How to fix Windows update error 0x800f0905?

Error 0x800f0905 is a servicing error: Windows could not change its own update packages. It shows up in two ways, as an install error next to a new update and as a failed uninstall of an update, as with KB5074109 in January 2026. Restart and check for updates first, then follow the fixes for your case.

Facts checked on 15 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 (24H2, 25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What Windows update error 0x800f0905 means

0x800f0905 comes from Component-Based Servicing (CBS), the Windows service that installs and removes system packages such as monthly updates. It is not a download error. The update files are on the PC, and Windows stopped while it was adding them or taking them out.

Microsoft Learn gives the code the name CBS_E_NO_ACTIVE_EDITION and lists it among errors where "the only reliable resolution is an in-place upgrade". Microsoft does not describe the name for home users. Read literally, servicing could not find the Windows edition package it expected to change, which points to a damaged or inconsistent package store rather than to the update itself.

Why error 0x800f0905 appears

The causes are ordered from the most likely to the least likely. The first question is whether you were installing or removing an update, because the fixes are different.

The January 2026 wave is the best known case. KB5074109, the Windows 11 security update of 13 January 2026 (OS builds 26100.7623 and 26200.7623), caused app freezes with files on OneDrive and Dropbox. Windows Central reported on 23 January 2026 that some users could not uninstall it because of 0x800f0905. Users on forums report the same with other monthly updates.

Where CBS.log is and what to look for

You do not need the log for the first fixes. Read it when they did not help, or before you ask for help, because it names the package that failed.

1. Press Win + R, type %systemroot%\Logs\CBS and press Enter.
2. Copy CBS.log to the Desktop and open the copy in Notepad, so the original stays untouched.
3. Press Ctrl + F and search for 0x800f0905. Note the time of the last hit.
4. Look a few lines above that hit for the package name, which usually contains the KB number or the build number.
5. If the failure is older, open the CbsPersist_*.cab files in the same folder. A .cab file opens like a folder in File Explorer.

• A package name with the KB you tried to remove: go to Fix 2.
• The words ERROR_SXS_COMPONENT_STORE_CORRUPT or mark store corrupt: go to Fix 5, then Fix 8.
• No clear line at all: go through the fixes in order.

How to fix Windows update error 0x800f0905

Fix 1 helps in both cases. Fix 2 and Fix 3 are for an update that will not uninstall, Fix 4 for one that will not install. Fix 5 to Fix 7 are the general repairs, each short with the full procedure linked. Fix 8 and Fix 9 reinstall Windows over itself and keep your apps and files, which Microsoft names as the reliable repair for this code.

Fix 1. Restart the PC and install the newest update

5 to 20 minutesNo riskAlways first, in both cases. Above all when the problem came with this month's update.

A restart finishes servicing work that waits on files in use. Cumulative updates also replace each other: Microsoft's KB5078127 of 24 January 2026 includes everything in KB5074109 and fixes its OneDrive and Dropbox problem, so installing the newer update ends the reason to remove the old one.

1. Save your work and select Start > Power > Restart. Use Restart, not Shut down.
2. Open Settings > Windows Update. If updates are paused, select Resume updates.
3. Select Check for updates and install everything that is offered, including optional fixes for a known problem.
4. If an update shows Install error - 0x800f0905, select Retry next to it once.
5. Restart again when asked, then open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and check that the newest update is listed as installed.

Fix 2. Remove the stuck update with DISM instead of Settings or wusa

10 to 20 minutesRead the warningUninstall failed with 0x800f0905 in Settings, or wusa /uninstall fails with the same code.

Monthly updates now come as one package with the servicing stack update inside. Microsoft says wusa /uninstall does not work on such a package and that the cumulative part is removed with DISM /Remove-Package and the package name.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin). Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. List the installed packages as a table:

   DISM /Online /Get-Packages /Format:Table

3. Find the line whose name starts with Package_for_RollupFix and contains the build number of the update, for example 26100.7623 for KB5074109. Copy the whole name.
4. Remove that package. Paste your own package name after the colon:

   DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:<package name>

5. Wait until DISM says The operation completed successfully. and restart the PC when it asks.
6. Open Settings > Windows Update and pause updates, so the same update does not come back at once.

