Error 0x80070570: File Is Corrupted or Unreadable

Windows throws error 0x80070570 when it reaches a file or folder it cannot read. It appears in three different jobs: installing a Windows update, installing Windows itself, and copying or deleting a single file. The code names the symptom, not the cause, so this guide sorts out which job threw error 0x80070570 and gives the fix order for each.

What Error 0x80070570 Means

The code is a Win32 error, 1392 in decimal and 0x570 in hex. Microsoft's system error code list defines it as ERROR_FILE_CORRUPT: "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable." The 0x8007 prefix only says the error came from the Win32 layer. Windows Update reports the same code under the name ERROR_FILE_OR_DIRECTORY_CORRUPTED.

Something Windows needed was damaged, truncated or locked away by a failing disk. That one sentence covers four very different causes, so find the job first. If the failure shows in Windows Update, open the CBS.log or WindowsUpdate.log and look for a line like Failed to internally open package [HRESULT = 0x80070570]. That line is Microsoft's own example of the update variant. Then run sfc /verifyonly from an elevated Command Prompt. It scans system files and reports problems without fixing anything, which tells you whether the damage is inside Windows or somewhere else.

If the error appears on a USB installer or during setup, jump to the media section. If it appears on one file you cannot copy or delete, jump to the last repair section. The code is the same across all three, but the fix order is not.

Windows Update: Microsoft's Fix Order

Microsoft's troubleshooting page for this error was updated in July 2025. It lists five causes: corrupted files in the update download folder, a corrupted component store, a damaged system volume with bad sectors or file system errors, security software interfering while Windows extracts an update, and a download that was interrupted and left truncated files. It also says to back up the system disk before you start. The steps run from cheapest to most invasive, and each one ends with a restart and another try.

Step one clears the download cache, which forces Windows Update to fetch fresh copies:

cmd
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
rd /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download
net start bits
net start wuauserv

Step two repairs the component store with DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Our guide to DISM RestoreHealth covers what to do when that command itself fails. Step three runs sfc /scannow to repair system files from the repaired store. Step four runs chkdsk C: /f /r, which checks the disk for bad sectors and file system damage and needs a restart to scan the system volume.

If all four fail, take the update out of the download path. The Microsoft Update Catalog lets you download the package by hand and install it from the file, which sidesteps a truncated download. That workaround is practitioner practice, not a step on Microsoft's page, and it will not help if the disk is the real cause.

Installing Windows: Suspect the Media First

During a clean install the error usually means Setup read a damaged file from the installer or from the drive it was writing to. Microsoft's update page does not cover this case, so what follows is practitioner order, cheapest first.

Run the installer from a different USB port, ideally a rear port on a desktop. Disconnect every drive you do not need, because a flaky second disk can fail the install. Rebuild the USB stick from a fresh download, and verify the ISO with Get-FileHash. Microsoft's reference for the cmdlet says changing even one character in a file changes its hash, so a hash that does not match the published value means the download is damaged. If the hash matches and the error returns, test the memory with the Windows Memory Diagnostic, because bad RAM corrupts files in flight.

A thread from December 2023 on r/pcmasterrace shows the pattern: a person stuck at this error partway through an install.

Britec09's walkthrough shows the update-side fixes on screen, which is useful to send to a user who would rather watch than read.

If the install still fails on a known-good stick with a known-good ISO, the target drive is the suspect. Run the manufacturer's diagnostic on it before you try again.

One File Will Not Copy or Delete

When a single file or folder throws the error, the file system has marked it unreadable. Check the disk before you touch the file again. Microsoft's chkdsk reference (May 2025) says the /f switch fixes errors on the disk and /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. Back up everything you can read first, since a repair pass can discard what it cannot recover. Our guide to the parameter is incorrect walks through the chkdsk repair order in full, so use it rather than guessing at switches.

A thread from March 2024 on r/techsupport has the classic version: the message about the file or directory being corrupted and unreadable, on a file that would not move.

If chkdsk cannot repair the volume, or the same drive throws the error again within weeks, treat the drive as failing. Copy what matters off it and replace it. A repair that keeps needing repeating is a drive telling you its flash or platters are going.

Across a Fleet

One machine with this error points at that machine's cache, component store or disk. The same code on many machines at once points at something shared: a security agent that interferes with extraction, a download proxy that truncates files, or a bad ISO or image that every build used. Find out which before you open ten tickets.

Windows Update logs its install failures in the System event log. This query counts the ones that carry the code, per machine:

powershell
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='System'; ProviderName='Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient'} -MaxEvents 500 |
  Where-Object { $_.Message -match '0x80070570' } |
  Group-Object { $_.TimeCreated.Date } | Select-Object Name, Count

Run it across the fleet and sort by count. A single machine with a high count gets the repair order above, starting with the disk. A spread of low counts across many machines on the same day gets a look at what changed that day. OpenFrame can run this script across a client's devices and collect the output in one place. For other queries like it, our list of useful PowerShell commands is a good place to start.

Short Version

Error 0x80070570 means Windows hit a corrupted or unreadable file or directory. For updates, follow Microsoft's order: clear the update cache, run DISM, run SFC, then chkdsk. For installs, swap the USB port and stick, verify the ISO hash and test the RAM. For a single file, check the disk and back up first. Repeats on one drive mean replace the drive.

FAQ

What does error 0x80070570 mean?

It means Windows could not read a file or directory because it is corrupted or unreadable. Microsoft defines the underlying code as ERROR_FILE_CORRUPT, "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable." The cause could be a damaged download, a damaged Windows component store, a bad USB installer or a failing disk.

How do I fix error 0x80070570 on Windows Update?

Follow Microsoft's order: clear the SoftwareDistribution download folder, run DISM with RestoreHealth, run sfc /scannow, then run chkdsk C: /f /r. Restart and retry after each step, and back up the system disk before you start.

Can bad RAM cause error 0x80070570?

Yes. Memory errors can corrupt files while Windows reads or writes them, so a clean install that keeps failing on good media is a reason to run a memory test. Test the RAM before you replace the drive.

Is error 0x80070570 a sign the drive is failing?

It can be. If the error comes back after a successful repair, or chkdsk reports bad sectors it cannot fix, treat the drive as failing. Copy what matters off it and replace it.