The 0x80070541 error code signals that the update failed to install due to a WU server issue. Most users see this error after attempting to install update KB5001649. Fortunately, there are a couple of confirmed hotfixes.
1. Install the Update Hotfix
If the simple restart didn’t fix the issue in your case and you’re still experiencing the 0x80070541 error when attempting to install a particular update, the next step is to check if Microsoft has released a hotfix for this issue. Note: Historically, what Microsoft tends to do with a bad update that has already reached many people is release a channel-wide hotfix. This is like an updated re-release that will download via Windows Update. If Microsoft has made another update available as an attempt to fix the 0x80070541 error, you should be able to find it inside Windows Update. Follow the instructions below to install the Windows Update hotfix is available: If you’re still experiencing the same issue, move to the next method below.
2. Install the update manually
If the methods above didn’t help your cause, one other thing you can try before going for a repair install is to use the Microsoft Update Catalog to install the problematic update manually. If the problem is occurring due to a WU inconsistency, you might be able to ‘sideload’ the update from the official Microsoft Update Catalog. Note: This fix has been confirmed to work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Here’s how to install the problematic update manually: If the problem is still not fixed, move to the final fix below.
3. Repair install or clean install
If none of the solutions in this article helped you clear your Windows Update queue of the 0x80070541 error, there is still one more option. At this point, the only thing to do is replace every system file related to Windows Update with fresh equivalents. To do this, you only have two options:
Clean install: Try this if you need a quick fix and aren’t too concerned about data loss. The biggest problem with a clean installation of Windows is that if you don’t make a backup of your data first, it will delete all of your files and apps that are currently on the same disk as your operating system. Repair install (in-place repair): If you have the time to do it, we suggest using an in-place repair instead of a repair install. This method’s main benefit is that all your files, games, and programs are kept even though it takes a little longer, and you need the right Windows installation media.
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