Fix 3. Undo the update with System Restore

15 to 30 minutesLow riskYou want the update gone and a restore point from before it exists. Windows creates one before most updates when System Protection is on.

System Restore puts system files, drivers and the registry back to an earlier state without going through the update's own removal, so the servicing step that fails with 0x800f0905 is not used. Windows Central named it as one of the two ways around the failed KB5074109 rollback.

1. Open System Restore. Press Windows+R, type the command below and press Enter. You can also open Control Panel > Recovery > Open System Restore. If a first page opens, select Next.

   rstrui.exe

2. Choose a restore point. Select a restore point from a time before the problem started. The Description often names the event, such as a driver or app install. If the one you need is missing, select Show more restore points (shown only when there are more).

   

3. See what will change. Select Scan for affected programs. The upper list shows programs and drivers that will be removed; the lower list shows those that might come back and may need to be reinstalled. Select Close.

   

4. Start the restore. Select Next, check the summary and select Finish. Windows restarts and applies the restore point. Do not turn the PC off.
5. Check the result. After sign-in Windows reports whether the restore succeeded. Check whether the problem is gone.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Undo recent changes with System Restore

Fix 4. Install the failing update by hand from the Microsoft Update Catalog

20 to 40 minutesLow riskOne update shows Install error - 0x800f0905 on every retry.

The catalog gives the full package instead of the small pieces Windows Update sends, so a damaged or missing piece in the update cache is not used again. It also shows whether the fault is the download or the PC: if the full package fails too, the PC needs Fix 5 or Fix 8.

1. Check your Windows version. Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter. Note the version (for example 25H2) and the OS build.
2. Find the KB number. Open Settings > Windows Update. A failed or pending update is listed with its KB number; earlier ones are under Update history.
3. Check the processor type. Open Settings > System > About and look at System type: an x64-based PC needs the x64 file, an ARM-based PC (for example Snapdragon) needs the arm64 file.
4. Search the catalog. Open the Microsoft Update Catalog at catalog.update.microsoft.com in your browser, type the KB number (for example KB5124010) in the search box and press Enter.
5. Pick the right row. Find the row whose title names your Windows version and your processor type (x64-based or arm64-based) and select Download on that row.
6. Download every file listed. A window lists one or more .msu links. Download all of them into one empty folder, for example C:\packages. On Windows 11 24H2 and later the list can include earlier checkpoint updates that the new one needs.
7. Install a single file. If there is only one file, double-click it and confirm the installation in the Windows Update Standalone Installer.
8. Install several files with DISM. If there are several files, open an elevated Terminal or Command Prompt and run DISM with the newest file. DISM finds the other files in the same folder and installs them in the right order.

   DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\packages\<newest-file>.msu

9. Restart. Restart the PC when the installation finishes, then run winver again: the OS build should have changed.

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and later; Windows 10 22H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Install an update from the Microsoft Update Catalog

Fix 5. Repair the component store with DISM and SFC

15 to 40 minutesNo riskThe manual install failed, DISM in Fix 2 failed, or the error comes back every month.

Servicing reads and writes the component store in C:\Windows\WinSxS for every install and every removal. DISM with RestoreHealth replaces damaged components with clean copies, and SFC then repairs the system files built from them.

1. Open an elevated command window. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin), or type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.

   

2. Run DISM first. Type the command below and press Enter. DISM downloads clean copies of damaged components from Windows Update, so it can take several minutes. Wait until it says The operation completed successfully.

   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

   

3. Run System File Checker. In the same window, type the command below and press Enter. Do not close the window until the verification reaches 100%.

   sfc /scannow

   

4. Read the result and restart. Compare the last message with the table below this guide, then restart the PC so that repaired files are loaded.

   

These steps were written for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run DISM and SFC to repair Windows system files

Fix 6. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

5 minutesNo riskYou do not want to type commands, or the fixes above changed nothing.

The troubleshooter checks the update services and clears a stuck attempt. It does not repair the component store, but it is free of risk and rules out the simple cases before a reinstall.

1. Open Troubleshoot settings. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot.
2. Open the list of troubleshooters. Select Other troubleshooters.

   

3. Run the Windows Update troubleshooter. Under Most frequent, select Run next to Windows Update. The Get Help app opens and starts the checks.

