By default, Windows operating systems automatically check for the latest updates as soon as they connect to the Internet. If you prefer, you can also search for them manually through the update center. Whatever your choice, remember that it is essential to update Windows regularly , otherwise you will not only miss the latest functions of the operating system and other Microsoft applications, such as Office or Outlook, but also important bug fixes and security enhancements (including security breach fix)..
Whether the system searches for and installs updates automatically or manually, errors such as 0x80070002 may appear, which prevent the update process from being carried out and therefore jeopardize the stability of the system. We explain what the 0x80070002 warning consists of and how to fix it on your own.
Warning 0x80070002 is one of the most frequent error messages related to problems arising from the Windows update process. It not only appears in current versions , such as Windows 10, but also in previous editions such as Vista or XP, where we can sometimes find the code 0x80070003 in reference to the same problem. Depending on the version of the operating system, the messages 80070002 and 80070003 may also appear, with the same meaning. The message that accompanies these four codes is " ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND ", or what is the same, "error: file not found"..
If the Windows update process is interrupted because a file was not found, it may be because the file is missing or damaged . The most important processes that are often involved in this problem are downloading and extracting the installation files. Since, in this case, Windows does not solve the problem on its own, but shows the error 0x80070002, it is advisable to take care of the problem yourself to install the appropriate update.
Error 0x80070002 can also occur when starting or uninstalling other Microsoft applications, as well as third-party programs. In this case, as when upgrading Windows, the necessary files are most likely missing or corrupted..
If you see the error code 0x80070002 when installing a Windows update, it can be due to several reasons. It is possible, for example, that the Windows service responsible for the updates does not work correctly , preventing the installation. Also, important system files may have been lost or deleted , or the system may not have been configured correctly . These problems are not always the result of mismanagement by the user, but may have been caused by malware or a hardware defect.
If you want to discover the best way to solve error 0x80070002 in each of these cases, we propose the best solutions.
Generally, when a Windows computer connects to the Internet, the operating system automatically determines the date , time, and time zone . If this synchronization process is not carried out correctly or if you configure this data manually, setting values very different from the real ones, errors such as the update error 0x80070002 can be caused. First, take a look at the " Date and Time " menu , which can be opened via the control panel (from the Windows start menu). Once opened, follow these steps:
Windows operating systems include various services and processes that are either permanently active or run as soon as the system needs them. One of these services is the Windows Update Agent (or WUA), which is in charge of detecting, downloading and installing updates for Windows and other Microsoft applications installed on the system. If this service does not work properly, the system cannot be updated . Therefore, to resolve error 0x80070002, it may be appropriate to restart the Windows Update agent .
Like all other Windows services, this update service can be found in the Microsoft administration console, which you can access through the control panel ("Administrative Tools" -> "Services") or through the box search from the home menu . In the latter, enter the term "services" and then open the link that appears with that name. In the list, select the "Windows Update" category and click " Stop the service " or the square stop icon :
Before restarting the agent, go to the following folder on your computer (if you have Windows installed on another drive, replace the letter with the corresponding one):
C:/Windows/SoftwareDistribution
In this folder, the Windows Update agent caches the files required for the installation process. To prevent the service from accessing them after restarting it, but to download and extract the files corresponding to the update again, delete the contents of the folder :
Now you can restart the update service by clicking on the corresponding option in the service manager (Microsoft Management Console) and then restart the system , after which the agent can try again to download and install the update that caused the error .
System files that have been lost or corrupted can also cause error 0x80070002. Since the error notice does not include any information about the problem, you should use the SFC (System File Checker) application to find out. This program verifies and repairs all system files related to the installation of Windows; furthermore, if it is not possible to repair them, SFC reports on the affected file (s). To use this command line tool, administrator rights are required , as you need to run the command prompt as an administrator. To do so, follow these instructions:
Once the command prompt is open, enter the following command to start SFC:
sfc /scannow
Leave the command prompt open until the review process runs to completion. When finished, the tool will display the result of the check and list any corrupted files that it was unable to repair in the cbs.log log file located in the Windows / Logs / CBS folder .
System crashes or improper file deletion can lead to system errors, that is, bad disk sectors . These in turn can be the cause of various problems, such as update error 0x80070002. With the CHKDSK ( Ch ec k D i sk ) tool installed as standard, Windows offers a solution to detect and correct such errors in file system structures at any time. Like the SFC application, described in the previous section, CHKDSK can be run from the command prompt.
Also in this case it is necessary to start the command prompt as administrator:
To scan and repair the drive on which Windows is installed (usually C :), enter the following command:
chkdsk C: /F /R
Since Windows will be using the drive and its various services and processes at the moment, you will receive a notice that CHKDSK cannot start. Type " J " and confirm with the [Enter] key: this way, the verification program will be executed before the next system startup .
In current versions of Windows, the update troubleshooter includes a service specially designed to resolve errors such as 0x80070002. You can download the latest version of the so-called troubleshooter, which is only a few kilobytes (KB) in size, on the official Microsoft support forum at all times. After opening the downloaded .diagcab file, the Diagnostic Troubleshooting Wizard opens . Just follow the instructions to resolve the error 0x80070002:
If some important system files or settings are missing or defective, it is possible that your computer has been infected by malware . In such a case, your efforts to resolve the 0x80070002 error are likely to be in vain until you locate the malware and remove it completely from the system. In our comprehensive article on malware, you will discover the best tools to detect and remove spyware, Trojans, viruses, and other types of harmful software.
If the update center continues to display error code 0x80070002 after taking the measures described so far, you can try to download and install the corresponding update yourself. Microsoft makes all the updates that it has published in its online update catalog available to users. Just type the update number , as it appears in the knowledge base (always starts with KB), in the search bar and press " Search ": the web application will automatically search for the corresponding installation files.
Make sure to select and download the installation files that correspond to the Windows edition (server or desktop) and architecture (x64 / ARM64 / x86) of your computer.
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