How to fix Windows upgrade error 0x80070004 - 0x2000D?

Error 0x80070004 - 0x2000D means Windows Setup could not open a file while it moved your files and settings into the new Windows, and it rolled back. Start by finding that file in setupact.log: it is usually in a user folder that was moved, a leftover account or a folder locked by another program.

Facts checked on 16 October 2026. Steps written for Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2 Setup run from Windows Update, the Installation Assistant and a mounted ISO, with Windows 10 22H2 and older Windows 11 versions as the starting system.

What Windows upgrade error 0x80070004 - 0x2000D means

Windows Setup reports a failed upgrade with two codes joined by a dash. Microsoft calls the first one the result code, which says what went wrong, and the second one the extend code, which says in which phase and during which operation it went wrong. This is the message the reader above saw:

Why the upgrade fails with 0x80070004 - 0x2000D

Microsoft does not publish one cause for this pair. For the close pair 0x80070004 - 0x3000D it says there are multiple possible causes and points to the logs. The ranking below follows what the code means, "cannot open the file" during data migration, and what users report. Each cause points to a fix.

How to fix Windows upgrade error 0x80070004 - 0x2000D

Fix 1 tells you which file Setup could not open, and that decides the rest. Fix 2 and Fix 3 solve the two most common causes: moved user folders and broken accounts. Fix 4 to Fix 6 remove what blocks or damages the files. Fix 7 is the fallback when nothing else works.

Fix 1. Find the file Setup could not open in setupact.log

10 minutesNo riskEveryone, right after the rollback. It takes 10 minutes and tells you which of the next fixes you need.

0x80070004 means one specific file could not be opened. Setup writes the path of that file into its log, so you fix that one folder or account instead of guessing.

1. Press Win + R, type C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther and press Enter. Select Continue if Windows asks for permission.
2. Copy setupact.log and setuperr.log to your Desktop, so a cleanup does not delete them.
3. Open the copy of setupact.log in Notepad and press Ctrl + End to go to the end.
4. Press Ctrl + F, type 0x80070004, choose Up and select Find next.
5. Read the lines just above the hit. Look for a path, for example a folder under C:\Users, a drive letter other than C, or a network path that starts with \\.
6. Note the path and match it to the chooser table above: a user folder goes to Fix 2, a profile to Fix 3, a program's folder to Fix 4.

If the Panther folder is empty or gone, Microsoft's free SetupDiag tool reads the same logs for you and names the rule that failed. Download it from Microsoft, run it as administrator and open the SetupDiagResults.log it writes next to itself.

Fix 2. Put moved user folders back and reconnect the drive they point to

15 minutes, longer for large foldersRead the warningDesktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music or Videos were moved to another drive, partition or network share, or the log path is on a drive other than C.

During MIGRATE_DATA, Setup follows every user folder to where it points. If that place is another partition, a network share or a disk that is no longer there, Setup cannot open it and stops with error 4.

1. Plug in every drive your user folders point to, and connect to the network share if one is used.
2. Open File Explorer, right-click Documents in the left pane and select Properties.
3. Open the Location tab. If the path is not C:\Users\<your name>\Documents, select Restore Default.
4. Select OK, then Yes to create the folder and Yes to move the files.
5. Repeat for Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, Music and Videos.
6. If OneDrive backs up these folders, it shows them under C:\Users\<your name>\OneDrive. That is a normal location and can stay.
7. Restart the PC and run the upgrade again.

Fix 3. Remove unused accounts and leftover user profiles, or upgrade from a new administrator account

20 minutesRead the warningThe PC has accounts nobody uses, Windows once signed you in with a temporary profile, or the log path is in another user's folder.

Setup migrates every profile on the PC, not only yours. One damaged or half-deleted profile is enough to stop MIGRATE_DATA, and removing it, or starting the upgrade from a fresh account, takes it out of the way.

