How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80070026

You click "Check for Updates" and the download starts normally, but it stops dead at 20% and throws error 0x80070026. The update retries repeatedly and never finishes. This usually happens when the Windows Update cache gets corrupted or the CBS download state is incomplete.

Quick fix: clear the update cache

In many cases, deleting the SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders is enough to push the update past that 20% stall. Here’s how to do it safely:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (press Win + R, type cmd, then Ctrl+Shift+Enter).
2. Stop the Windows Update service by typing: net stop wuauserv and press Enter.
3. Stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service: net stop bits.
4. Navigate to C:WindowsSoftwareDistribution and delete everything inside the folder (you can select all and delete).
5. Do the same for C:WindowsSystem32catroot2 – delete all contents.
6. Restart the services you stopped: net start wuauserv and net start bits.
7. Go back to Windows Update and retry the installation.

After clearing the cache, the download should move beyond 20% and complete without the 0x80070026 error. Check WindowsUpdate.log – if you no longer see retry loops, the fix worked.

Once the download passes 20% and the update installs successfully, you’re good. This method is known to work for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 (especially with KB5147312). If you’re still stuck, the manual update via Microsoft Update Catalog is the next step – but clearing the cache resolves the majority of 0x80070026 cases.

Looking for "fix error 0x80070026 windows 11 update"? The same steps apply. Some people also search "windows update stuck at 20 percent before failing" – that’s exactly the symptom this addresses.