Solutions to Windows 10 Update Error Code 0x80070070

David Darlington

Dec 16, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Updating operating systems are just a habit for most PC users. Especially because many people are aware of the benefits of regularly downloading and applying the updates on their computers. However, sometimes a computer won’t update or upgrade smoothly and you will encounter errors. In this article, we’ll explain the Windows 10 Update Error Code 0x80070070 and also provide you with solutions on how to solve this problem.

Overview of Windows 10 upgrade error 0x80070070

This error may look like this: We couldn’t install Windows 10. We’ve set your PC back to the way it was right before you started installing Windows 10. 0x80070070 - 0x2000C. The installation failed in the SAFE_OS phase with an error during APPLY_IMAGE operation. This is due to your computer not having sufficient free space on your disk. This leads to the failure of some downloads to install, hence the appearance of this error.

Don’t worry. This may seem like a complicated problem but you can easily fix this error on your own. Keep on reading to find a complete instruction on How to Fix Windows 10 Update Error Code 0x80070070

Solution 1. Use Disk Cleanup Tool to Free up Space in the Drive

1. Go to Disk Management by typing it in the Search bar or making a right-click on the Start menu at the bottom left corner of the screen.

2. Disk Management will now launch. Select Drive C and make a right-click on it to view the drop-down menu. Click on Properties.

3.Local Disk (C:) Properties will now show. In the General tab, you’ll find a circular graph showing you the capacity (remaining and used space). Beside it, there is a Disk Cleanup button. Click on this button.

4. Disk Clean for (C:) window will now pop up. This will show you a list of files you can delete. These are usually the files that Windows think are not important and you have the option to delete them. You may delete Delivery optimization Files, Device driver packages, Recycle Bin items, Temporary Files, Thumbnails, etc. You may also see how much space they’re taking up on that disk. This will more or less help you decide if they are worth deleting. Windows don’t recommend you delete Temporary Files so leave them alone. Mark all the files you want to delete by placing a checkmark on the box beside the item. Click OK to delete all the selected files.

NOTE:

The Disk Cleanup also says that Windows keeps copies of all installed updates. You may also opt to delete them via Windows Update cleanup.

5.A message asking Are you sure you want to permanently delete these files? will pop up. Select Delete Files.

Solution 2. Turn off Disk Quotas and Set a Limit

1. Go to Disk Management by typing it in the Search bar or making a right-click on the Start menu at the bottom left corner of the screen.

2. Disk Management will now launch. Select Drive C and make a right-click on it to view the drop-down menu. Click on Properties.

3. Go to the Quota tab which is found at the 2nd row of the tabs above. You can see that the Enable quota management box is ticked off. You should unmark the box beside it or reset the disk space limit. Press on the OK button and then select Apply to make the changes.

4. If disk quotas are turned off, the window will look like this.

5. You may need to reboot your PC to see if the error with Windows 10 update still exists. If the error persists, you may use the next solution to fix the issue.

Solution 3. Make use of Windows Media creation Tool to Perform the Upgrade

1. Go to Microsoft Windows’ website and download the installer for Windows Media Creation Tool.

2. Open the file and the Windows 10 Setup window will launch. It will ask What do you want to do? Select Upgrade this PC now and press the Next button to proceed. This process might take a while. Just wait patiently until the process is finished.

3. It will ask to Choose what to keep. Click on Keep personal files and apps then click on the Next button.

4. Wait for the installation process to finish. Once it is complete, your PC will automatically restart. It may restart multiple times so just wait for it to finish.

Receiving errors with code numbers is frustrating for most PC users. Although it’s an exact error code that could be helpful, if you have no idea what is, it’s difficult to find out the cause and come up with your troubleshooting methods. These errors are not only annoying but time-consuming for most users. They interrupt your computer use. Hopefully, one of these methods works in helping you fix the Windows 10 update error.