   

4. Read the result. Wait until Get Help finishes. If it found and fixed a problem, it says so and asks whether this solved the problem. Answer the question so it can offer the next step.

   

5. Restart the PC. Restart when the troubleshooter finishes, even if it does not ask you to.
6. Check for updates again. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, and install the updates it finds.

These steps were written for Windows 11 (screenshots: 26H2). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Run the Windows Update troubleshooter

Fix 7. Reset the Windows Update components and the update cache

10 minutesLow riskAn update fails to install at once, at the same point every time.

A damaged download in the SoftwareDistribution folder is used again at every retry. Stopping the update services, among them BITS and Windows Update, and renaming the cache folders makes Windows download the update again. It does not help an update that will not uninstall.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type cmd in the search box, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. Select Yes when Windows asks for permission.
2. Stop the update services. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. If Windows says that other services depend on Cryptographic Services, it stops them too. A message that a service is not started is fine.

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop bits
   net stop cryptsvc

3. Delete the download queue files. This clears the list of downloads that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service keeps. If Windows says it cannot find the files, continue.

   del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

4. Rename the update cache folders. Renaming keeps a copy in case you need it; Windows creates new, empty folders when the services start again. If you get Access is denied, a service is still running: repeat the previous step.

   ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
   ren %systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

5. Start the services again. Type the commands below and press Enter after each one. The requested service has already been started is fine: Windows started it on its own.

   net start cryptsvc
   net start bits
   net start wuauserv

6. Restart and check for updates. Restart the PC. Then select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. The first check can take longer than usual because everything is downloaded again.

These steps were written for Windows 11 and Windows 10 (the steps are the same). The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reset Windows Update components

Fix 8. Reinstall Windows over itself with Fix problems using Windows Update

1 to 2 hoursLow riskNothing above worked, in either case.

The reinstall puts a clean copy of your current Windows in place, with a healthy package store. Microsoft Learn calls an in-place reinstall the only reliable resolution when 0x800F0905 is in the CBS log. Users who could not remove KB5074109 report that the update was gone afterwards.

1. Open Recovery in Settings. Open Settings > System > Recovery. Next to Fix problems using Windows Update, select Reinstall now. This keeps your apps, files and settings.

   

2. Start the reinstall. Choose whether the PC may restart on its own 15 minutes after the installation, then select OK.
3. Wait and restart. Windows Update downloads and installs a repair copy of your current Windows version. Keep the PC plugged in and online, and restart it when asked.

These steps were written for Windows 11 22H2 and later. The full page with the other versions and what each result means: Reinstall Windows without losing files

• Keep the PC plugged in and online for the whole reinstall.
• The option is in Settings > System > Recovery as Fix problems using Windows Update with a Reinstall now button. It can be missing on a PC managed by work or school.
• Older restore points can be gone afterwards, so use Fix 3 first if you need one.

Fix 9. Run an in-place upgrade with Windows setup and keep your files

1 to 2 hoursLow riskFix 8 is missing or failed, on Windows 11 or Windows 10.

Setup replaces every system component and keeps your data, apps and settings. It is the in-place upgrade Microsoft names for this code, done with the normal setup window instead of the server command.

1. Back up the files you cannot lose, as in Fix 8.
2. Open Microsoft's Windows 11 download page and download the Installation Assistant, or the ISO under Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO). On Windows 10 that cannot move to Windows 11, use the Windows 10 download page.
3. With the ISO: double-click it to open it as a drive and run setup.exe. With the Installation Assistant: run it and follow it.
4. When setup asks what to keep, select Keep personal files and apps.
5. Leave the PC on and online until it restarts into Windows.
6. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.

Microsoft Learn describes the same repair for servers as setup.exe /auto upgrade /dynamicupdate disable. On a home PC the normal setup window does the same job.

If error 0x800f0905 is still there

When the in-place upgrade did not help or could not start, the next step depends on who manages the PC and what CBS.log says.

• What to send to support: the exact code, whether it was an install or an uninstall, the KB number, the build from winver and CBS.log.
• Which fixes you already ran, and the last line DISM printed.
• This is not a hardware fault in itself. The exception is a drive that reports errors in chkdsk: a failing drive damages the store again after every repair.

