Solved: Windows Update Error 0x8007000e on Windows Server 2025
Quick Fix Summary
TL;DRFree up disk space on the system drive and run the Windows Update Troubleshooter.
Error 0x8007000e (E_OUTOFMEMORY) indicates Windows Update failed due to insufficient system resources, typically disk space or memory. This is a critical failure that prevents security patches and system updates from installing.
Diagnosis & Causes
Recovery Steps
Step 1: Free Critical Disk Space
Clear temporary files and the SoftwareDistribution folder, which caches updates. This is the most common fix.
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserverStep 2: Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
Use the built-in diagnostic tool to automatically detect and repair common service issues.
msdt.exe /id WindowsUpdateDiagnosticStep 3: Reset Windows Update Components via DISM and SFC
Use Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to repair the Windows image, then use System File Checker (SFC).
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannowStep 4: Manually Re-register Windows Update DLLs
If the automated steps fail, manually re-register the core Windows Update libraries from an elevated PowerShell session.
Get-ChildItem -Path $env:systemroot\system32\ -Filter *.dll | Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*wu*.dll' } | ForEach-Object { regsvr32.exe /s $_.FullName }Step 5: Check for and Resolve Pending Updates
Use the DISM tool to check for pending operations that might be stuck and consuming resources, then clean them.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBaseArchitect's Pro Tip
"On virtualized servers, the error can manifest due to thin-provisioned disks hitting storage limits. Check the hypervisor layer and expand the virtual disk before OS-level fixes."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete the SoftwareDistribution folder?
Yes. The Windows Update service will recreate it. Stopping the associated services first is crucial to avoid file locks.
What is the minimum free space required for Windows Update on Server 2025?
Microsoft recommends at least 32 GB of free space on the system drive for updates, but 20+ GB is often the practical minimum for large cumulative updates.
Can this error be caused by a lack of RAM, not disk space?
Yes. The error code translates to E_OUTOFMEMORY. If disk space is sufficient, check for memory leaks, high memory usage from other apps, or insufficient page file size.