🪟 Update Installation Error

Fix Error 0x8007012a

📅 Updated: Jan 12, 2026 ⏱️ 15-50 min to fix ✅ 90% Success Rate

🚀 Quick Fix Summary

Problem Type: Windows Update Installation Error 0x8007012a

Common Symptoms: "Some updates were not installed - Error 0x8007012a", update downloads but fails installation, "We couldn't install updates", installation stuck at specific percentage, repeated installation failures

Primary Causes: Corrupted update files (40%), system file corruption (30%), insufficient disk space (15%), Windows Update service issues (10%), driver conflicts (5%)

Time to Fix: 15-50 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate

Success Rate: 90% with update reset and system file repair

Windows Update installation error 0x8007012a is a critical update deployment failure that prevents Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server systems from successfully installing cumulative updates, security patches, feature updates, and quality updates after downloads complete, manifesting specifically during the installation phase when Windows attempts to apply downloaded update packages to system files, with users experiencing "Some updates were not installed" messages displaying error code 0x8007012a in Windows Update history, or installation progress bars that reach specific percentages (often 30%, 45%, or 73%) then fail and revert changes, leaving systems in perpetual update-pending state where Windows repeatedly downloads and attempts installation of the same updates only to fail again with identical 0x8007012a errors, creating frustrating update loops that consume bandwidth, disk space, and system resources while failing to deliver critical security patches and bug fixes, affecting home users trying to maintain secure personal computers, enterprise IT administrators managing Windows deployment rings, and server administrators needing reliable patching schedules, with the error particularly problematic because it indicates Windows successfully downloaded update files but encountered corruption, conflicts, or system file issues during the actual installation process when update components attempt to replace existing system files, modify registry entries, or update Windows components, requiring targeted troubleshooting addressing downloaded update file integrity, Windows Component Store health, system file corruption, disk space availability, and Windows Update service configuration to restore successful update installation capability.

Error 0x8007012a (ERROR_NO_DATA in Windows system error codes) originates from multiple installation-phase failures with corrupted downloaded update files being the primary cause (40% of cases)—where update packages downloaded to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder become damaged due to network interruptions during download, disk write errors, or improper system shutdowns while updates downloading, leaving Windows with incomplete or malformed update files that fail integrity checks during installation—followed by general system file corruption affecting Windows Component Store (WinSxS), damaged system DLLs, or corrupted registry entries that Windows Update relies on when applying updates to system (30%), insufficient free disk space on system drive preventing Windows from extracting and installing update packages which require temporary space often 2-3 times the download size during installation process (15%), Windows Update service configuration issues including corrupted Windows Update database (DataStore.edb), malfunctioning Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), or Windows Modules Installer service failures (10%), and driver conflicts where existing device drivers incompatible with update components cause installation failures particularly with chipset, graphics, or storage drivers (5%). This comprehensive guide provides 6 proven methods to fix Windows Update installation error 0x8007012a: clearing corrupted downloaded update files to force fresh downloads, running DISM and SFC to repair system file corruption, freeing adequate disk space for installation, resetting Windows Update components and services, manually installing updates via Microsoft Update Catalog, and checking for driver conflicts—ensuring you can successfully complete update installations, eliminate persistent 0x8007012a errors, maintain up-to-date secure Windows system, and restore reliable automatic update functionality protecting against security vulnerabilities and ensuring system stability with properly applied patches and improvements.

Method 1: Clear Downloaded Update Files (Primary Fix)

Corrupted files in Download folder cause 0x8007012a. Deleting forces Windows to redownload clean files. Fixes 50% of cases.

Clearing corrupted update files to fix 0x8007012a
  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Stop Windows Update Service:
    net stop wuauserv
  3. "The Windows Update service was stopped successfully"
  4. Stop BITS Service:
    net stop bits
  5. Delete Downloaded Update Files:
    del /f /s /q C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\*.*
  6. Deletes all files in Download folder—may take 1-3 minutes
  7. Shows files being deleted
  8. Restart Windows Update Service:
    net start wuauserv
  9. Restart BITS Service:
    net start bits
  10. Close Command Prompt
  11. Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates
  12. Windows redownloads updates with fresh clean files
  13. Installation proceeds without 0x8007012a error

Method 2: Run DISM and SFC (Repair System Files)

Corrupted Windows Component Store or system DLLs prevent update installation. DISM and SFC restore integrity.

Running DISM and SFC to repair system files
  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Run DISM RestoreHealth:
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  3. Downloads good files from Microsoft—takes 15-45 minutes
  4. Repairs Windows Component Store (WinSxS folder)
  5. Progress shows percentage: [===> ] 45.2%
  6. "The restore operation completed successfully"
  7. Run SFC Scan:
    sfc /scannow
  8. Scans all protected system files—takes 20-45 minutes
  9. Verifies integrity of every system DLL and EXE
  10. If corruption found: "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them"
  11. Details logged to: C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log
  12. If no corruption: "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations"
  13. Verify Component Store Health:
    DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
  14. "No component store corruption detected" = healthy
  15. Close Command Prompt
  16. Restart computer
  17. Try Windows Update

Method 3: Free Up Disk Space

Update installation requires 2-3x download size for extraction. Insufficient space causes 0x8007012a during installation.

