Error 0x80073712: Windows Update Files Are Damaged

What Error 0x80073712 Actually Means

Windows keeps a store of its own system files, called the component store. It works like a stockroom of spare parts, and Windows Update draws from it when it installs an update. If an entry in that store is damaged or missing, Windows stops the update and shows error 0x80073712. That stop is Windows protecting itself from installing an update with parts it cannot rely on.

This code means the same thing on Windows 10 and Windows 11, so the same repair applies to both. It often appears after an update was interrupted, perhaps by a shutdown or a lost connection, or after an earlier update failed partway through. It can also show up when you try that same update again.

The words 'files are damaged' can sound alarming, but they point to Windows system files in that store. Your photos, documents, emails, and other personal files are not the files named in this error, and this error does not mean they have been damaged.

On its own, this code is not proof of a virus, and it is not a scam warning by itself. You do not need to pay anyone or let a stranger take remote control of your PC to fix it. The repair uses tools already built into Windows.

Before the Repair: Set Aside Time and Do These Quick Checks

Start by restarting the PC once, then run Windows Update once. If error 0x80073712 comes back, stop there and move on to the repair. Trying the same update again and again will not fix damaged files, and it wastes time you need for the repair.

The repair itself needs uninterrupted time. On an older PC, or one with a hard drive instead of an SSD, DISM and SFC together can take over an hour. Pick a time when you do not need the PC, and let the repair run to the end once it starts.

Before you start, plug in a laptop and leave it plugged in. Stay connected to the internet, save and close your open work, and check that drive C: has a reasonable amount of free space. You do not need an exact amount, just not a nearly full drive, so do these checks now rather than mid-repair.

Last, note the KB number of the failed update. You will find it next to that update in Update History, and it will look something like KB followed by several numbers. Write it down, and use it at the end to check that the same update has installed.

Step 1: Run DISM First to Repair the Component Store

DISM comes first for a reason. DISM is short for Deployment Image Servicing and Management, and its job here is to repair the component store itself, the stock of clean system files that Windows keeps for repairs and updates. SFC, the next tool, will draw files from that store, so the store needs fixing before those files are used.

Open the repair window as an administrator:

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Terminal (Admin) on Windows 11, or Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) on Windows 10.
3. Select Yes if Windows asks you to allow changes.

The window should show the word Administrator in its title. If it does not, close it and open it again this way.

Type the command below exactly as written, with the same spaces and slashes, then press Enter: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth Check it once before you press Enter. A missing slash, or a space in the wrong place, can make Windows reject the command instead of starting the repair.

After you press Enter, DISM starts checking the component store. You may see a version line first, then a progress percentage. Nothing else is needed from you while it runs, so you can leave the PC alone for now. Keep a laptop plugged in and keep the PC online, as you set up before the repair.

Give DISM real time to work. On a newer PC with an SSD, it often takes about 10 to 20 minutes. On an older PC, or on a PC with a hard drive, allow 30 to 60 minutes or more. An older PC taking close to an hour is not, by itself, a sign that something has gone wrong.

The progress percentage can stay in one place for a long stretch. That is common during this repair, and it does not mean DISM has frozen. Leave the window open, do not close it, and do not force a shutdown or hold down the power button to stop the PC. Let the command reach its own end, even if the wait feels slow.

When DISM ends, read the last few lines in the window before you do anything else. If it says the operation completed successfully, the store repair is done. If it ends with an error, write down the exact code and the exact words of the message. Keep that note safe. You will need that wording to know what to do next.

Step 2: Run SFC Second to Check and Replace System Files

Leave the administrator window from the DISM step open. Type sfc /scannow exactly as shown, with a space before the slash, and press Enter.

If you closed that window after DISM, open a new Windows Terminal or Command Prompt window as administrator first. Running SFC in a standard window will not work for this repair, because it needs administrator permission.

This tool is called System File Checker. It checks each protected Windows system file and compares it with the clean copy in the component store you just repaired. If a file is damaged, it tries to replace it with that clean copy.

Let it run until the verification reaches 100% and a final message appears. That usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes on a newer PC, and up to 45 to 60 minutes on an older PC, especially one with a hard drive.

The scan can also sit at one percentage for a while. Keep the window open, and do not shut the PC down, until you see 100% and the result message below it.

SFC ends with one of three main messages. The wording is stiff, so here is what each one means in plain English.

'Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.' No damaged protected system files were found. That is a good result, and the earlier store repair may have been the repair your PC needed.

'Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.' SFC found damaged files and replaced them with clean copies. This is the clearest sign that the scan did useful repair work.

'Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.' Some damaged files are still not fixed. Write down that message word for word, because it decides what you do next.

Whichever message you get, restart the PC when SFC has finished, even if it found no violations. Restarting loads the repaired files and gives Windows a clean start. Do this before you try Windows Update again.

If DISM or SFC Could Not Fix Everything

If DISM or SFC could not fix everything

If SFC said it could not fix some files, or DISM ended with an error, restart your PC and run the whole sequence once more, in the same order. DISM first, then SFC. A second pass sometimes finishes work the first pass started.

Stop there if the same failure comes back. One repeat is reasonable. Running the same commands again and again is unlikely to change the result, and it wastes the time you set aside for the repair.

Check the exact wording before you try anything else. If DISM said the source files could not be found, that points to error 0x800f081f. Follow the guide for 0x800f081f, which covers using install media as the source. Write down any other new code or message exactly as shown, because it may lead to a different fix.

Try the Update Again, and Know the Fix Has Worked

After restarting, open Settings, go to Windows Update, and select Check for updates. Run the update once, and give it its normal time to finish. It may sit quietly for a while, especially on an older PC.

The fix has worked if the update that failed before now shows as installed and error 0x80073712 does not come back. That result is your stopping point. You do not need to run the repair again just to check.

If 0x80073712 returns after two complete DISM-then-SFC passes, stop repeating the repair. Take the KB number of the failed update and the DISM and SFC result messages you noted to trusted help, such as Microsoft support or a local repair shop you already trust.