How to Fix Windows 7 update error code 8007000D

Recently, I have been having all kinds of problems with Windows update, especially after the release of Windows 7 SP1. One of the frustrating things about Windows errors is the silly “Get help with this error” message that tells you absolutely nothing about how to fix the errors. Rants aside, here’s how to fix one of those cryptic errors, specifically error code 8007000D also represented by its hex variant 0x8007000D. Sometimes this error will read as ERROR_INVALID_DATA Suggestion: 8007000D. What it means is that there is some form of corruption in the SoftwareDistribution folder. The simplest fix is to rename the folder at this location “%windir%/Softwaredistribution – normally, that should be Computer | C Drive | Windows |Softwaredistribution. To be able to rename the folder, you should first stop the Window Update service like this: Make sure you are logged on as an Administrator Stop the Windows Update service For the long-winded folks do this: Press the Start button | Control Panel | System and Security | Administrative Tools Double click “Services” For the shortcut-minded, go to Start | Run  or press the Windows logo + R on your keyboard and type services.msc in the “Open” box to access the services console: Scroll to and select the Windows Update service, then click the “Stop” button on top (see image). This will stop the Windows Update services and allow you to rename the folder. After renaming the folder, restart the Windows Update service and try updating your system again. The update service should recreate the SoftwareDistribution folder and repopulate it with update data including missing updates and you should be able to install updates. It worked for me but as usual, your experience may be different. After installing the failed updates, check for updates again, and you will most like get a “No important updates available” message like the one above. You could also try the System Update Readiness Tool from Microsoft – this is normally installed by Windows update, but can be downloaded and installed manually. The System Update Readiness Tool tries to resolve inconsistencies  in system resources like file data, registry data, in-memory data etc. which can develop “during the lifetime of the operating system”. These inconsistencies might be caused by various hardware failures or might be caused by software issues. According to Microsoft, “In some cases, these inconsistencies can affect the Windows servicing store, and they can cause software updates not to work.” Bottom-line, such inconsistencies can mess up the Windows Update services and prevent your computer from installing updates. The System Update Readiness Tool verifies the integrity of the following resources: Files that are located under the following directories: %SYSTEMROOT%\Servicing\Packages %SYSTEMROOT%\WinSxS\Manifests Registry data that is located under the following registry subkeys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Components HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Schema HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing When the System Update Readiness Tool detects incorrect manifests, files, or registry data, it might replace the incorrect data with a corrected version.