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The Windows driver error 0x80070103 is displayed when you try to install a different version (including a lower-compatibility option) of a driver already on your system. Let’s use the following steps to remove the error message.
While we focus on Windows 11 here, similar steps should work for handling this error on Windows 10.
1. Pause and Resume Windows Updates
Pausing and resuming Windows updates on your computer is one of the most straightforward ways to solve the install error 0x80070103 in Windows. This forces Windows to check for driver updates again and fixes any temporary issues triggering the error.
PressWin + Ito openSettingsand head to theWindows Updatetab. Choose thePause for 1 weekbutton (next toPause updates) in the right pane. Then, click theResume updatesbutton. Wait for Windows to check for updates; it should no longer display the problematic driver update.
2. Hide the Problematic Update
You can hide the problematic update to fix the 0x80070103 error. For that, you must use Microsoft’sShow or Hide Updatestool. Here are the steps:
While the Show or Hide Updates tool is available as of this writing, Microsoft plans to retire it eventually. In its place, you canrun Windows troubleshootersto access the same functions. Go toSettings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Update.
Once you hide the problematic driver update, you won’t see the 0x80070103 error in the Windows Update tab.
3. Reset Windows Update Components
Windows Update components on your PC are responsible for downloading and installing updates. If these components have become damaged or corrupted, you could encounter many update errors, including the one discussed here.
To fix this, you mustreset Windows Update componentsby running a few commands in the Command Prompt or creating and executing a batch file. After that, the install error 0x80070103 should not bother you.
4. Try Other Generic Fixes
In most cases, one of the above tips should help fix the error. If not, you can try a few generic Windows update fixes to resolve the error:
Installing the latest updates on your computer is always a good idea to keep it running smoothly and securely. But thanks to driver conflicts, the process may not always go as expected. Hopefully, the above tips will resolve the 0x80070103 error and bring your PC back to normal.