1. Press Win + I and open Accounts > Other users in Windows 11, or Accounts > Family & other users in Windows 10.
2. Select an account you no longer use, then Remove and Delete account and data.
3. Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter. Open the Advanced tab and select Settings under User Profiles.
4. Look for profiles listed as Account Unknown. Select each one and select Delete.
5. Restart the PC and run the upgrade again.

If your own profile is the one in the log, create a new local administrator account, sign in to it and start the upgrade from there. Your old account stays and is migrated too, but Setup no longer runs inside it. Step by step: Create a new user account to test a problem

Fix 4. Uninstall the program that holds the file open, then upgrade in a clean boot

20 minutesLow riskThe log path is inside a program's folder, or the PC runs a non-Microsoft antivirus, backup, cloud sync, disk encryption or system tuning tool.

Programs that watch or lock files can stop Setup from opening them while it migrates data. Uninstalling the program for the upgrade, and starting Windows with only Microsoft services, removes the lock.

1. Press Win + I and open Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10.
2. Find the program from the log, or your non-Microsoft antivirus, and select Uninstall. Microsoft Defender takes over protection on its own.
3. Restart the PC.
4. Set up a clean boot so no other startup program runs, then start the upgrade.
5. After Windows is upgraded, undo the clean boot and install the newest version of the program.

The clean boot, step by step: How to perform a clean boot in Windows. Do not tick Safe boot in System Configuration: the upgrade cannot run in Safe Mode.

Fix 5. Reset Windows Update and remove the files of earlier attempts

15 minutesLow riskEarlier upgrade attempts failed, the upgrade comes through Windows Update, or drive C has less than 30 GB free.

Each failed attempt leaves its work folders on drive C. A fresh start with an empty cache means Setup does not reuse half-written files from the last rollback.

Copy setupact.log out first, as in Fix 1. Then reset the Windows Update components:

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

Then free space and remove what the failed attempts left: Free up disk space and delete temporary files. In Disk Cleanup, Temporary Windows installation files holds the old $WINDOWS.~BT folder. Do not delete that folder by hand.

Fix 6. Check the disk with CHKDSK and repair system files with SFC and DISM

30 minutes to 2 hoursLow riskCHKDSK or SFC has found errors before, the PC lost power during an earlier attempt, or other updates fail too.

A file that sits on a damaged part of the file system cannot be opened, which is exactly what error 4 says. CHKDSK repairs the file system and SFC with DISM repairs Windows' own files.

First check drive C for file system errors: Check a disk for errors (chkdsk). Then repair Windows system files:

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 7. Upgrade from the ISO and keep personal files only

1 to 2 hoursRead the warningFix 1 to Fix 6 did not help, and you accept installing your apps again after the upgrade.

With Keep personal files only, Setup carries over your files but not your apps and their settings. That is much less data to migrate, so a broken app folder or setting no longer stops MIGRATE_DATA.

1. On Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page, download the ISO under Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices.
2. Right-click the ISO and select Mount, then open the new drive and double-click setup.exe.
3. When Setup asks what to keep, select Change what to keep.
4. Select Keep personal files only, then Next and Install.
5. After the upgrade, install your apps again from their makers.

More on the keep options and what each one removes: Reinstall Windows without losing files

If error 0x80070004 - 0x2000D is still there

When every fix fails, the answer is still in the logs. Each attempt writes a new setupact.log, so copy it out right after the rollback and compare the path with the one from the last attempt.

• What to send to support: the full code, your current Windows version and build, how you started the upgrade, and the PC model.
• Attach setupact.log and setuperr.log from C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\Panther, or the SetupDiag result.
• Say which folders or accounts you changed and what happened after that.

How to keep 0x80070004 - 0x2000D from coming back

Frequently asked questions

What does 0x80070004 - 0x2000D mean?

It means Windows Setup could not open a file while it moved your data into the new Windows. Microsoft's guide to upgrade error codes splits the code in two. The result code 0x80070004 is Win32 error 4, ERROR_TOO_MANY_OPEN_FILES, with the text "The system cannot open the file." The extend code 0x2000D is phase 2, SP_EXECUTION_SAFE_OS, with operation 0D, SP_EXECUTION_OP_MIGRATE_DATA. Setup then rolls back to your old Windows. The file is named in setupact.log.

