affects Windows system operation. To prevent this, you can choose a new hard disk and install the latest updates of Windows.

Method 10: Scan Your Computer

The best and simple solution to run the anti-malware software on your PC. When you run this anti-malware program, it scans your system, detects the malicious files or programs. These hidden malicious files can cause a Windows 10 upgrade error code 0x80070020.

In brief

Windows update error 0x80070020 may occur due to several reasons. By following the aforementioned methods, you can diagnose the error instantly. All you have to do is understand the cause and perform the method accordingly.

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