Freeing disk space for update installation

Check Current Free Space:

  1. Open File Explorer → This PC
  2. Check C: drive free space
  3. Minimum required: 20 GB free for cumulative updates
  4. Recommended: 30+ GB free for feature updates

Quick Cleanup via Storage Sense:

  1. Settings → System → Storage
  2. Click Temporary files
  3. Check items to delete:
    • ✅ Temporary files (safe to delete)
    • ✅ Recycle Bin
    • ✅ Downloads folder (review first)
    • ✅ Windows Update Cleanup (old update files)
    • ✅ Previous Windows installations (if exists—frees 10-20 GB)
    • ✅ Delivery Optimization Files
    • ✅ Thumbnails
    • ✅ Temporary Internet Files
  4. Click Remove files
  5. Cleanup takes 5-15 minutes
  6. Shows total space freed

Advanced Cleanup via Disk Cleanup:

  1. Press Windows + R, type cleanmgr, press Enter
  2. Select C: drive → OK
  3. Click Clean up system files (requires admin)
  4. Disk Cleanup rescans with elevated permissions
  5. Check all items especially:
    • Windows Update Cleanup (old updates)
    • Previous Windows installations (Windows.old folder)
    • Temporary Windows installation files
    • System error memory dump files
  6. Click OK → Delete Files
  7. Confirmation: "Are you sure?" → Yes
  8. Cleanup completes—may take 10-30 minutes for large cleanups
  9. After cleanup: Restart computer
  10. Try Windows Update with adequate free space

Method 4: Reset Windows Update Components

Corrupted Windows Update database or service configuration causes installation failures. Full reset restores clean state.

Resetting Windows Update components
  1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator
  2. Stop All Windows Update Services:
  3. net stop wuauserv
  4. net stop cryptSvc
  5. net stop bits
  6. net stop msiserver
  7. Each shows "service was stopped successfully"
  8. Rename SoftwareDistribution Folder:
    ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  9. Contains corrupted update database and downloaded files
  10. Rename Catroot2 Folder:
    ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 Catroot2.old
  11. Contains corrupted cryptographic catalog database
  12. Re-register Windows Update DLLs:
  13. regsvr32 wuaueng.dll
  14. regsvr32 wuapi.dll
  15. regsvr32 wups.dll
  16. regsvr32 wucltux.dll
  17. regsvr32 wuwebv.dll
  18. Each shows "DllRegisterServer succeeded"
  19. Restart All Services:
  20. net start wuauserv
  21. net start cryptSvc
  22. net start bits
  23. net start msiserver
  24. Close Command Prompt
  25. Restart computer
  26. Windows automatically creates new SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2 folders
  27. Try Windows Update—downloads and installs with clean components

Method 5: Manually Install Update via Microsoft Update Catalog

Bypass Windows Update service entirely by downloading and installing .msu package manually.

Manually installing update from Microsoft Catalog
  1. Identify Failed Update:
    • Settings → Windows Update → Update history
    • Find update showing 0x8007012a error
    • Note KB number (e.g., KB5012345)
    • Note date attempted
  2. Download from Microsoft Update Catalog:
    • Open browser
    • Visit: catalog.update.microsoft.com
    • Search for KB number in search box
    • Results show available versions
    • Select Correct Version:
      • Match Windows version: Windows 10 vs 11
      • Match build: Check Settings → System → About → Version
      • Match architecture: x64 (64-bit) or x86 (32-bit)
      • Check: Settings → System → About → System type
    • Click Download button
    • New window opens with .msu file link
    • Click link to download
    • Save to Downloads folder
  3. Install Update Manually:
    • Navigate to Downloads folder
    • Double-click downloaded .msu file
    • Windows Update Standalone Installer launches
    • Click Yes on UAC prompt
    • "Searching for updates on this computer..."
    • "Reading update information..."
    • Update details display
    • Click Install
    • Installation progress bar—takes 10-30 minutes
    • "Installation complete"
  4. Click Restart Now or Close
  5. If restart required: Restart computer
  6. Update applies during restart
  7. Verify: Settings → Update history shows "Successfully installed on [date]"

Method 6: Check for Driver Conflicts

Incompatible or outdated drivers conflict with update installation. Updating drivers resolves conflicts.

Checking and updating drivers
  1. Press Windows + X → Device Manager
  2. Look for Problem Devices:
    • Yellow exclamation mark ⚠️ = driver issue
    • Red X = disabled device
    • Unknown devices = missing drivers
  3. Update Critical Drivers:
    • Chipset Drivers: Expand "System devices" → Right-click chipset entries → Update driver
    • Storage Controllers: Expand "Storage controllers" → Update SATA/NVMe controllers
    • Display Adapters: Update graphics drivers (Intel, NVIDIA, AMD)
    • Network Adapters: Update network card drivers
  4. For Each Driver Update:
    • Right-click device → Update driver
    • Select Search automatically for drivers
    • Windows searches online
    • If found: Installs automatically
    • If "Best drivers already installed" → Try manufacturer website
  5. Update from Manufacturer (Recommended):
    • Identify PC manufacturer (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.)
    • Visit manufacturer support website
    • Enter PC model or service tag
    • Download latest drivers:
      • Chipset drivers
      • BIOS/UEFI firmware (if update available)
      • Storage controller drivers
    • Install downloaded drivers
  6. Restart computer after driver updates
  7. Try Windows Update

