Windows Update failed with error 0x80073712 — component store corrupted
A component required by Windows Update is missing or corrupted. (0x80073712)
Windows Update failed because a required component or package in the Windows component store (WinSxS) is missing or corrupted. Error 0x80073712 (ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT) means the servicing stack cannot find or use a package it needs to apply the update.
A component required by Windows Update is missing or corrupted. (0x80073712)
Why it happens
The Windows component store (WinSxS) contains one or more corrupted or missing package manifests.
A previous failed update or interrupted installation left the component store in an inconsistent state.
Disk errors or storage failures have corrupted files in the WinSxS directory.
An incomplete or aborted Windows upgrade corrupted servicing metadata.
How to fix it
Run DISM to repair the component store: open an elevated Command Prompt and run `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth` to detect corruption, then `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth` to repair it. This downloads replacement components from Windows Update.
After DISM completes, run `sfc /scannow` in an elevated Command Prompt to repair any Windows system files using the restored component store.
Restart the computer after both tools complete and retry Windows Update.
If DISM /RestoreHealth fails due to an inability to contact Windows Update, mount a Windows installation ISO and use the local source: `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:<path>\sources\install.wim:1 /LimitAccess`.
Run CHKDSK to check for disk errors: `chkdsk C: /f /r` (requires a reboot) in case storage issues caused the corruption.
If the error persists after all repair steps, consider a Windows in-place upgrade (repair install) using the Windows installation media, which replaces all system components without affecting files or applications.
