It would be a very irritating situation if Windows Updates throws up error code 0x8007043c. This error usually occurs when a Windows service required by Windows Update runs into problems. It may occur if you try to run the Windows Update Standalone Installer in Safe Mode or if you run Windows Update in the regular mode too. In case you encounter this issue, check this article for its troubleshooting.
Windows Update Standalone Installer
Installer encountered an error 0x8007043c
This service cannot be started in Safe Mode
Fix Windows Update error 0x8007043c
There are many possible causes behind this issue but one thing we know is that this error has been around for more than a decade. The most probable causes of error 0x8007043c are an overprotective third-party, system file corruption, or an incompatible update. It can also occur if you try to install Windows Update in Safe Mode using its standalone installer.
- Run the Windows Updates Troubleshooter
- Check the status of the following Windows Services
- Use DISM to fix corrupted Windows Update system files
- Install Windows Update in Clean Boot State.
Try the following solutions sequentially in Windows Normal Mode to troubleshoot the problem:
1] Run the Windows Updates Troubleshooter
The Windows Updates Troubleshooter is an excellent tool to check for irregularities with Windows Updates and the associated services, and to fix an incompatible update. The procedure to run the Windows Updates Troubleshooter is as follows:
Click on Start and go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot.
Select the Windows Updates Troubleshooter from the list and run it.
Restart the system after the process completes.
You could also run the Windows Update Online Troubleshooter.
2] Check the status of the following Windows Services
Open Windows Services Manager and check the Windows Update related Services like Windows Update, Windows Update Medic, Update Orchestrator Services, etc are not disabled.
The default configuration on a standalone Windows 11/10 PC is as follows:
- Windows Update Service – Manual (Triggered)
- Windows Update Medic Services – Manual
- Cryptographic Services – Automatic
- Background Intelligent Transfer Service – Manual
- Windows Installer – Manual.
This will ensure that the required Services are available.
Read: Error 0x8007043C – 0x90017 when trying to run Media Creation Tool
3] Use DISM to fix corrupted Windows Update system files
To fix corrupted Windows Update system files, type the following command, and then press Enter to Run DISM:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
Please note that you need to be patient here, since the process can take up to several minutes to complete.
When you run the command mentioned above, DISM will replace potentially corrupted or missing system files with good ones.
However, if your Windows Update client is already broken, you will be prompted to use a running Windows installation as the repair source or use a Windows side-by-side folder from a network share, as the source of the files.
You will then be required to run the following command instead:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:C:\RepairSource\Windows /LimitAccess
Here you have to replace the C:\RepairSource\Windows placeholder with the location of your repair source.
Once the process is complete, DISM will create a log file in %windir%/Logs/CBS/CBS.log and capture any issues that the tool finds or fixes.
Close the Command Prompt, and then run Windows Update again and see if it has helped.
Read: Error code 0x80080005 – 0x90018 , There was a problem running this tool
4] Install Windows Update in Clean Boot State
If third-party software is interfering with the Windows Update process and causing the error discussed, try installing Windows Updates after restarting the system in a Clean Boot State. In this state, all third-party programs remain disabled at startup.
If it works, your problem is solved for now; later, you can identify the troublesome program by trial and error and remove it unless it’s important.
If the above solutions don’t work, you might need to perform a repair install or a clean install on your system. Rather, many users eventually resolved this issue after a clean install.
