Fix 0x8007012f Windows Update error on Windows 11/10

The Windows Update error 0x8007012f can occur whenever you try to install Windows Updates and fail. This error can pop up when you install app updates, system updates, or feature updates. In this post, we will present the most suitable solutions you can try to successfully resolve this issue.

Here are some of the error messages you might encounter:

There were some problems installing updates, but we’ll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search the web or contact support for information, this may help: (0x8007012F)

ERROR_DELETE_PENDING, The operation has failed, The file cannot be opened because it is in the process of being deleted. Error code: 0x8007012F

In some instances, as you can see in the image above, you might also encounter Windows Update error 0x8000ffff alongside this error.

Fix Windows Update error 0x8007012f

If you’re faced with this issue, you can try our recommended solutions in the order presented below to resolve the issue.

1. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
2. Clear SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folder contents
3. Clear pending.xml file
4. Clear the BITS queue
5. Run Background Intelligent Transfer Service Troubleshooter

Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved concerning each of the listed solutions.

1] Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

More often than not, running the inbuilt Windows Update Troubleshooter fixes update errors on Windows 11/10. After you run the troubleshooter and rerun the Windows update but still receive the error 0x8007012f, you can try the next solution.

2] Clear SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folder contents

You may clear the contents of the SoftwareDistibution folder and the catroot2 folder and then try again.

3] Clear pending.xml file

Open an elevated command prompt window, type the following and hit Enter:

Ren c:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml pending.old

This will rename the pending.xml file to pending.old. Now try again.

4] Clear the BITS queue

Clear the BITS queue of any current jobs. To do this, type the following in an elevated CMD and hit Enter:

bitsadmin.exe /reset /allusers

5] Run Background Intelligent Transfer Service Troubleshooter

Run the Background Intelligent Transfer Service Troubleshooter and see if it helps. Background Intelligent Transfer Service or BITS helps in the transfer, download or upload of files between a client and server, and provides progress information related to the transfers. It also plays a role in the download of files from a peer. This Windows Service is essential for Windows Updates to work properly.

If need be, you may enable BITS manually on your Windows computer.

Once you complete the operation, restart your device, and, on boot, rerun Windows Update. The process should be completed successfully without the error.

We hope this helps.