How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x80070103

By ErrorFix · Updated October 24, 2026 · 8 min read

What error 0x80070103 means

Error 0x80070103 is a Windows Update driver error. It appears when Windows Update tries to install a device driver that is already installed on your PC, or a driver version that is older — or less compatible — than the one already running. Windows spots the mismatch during installation, rejects the package, and reports the failure with this code. Microsoft's own support answers describe it the same way: the update is trying to install a driver that is already present or incompatible with your system.

This is a useful distinction, because it tells you the problem is not your PC and not Windows Update in general. It is one specific driver offer that does not belong on your machine. That is also why the error is so stubborn: Windows Update matches drivers by hardware ID, and its catalog can hold an older or duplicate driver for the same device. Until that offer is hidden or replaced, Windows keeps presenting it, the install keeps failing, and the same code keeps coming back after every check for updates.

The good news is that the error is almost never urgent. The driver you already have stays in place, so the device keeps working exactly as it did before the failed update. The only real cost is the nagging failed-update entry and, in rare cases, a device that genuinely needs a newer driver but is stuck because Windows keeps pushing the wrong one. Both situations have clean fixes, and they are covered in the steps below.

Common causes

• Windows Update offering an older driver: the catalog version for your hardware is older than the driver already installed, often because the PC maker shipped a newer driver than the one Microsoft lists.
• A duplicate driver already on the system: the same driver was already installed through the manufacturer's own software or a previous update, so the new offer is redundant.
• An incompatible driver for your exact model: a driver meant for a closely related model or hardware revision gets matched to your device by hardware ID but does not fit it.
• A corrupted driver installation: a half-installed or damaged copy of the driver confuses the update check, so Windows keeps retrying an install that can never complete cleanly.
• A stale Windows Update cache: the local download cache still holds the failed driver package, so every new check for updates re-offers the same broken install.

How to fix error 0x80070103 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Most people only need Steps 1 and 3: find the failing driver, then hide it.

1. Find out which driver update is failing Open Settings, go to Windows Update, then Update history, and look under Driver Updates for the entry marked Failed with error 0x80070103. Note the device name and driver version shown there, because every later step targets that specific update, not Windows Update in general. If several drivers failed, deal with them one at a time — hiding the wrong update solves nothing.
2. Pause and resume Windows Update Open Settings, go to Windows Update, and use Pause updates to pause for 1 week, then click Resume updates. This forces Windows to re-check the update queue, and the stale driver offer sometimes drops out of the list on its own. It is a quick first try, but if the same driver comes straight back, move on — pausing alone rarely fixes a catalog mismatch.
3. Hide the problematic driver update Download and run Microsoft's Show or Hide Updates tool (the wushowhide.diagcab file), click Next, choose Hide updates, select the driver update that fails with 0x80070103, and click Next to apply. Windows Update will stop offering that exact driver, which ends the repeated failure. This is the correct fix when the device already works fine — you are not missing anything by skipping an older driver.
4. Update the driver manually from the manufacturer Open Device Manager, find the device from Step 1, right-click it, and choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds nothing newer, go to the device or PC manufacturer's support site, search for your exact model, and download the latest driver yourself. Manufacturer drivers are matched to your model and are usually newer than the version Windows Update offers, which is exactly why the catalog version failed in the first place.
5. Uninstall and reinstall the driver In Device Manager, right-click the device and choose Uninstall device, then restart your PC. Windows detects the hardware again on startup and reinstalls a clean copy of the driver, which clears a corrupted or half-installed driver that the update kept tripping over. If Windows does not reinstall it automatically, go back to Device Manager, click Action, then Scan for hardware changes, or install the manufacturer driver you downloaded in Step 4.
6. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter Press Windows + I to open Settings, go to System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters. Find Windows Update in the list and click Run. Follow the on-screen prompts, restart your PC when it finishes, and check for updates again. This built-in tool catches stuck update states and broken update components that can keep a driver offer looping.
7. Reset the Windows Update components Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Run these commands one at a time to stop the update services:
   net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
   Then rename the two download caches with:
   ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
   Restart the services with:
   net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
   This clears the stale download cache and lets Windows rebuild it fresh. Go back to Settings, then Windows Update, and check for updates again — the failed driver should no longer reappear unless the catalog still offers it, in which case hide it with Step 3.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• Windows Update completes without error 0x80070103
• The failing driver no longer reappears in the update list
• The device from Step 1 still works normally after the fix
• Update history shows no new failed driver entries after the next check

One thing people get wrong about this error: it does not mean your drivers are out of date or that your PC is broken. In most cases it means the opposite — you already have a driver that is as good as, or better than, the one Windows Update is offering. That is why hiding the update is a legitimate fix here rather than a workaround: you are declining an older driver, not ignoring a needed one. Only chase a manual install if the device itself is misbehaving, and in that case go to the manufacturer, not back to the same Windows Update offer that already failed.