I understand how frustrating things can get when your Windows 10 update has been held at 50- 80 percent for the past five hours, and you can’t do anything to make it work. Instead of panicking, kindly follow the easy-to-implement troubleshooting techniques shared further in this post. Also, at this point, do not make a hasty decision. Windows update errors are quite common, especially when you are trying to install the untested ones.
Windows Update 1703 Failed? What Can Be the Reason?
Microsoft rolls out frequent updates with bug fixes, improvements, and patches for the Windows 10 operating system. Ordinarily, downloading and installing the Windows 10 updates does not take more than 20 minutes (30 minutes tops if you have a slow internet connection). However, in some cases, the download bar gets held up between 50 and 80 percent download.
Except for a forced restart, nothing seems to resolve the issue. Even if you do perform a forced restart or unplug the peripheral (as many experts on the Microsoft Support suggested), the error message “update for windows 10 Version 1703” pops up the next time you attempt to download the same update files. Windows update 1703 failed is a problem a lot of users seem to face these days.
Here Are a Few Easy Ways to Fix the Windows Update 1703 Failed Error
1) Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
The Windows operating system comes with a built-in program known as Update Troubleshooter. This program fixes the problems that occurred during download or installation of Windows 10 updates. Back in the days, in Windows 7 and Windows 8, the update troubleshooting was performed with the help of an external executable file. Such is not the case with Windows 10.
Follow the steps given below to run the Windows 10 Update Troubleshooter.
Step 1:
Open Windows Settings by clicking on the Windows Start icon located on the bottom-left of the screen. Click on the option with a gear icon.
Step 2:
A new window pops open. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Update & Security— as shown in the above screenshot.
Step 3:
In the left pane, locate and click on the option Troubleshoot.
Step 4:
Next, click on Windows Update in the right pane under the “Get up and running” section. Kindly refer to the screenshot above.
Step 5:
As you can see in the above screenshot, on clicking Windows Update, a new button pops up with an option to “Run the troubleshooter.” Click on it. The process of troubleshooting will begin immediately.
Step 6:
When the program has finished fixing the issues, you need to restart the machine. Open Windows Update again, and this time click on Check for updates. If the troubleshooter did find and fix an issue the first time, you should encounter the “Windows update 1703 failed error” again.
2) Simply Perform a Forced Restart
The download bar may be held between 50 and 80 percent from a temporary device failure or incompatible update file. Sometimes the best solution to such a problem is to simply perform a forced restart. Contrary to what most people think, the Windows update is not stuck forever. On restart, the update will either get rolled back or will get applied successfully.
Follow the steps given below to apply the updates despite the download bar held between 50 and 80 percent.
Step 1:
Press the power button for more than three seconds. Let the computer restart. In case you are unable to restart this way, you can switch off the power supply altogether.
Step 2:
Once the Windows 10 is back on, log in with your admin credentials, and open Windows Settings. Scroll down and locate Update & Security.
In the left pane, click on Windows Updates and if the version 1703 update has successfully installed. This is how you can install the 1703 Windows updates with a mere restart of the machine.
3) Free up Some Drive Space
The Windows 10 updates may require anywhere from 4 to 6GB of disk space. Remember that the updates are downloaded in ISO file format. Upon extraction, the files may need even more space. Hence, it is always advisable to have at least 10 to 15GB free space in the drive that holds the operating system files.
Follow the steps given below to free up some drive space in your Windows 10 machine.
Step 1:
Locate the Recycle bin on the desktop and right-click on it. Delete all the contents. Make sure to browse through the data as you won’t be restored after deletion.
Step 2:
Next, open the Downloads folder. Select the items (by keeping the CTRL key pressed) that are no longer useful. Delete them permanently (SHIFT+ DELETE).
Step 3:
Next, you need to delete all the temporary files from the Storage Use. Do this, open Windows Settings. Click on the first option, labeled “System.” For more assistance, refer to the above screenshot.
In the left pane, select Storage (refer to the above screenshot). Come to the right-hand side of the screen. You can either turn on Storage Sense or delete the temporary files manually. I would recommend turning on the Storage Sense as this would fix the problem permanently.
Step 4:
Lastly, restart the machine before attempting to update the operating system again.
4) Check for Missing Hardware Drivers
Windows update 1703 failed can also occur as a result of missing hardware drivers. If you have recently upgraded new hardware in your machine, make sure the right drivers are installed. This is especially important after installing a new motherboard, graphics card, or even a RAM stick. Go to the hardware manufacturer’s website and download the latest firmware. Install it on the Windows 10 machine. Attempt to update the operating system again.
Follow the steps given below to update drivers for a particular hardware component.
Step 1:
Open the Device Manager by typing the keyword “device manager” in the Windows search box located in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Or open the “Run” dialog box by pressing and holding Windows key+R. Type the command “devmgmt.msc” in the “Run” dialog box.
Step 2:
The Device Manager contains the names of all the hardware components used by the system. If you already know which peripheral device or internal component is running on an outdated driver, simply take your cursor to that particular element, right-click, and select Update Driver. Now you have updated the missing driver software, re-search the machine, and try updating the operating system again.
5) Use the Media Creation Tool
If you are still having trouble updating the Windows 10 operating system, simply download the Official Windows 10 ISO files from the Microsoft website and install them manually. Yes, this process is a bit cumbersome, but it works 100 percent of the time.
Step 1:
Before getting started, you need to download and install the Media Creation tool installer from the official Microsoft website, or you can click here to download it right away.
Step 2:
Right-click on the Media Creation Tool installer and select Run as administrator. Next, Accept the license agreement. Click Next.
Step 3:
The system will ask you to choose if you wish to upgrade the operating system right now or create an ISO file. Select the later as we want to create a downloadable ISO file. A bootable copy can be created in a flash drive or a DVD with the ISO file.
Step 4:
Next select Language as English, Windows 10 Edition, and Processor type as per your PC configuration.
Step 5:
This is a crucial step. You need to select the second option as you can use the ISO file repeatedly (as per need). It is also easy to transfer the ISO file from one computer to another.
Although creating a bootable flash drive (at this point) won’t be a bad idea. Just that you will have to dedicate that flash drive for this particular task, you won’t be able to add any other data to it.
Also, keep in mind that an ISO file is not directly executable. You need to burn it to a flash drive or a Dual Layer DVD.
Step 6:
Since we have selected the ISO file option, on clicking next, the file should begin downloading. As you can see from the above screenshot, the file can be saved on the hard drive. It will take some time for the ISO file to get created.
Step 7:
To learn how to burn an ISO file into a DVD drive in Windows 10, watch this video by TheBeginnerGuy.
Step 8:
If you are using the Windows 10 (and not Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1), you can download the ISO file directly from your web browser. Click here to go to the official Microsoft website.
Conclusion
Frankly, the Windows update 1703 failed error resolves immediately after executing the troubleshooting techniques mentioned above. You can talk to the Windows help desk. Comment below if you still are unable to update the operating system.
