How to Fix Windows Update Error 0x800705b4

By ErrorFix · Updated October 18, 2026 · 7 min read

What error 0x800705b4 means

Error code 0x800705b4 is Windows Update's timeout signal: the operation returned because the timeout period expired before the update finished downloading or installing. Your update files are probably not the problem here. What actually happened is that something slowed or stalled the process — a flaky connection, a download stuck at the same percentage for an hour, or a drive with no room left to unpack files — and Windows eventually gave up waiting.

That is why this error shows up most often on big feature updates and on PCs that are a few versions behind. Each retry restarts the same stalled session instead of a fresh one, so the timeout repeats at roughly the same point. The fix is to clear the stalled state, remove whatever is slowing things down, and give the update one uninterrupted run. Work through the steps below in order — no Windows reinstall needed.

Common causes

• Stalled or half-downloaded update files: a download that froze mid-transfer sits in the update cache, and every retry resumes the same stuck session until it times out again.
• Slow or unstable internet connection: weak Wi-Fi, congested networks, or ISP throttling can stretch a multi-gigabyte download past the timeout window.
• VPN or proxy slowing the download: tunnels and proxies add overhead and can throttle throughput enough that large updates never finish in time.
• Nearly full system drive: Windows Update needs several gigabytes of free space to download, stage, and unpack. When the drive is almost full, the process stalls and times out.
• Corrupted update components: damaged services or system files that drive the download and install pipeline can hang the process until the timer expires.

How to fix error 0x800705b4 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Most PCs finish the update successfully by step 4.

1. Restart the PC and give the update one clean retry. Save your work, restart the PC, then go to Settings, then Windows Update, and click Retry or Check for updates. Many timeouts are transient — a background session wedged itself or the connection hiccuped — and a fresh restart clears it. Let this attempt run without interruption: do not put the PC to sleep, restart it, or start big downloads while the update works.
2. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Open Settings, go to System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters. Click Run next to Windows Update and apply any fixes it suggests. The troubleshooter is specifically good at detecting stalled download sessions and repairing update service timeouts automatically. Restart the PC and try the update again.
3. Delete the stuck update download cache. Right-click Start and choose Terminal (Admin). Run net stop wuauserv to stop the update service. Open File Explorer, go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download, and delete everything inside (leave the folder itself in place). Back in the terminal, run net start wuauserv to restart the service, then check for updates again. With the frozen half-download gone, Windows starts a clean download that usually finishes well before the timeout.
4. Reset the Windows Update components. In an admin terminal, stop the four update services: net stop wuauserv, net stop cryptSvc, net stop bits, net stop msiserver. Then rename the update caches: ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old and ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old. Restart the services: net start wuauserv, net start cryptSvc, net start bits, net start msiserver. This rebuilds the entire update pipeline and clears timed-out sessions that survive a simple cache delete.
5. Free up disk space, turn off metered connection, and disconnect the VPN. Open Settings, then System, then Storage, and use the cleanup recommendations to remove temporary files, old downloads, and unused apps — aim to free several gigabytes. Then go to Settings, then Network & internet, select your connection, and switch off Metered connection, which can throttle large update downloads. Disconnect any VPN or proxy for the duration of the update, since they are a classic cause of downloads slow enough to time out.
6. Repair Windows with DISM and the System File Checker. In an admin terminal, run DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and wait for it to finish — it pulls fresh copies of damaged Windows components. Then run sfc /scannow, restart your PC, and retry the update. Corrupted system files can hang the install phase until the timer expires, and these repairs restore the components the updater depends on.
7. Install the update manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Go to Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history, and note the KB number of the failing update. Search for that KB number on the Microsoft Update Catalog website, download the package that matches your system (x64 for most PCs), and install it by double-clicking the file. A manual install bypasses the automatic download session that kept timing out, and it succeeds far more often than a tenth retry through the same broken path.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• The update downloads and installs without error 0x800705b4
• The PC restarts normally and lands on the login screen after installing
• Update history shows the update as Successfully installed
• A retry of Check for updates no longer stalls at the same percentage

If the error persists after all seven steps, double-check that your system drive truly has free space — Windows can report misleading numbers when shadow copies are involved, so free more than you think you need. Also verify your date and time: press Win + I, go to Time & language, then Date & time, and enable "Set time automatically," because update signature validation can fail on a wrong clock. For repeated timeouts on very large feature updates, try the update overnight with the PC plugged in and sleep disabled — a long uninterrupted window often succeeds where daytime retries time out.