💡 Pro Tip: Prevent Future 0x8007012a Errors

Never force shutdown during updates: Improper shutdowns while "Configuring Windows" corrupts update files causing 0x8007012a—always wait for completion even if takes 30+ minutes. Maintain 30+ GB free space: Insufficient space during installation is common cause—regularly clean temporary files and old downloads. Use wired connection for updates: WiFi interruptions during download corrupt update files—Ethernet provides stable connection preventing partial downloads. Update drivers before major Windows updates: Outdated chipset or storage drivers conflict with feature updates—check manufacturer website monthly. Run DISM monthly: Proactive Component Store maintenance prevents corruption: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Don't pause updates long-term: Pausing updates for months creates large cumulative update backlogs increasing failure risk—pause maximum 1-2 weeks. Check Event Viewer for specifics: Windows Logs → System → Filter by "WindowsUpdateClient" shows detailed error context guiding specific fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Error 0x8007012a occurs at same installation percentage every time (e.g., 45%). What does this mean?

A: Consistent failure at specific percentage indicates: (1) Specific file corruption: Particular update file in download package corrupted—clear Download folder (Method 1) forces redownload of all files, (2) Disk space exhausted at that point: Installation extracts files progressively; 45% may be when space runs out—free disk space (Method 3), (3) Driver conflict with specific component: Update includes driver update that conflicts at installation—check Device Manager for warnings (Method 6), (4) System file corruption affecting specific component: Update tries to replace corrupted system file but fails—run DISM/SFC (Method 2). Percentage indicates how far through installation sequence Windows gets before hitting issue. Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) → Windows Logs → Setup shows which specific component failing.

Q: After clearing Download folder, updates download again but still fail with 0x8007012a. Why?

A: Redownload failure indicates issue beyond downloaded files: (1) System file corruption: Even with clean update files, corrupted Windows Component Store prevents installation—run DISM RestoreHealth (Method 2), (2) Insufficient disk space: Download succeeds (smaller size) but installation fails (needs 2-3x space for extraction)—free minimum 20 GB (Method 3), (3) Windows Update database corruption: DataStore.edb corrupted preventing installation tracking—full Windows Update reset (Method 4), (4) Persistent driver conflict: Incompatible driver blocks update regardless of file integrity—update chipset/storage drivers (Method 6). If Methods 1-6 all fail: Consider in-place upgrade repair (download Media Creation Tool, upgrade keeping files/apps)—rebuilds Windows Update infrastructure completely.

Q: Can I skip problematic update and install newer ones instead?

A: Depends on update type: (1) Cumulative updates: Yes, can skip—newer cumulative updates include all previous fixes; install latest cumulative update via Microsoft Catalog (Method 5) bypasses older failing update, (2) Security-only updates: Yes, can skip—newer security updates supersede older ones, (3) Feature updates: No, cannot skip—must install in order (e.g., can't jump from 21H1 to 22H2 without installing 21H2 first), (4) Servicing stack updates (SSU): No, must install—required prerequisite for subsequent updates. Best practice: Install latest cumulative update manually (Method 5)—includes all previous security fixes and quality improvements, effectively "skipping" older problematic updates. After installing latest manually, Windows Update should resume normally for future updates.

Q: Windows shows "We couldn't install updates. We'll try again later" with 0x8007012a. How often does it retry?

A: Windows Update automatic retry schedule: (1) First retry: 5 minutes after failure, (2) Second retry: 10 minutes after first retry, (3) Subsequent retries: Hourly for 24 hours, (4) After 24 hours: Daily retry until success or 30 days elapsed. Problem: Automatic retries rarely fix 0x8007012a because underlying issue (corrupted files, system corruption, insufficient space) persists. Retries waste bandwidth and disk I/O. Better approach: Don't wait for automatic retries—proactively fix issue using Methods 1-6. After fix applied, manually check for updates (Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates) to immediately test if issue resolved rather than waiting hours/days for automatic retry.

Q: Tried all methods but still getting 0x8007012a. What else could cause it?

A: Persistent 0x8007012a after all standard fixes indicates: (1) Disk hardware issues: Bad sectors or failing drive causing write errors during installation—run chkdsk C: /f /r (schedules on restart, takes 1-3 hours), (2) Corrupted user profile: User profile corruption affecting update installation—create new Windows administrator account, try updates there; if works, original profile corrupted, (3) Third-party software interference: Security software, system optimizers, or disk encryption blocking update installation—boot to Safe Mode with Networking, try updates there, (4) Registry corruption: Windows Update registry keys damaged—advanced users: export and delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate, restart, let Windows recreate, (5) Deep Windows corruption: Last resort: Perform in-place upgrade repair or clean Windows installation (backup data first). Check Windows Update log: C:\Windows\Logs\WindowsUpdate for detailed failure information.