How to keep error 0x800f0905 from coming back

Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 PC that stops installing updates is better moved to Windows 11 with the in-place upgrade in Fix 9, if its hardware allows it.

Frequently asked questions

What does error 0x800f0905 mean?

It means Windows could not add or remove an update package. The code comes from Component-Based Servicing, and Microsoft Learn gives it the name CBS_E_NO_ACTIVE_EDITION. Microsoft lists it among the servicing errors where an in-place upgrade is the reliable repair. It is not a network error: the files are on the PC. You see it as Install error - 0x800f0905 next to a new update, or as a failed uninstall of an installed update.

Why can't I uninstall KB5074109 with error 0x800f0905?

KB5074109 is the Windows 11 security update of 13 January 2026, OS builds 26100.7623 and 26200.7623. It came as a combined package with the servicing stack update, and Microsoft says wusa /uninstall does not work on such a package. Windows Central reported the failed rollback on 23 January 2026. You do not need to remove it any more: KB5078127 of 24 January 2026 includes it and fixes its OneDrive and Dropbox problem. Install that with Fix 1.

How do I uninstall an update when Settings says Uninstall failed 0x800f0905?

Use DISM instead of Settings. Open Terminal as administrator, run DISM /Online /Get-Packages /Format:Table, find the Package_for_RollupFix line with the build number of the update and remove it with DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName: followed by that name. Microsoft documents this as the way to remove the cumulative part of a combined package. Fix 2 has every step. If DISM fails too, use System Restore in Fix 3.

Does error 0x800f0905 appear on Windows 11?

Yes, most reports in 2025 and 2026 are from Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, and the KB5074109 uninstall problem was a Windows 11 problem. The menus on this page are the Windows 11 ones: Settings, Windows Update, Update history. The fixes are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10, with the Windows 10 path given where it differs. On Windows 11, Fix problems using Windows Update is under Settings > System > Recovery.

I get 0x800f0905 on Windows 10. Are the fixes the same?

Yes. Windows 10 uses the same servicing stack, and its message is longer: There were some problems installing updates, but we'll try again later, with (0x800f0905) at the end. Fix 1, Fix 4, Fix 5 and Fix 7 work the same way. Windows 10 left support on 14 October 2025, so a Windows 10 PC that stops updating is a good moment to move to Windows 11 with Fix 9, if the hardware allows it.

What does Installer encountered an error: 0x800f0905 mean?

It is the same servicing error shown by the Windows Update Standalone Installer, the window that opens when you run an .msu file or use wusa from the command line. During an uninstall it usually means the update is a combined package that wusa cannot remove: use DISM in Fix 2. During an install it means the package could not be added: repair the component store in Fix 5, then use the repair reinstall in Fix 8.

Is 0x800f0905 a known issue that Microsoft will fix?

Not as a published known issue for the code. Microsoft fixes the bugs of a bad update in the next one, as KB5078127 did for KB5074109, but the error code itself means the servicing step failed on your PC. Microsoft Learn lists 0x800F0905 among errors where an in-place upgrade is the reliable resolution. So the repair is on the PC: Fix 2 or Fix 3 for an uninstall, Fix 4, Fix 5 or a reinstall that keeps your files for an install.

Do I lose my files with Fix problems using Windows Update?

No. It reinstalls the current version of Windows and keeps your apps, files and settings. This is different from Reset this PC, which removes your apps even when you keep your files. Still, back up the files you cannot lose first, keep a laptop on its charger and plan for one to two hours. Users report that older restore points can be gone afterwards, so if you want to use System Restore, do that first.

Why does Windows Update use so many resources while it keeps failing?

Because it downloads and tries to install the same update again on every attempt. The download and the servicing work use the disk and the processor for a long time, then fail and start over the next day. Fixing the error ends the loop. While you work through the fixes, you can pause updates for a week in Settings > Windows Update. Do not leave them paused for months, because the failed update carries the security fixes.

Is this page the answer for errore 0x800f0905, erro 0x800f0905 and other languages?

Yes. The code is the same in every language of Windows: only the words in front of it are translated, such as errore, erro or erreur. The fixes on this page are the same. The menu names in the steps are the English ones. In another display language, follow the position of the items: Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history. The DISM commands are typed the same way on every PC.