Sometimes Windows Update throws error 0x80073712 and the update install fails. Here are a few hints what to to and why this error occurs.
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What error code 0x80073712 stands for?
Recently I stumbled upon this error within a post in Microsoft Answers forum. My first action was to have a look, what error code 0x80073712 stands for. This error code means ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT, 'The component store is corrupt.' Searching the internet shows, that this error is known since Windows Vista. The root cause are damaged or missing files in component store (WinSxS). The component store in Windows sub folder WinSxS contains function, to handle updates and configure Windows. Microsoft has published this Technet article about component store.
How to fix ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT?
The most interesting question is 'how to fix error ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT'? First of all, we can do a system file check:
1. Open an administrative command prompt window (enter cmd in search box and use Run as administrator in context menu).
2. Ender sfc /scannow in command prompt window and press enter.
I've discussed this step within my blog post Check and repair Windows system files and component store. In some cases sfc repairs a corrupted component store.
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If you use Windows 7, you can run also System Update readyness tool (CheckSUR) – see Microsoft's article Fix Windows Update errors by using the DISM or System Update Readiness tool. From Windows 8 onward, use DISM command to repair a component store(see Check and repair Windows system files and component store). If that doesn't helps, try a repair installation using an inplace upgrade (install Windows again from a running Windows).
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