What is 0x8007042B - 0x2000D?

It fails at the same step, data migration in the SAFE_OS phase, but with another first code. 0x8007042B is Win32 error 1067, ERROR_PROCESS_ABORTED: "The process terminated unexpectedly." A process Setup needed for the migration stopped, instead of a file failing to open. Users report it with security software, system tuning tools and modified Windows images. Read setupact.log the same way as in Fix 1, then try Fix 4 and Fix 7 first. The search spellings 0x8007042B-0x2000D and 0x8007042B 0x2000D are the same error.

Does 0x8007042B - 0x2000D happen on Windows 11 too?

Yes. The code pair is the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11, because both use the same Setup engine with the same phases and operations. Users report it during upgrades to Windows 11 versions such as 23H2, 24H2 and 25H2, as well as during older Windows 10 feature updates. The window title then reads Windows 11 Setup. The fixes on this page apply unchanged, and the log is in the same Panther folder.

What is 0x80070005 - 0x2000D?

The first code, 0x80070005, is Win32 error 5, ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED: "Access is denied." With 0x2000D it means Setup found the file but was not allowed to read it while migrating data. Microsoft lists the close pair 0x80070005 - 0x4000D as access denied during data migration and says to find the denied item in the logs. Start with Fix 1, then Fix 4 for security software and Fix 3 for profiles with broken permissions.

What does 0x2000D mean on its own?

0x2000D is only the extend code, the when of the error. The first digit, 2, is the SAFE_OS phase, when the PC runs a small setup environment after the first restart. The last two digits, 0D, are the MIGRATE_DATA operation, when Setup moves user files, settings and apps. It tells you where the upgrade stopped, not why. The why is in the first code, such as 0x80070004, 0x8007042B or 0x80070005. Searches for 0x2000 usually mean the same code with the last letter cut off.

Is 0x80070004 always an upgrade error?

No. 0x80070004 alone is a general Windows error, "The system cannot open the file", and also shows up in Intune app installs and other installers. This page covers it as part of a Windows upgrade, together with 0x2000D. If you see 0x80070004 in Intune or the Company Portal, the cause is in that app's install command or files, and the fixes here do not apply.

Do I lose my files when the upgrade rolls back?

No. The rollback returns the PC to the Windows you had before, with your files, apps and settings. Windows says so in the message: "We've set your PC back to the way it was right before you started installing." Only the time is lost. Your files are at risk only in the fixes that say so: deleting accounts in Fix 3, moving folders in Fix 2, and Fix 7, which removes apps. Back up before those.

Does turning off the antivirus fix it?

Usually not, and the reader above already tried it. Turning off a third-party antivirus often leaves its drivers and file filters running. If security software is the cause, uninstall it for the upgrade and reinstall it afterwards, as in Fix 4. Microsoft Defender does not need to be turned off. Pause it for one attempt only if you have no other lead, and turn it back on right after: Turn off Microsoft Defender protection for a moment.

Will the Windows Update troubleshooter fix 0x80070004 - 0x2000D?

Rarely. The troubleshooter repairs the download and install service of Windows Update. This error happens later, after the download, inside the setup environment that migrates your data, which the troubleshooter does not reach. It does no harm to run it, but if the upgrade came through Windows Update, resetting the components in Fix 5 is the stronger version of the same idea. For this code, the log in Fix 1 helps more.

What does site:ugetfix.com show for this error?

That search lists the pages on this site. For upgrade errors in the same family, such as 0x80070002 - 0x20007 or 0xC1900101, uGetFix has separate guides, each built around its own code pair. This page covers 0x80070004 - 0x2000D and its close relatives 0x8007042B - 0x2000D and 0x80070005 - 0x2000D, which fail at the same migration step of a Windows upgrade.