Unusual Files in C Drive After FAILED Windows Update Attempts!

Anonymous
2025-05-12T21:05:39+00:00

Windows 10

Just wanted to give it a fair go one more time by trying to fix problems myself, but still a major failure with Windows Updates.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any issues with the PC itself that I can find using what is available - it really does seem to be corrupt Window Updates.

Error Code: 0x80070057

Reset was done back in February, but didn't work. The only Antivirus third party programs on it before then was Kaspersky and AVG.

AVG was removed in the last part of 2024 and then reintroduced after the reset then removed again when told to remove everything by Microsoft Support.

Current Anti-virus is disabled.

Over the last 48 hours:

a: Scannow came back clean.

b: Chkdsk found nothing.

c: DISM also didn't resolve any issues as none found.

d: Ample storage in C Drive like 500 GBs.

e: Managed to rename SoftwareDistribution folders after the net stop ... net start steps, but made no difference.

f: Troubleshooter had pending restart at first, but since then troubleshooter detects no issues.

g: Have manually downloaded the updates from February and April (can't find anything for March) only these won't install either.

h: With Windows Update ERROR ENCOUNTERED does come up and Troubleshooter still detects nothing.

i: No malware or anything as that was checked prior via someone in the Microsoft Community and I still do checks myself.

j: Under RegEdit after exporting changed the values to 0 for Window Update Ux like:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX]

"IsConvergedUpdateStackEnabled"=dword:00000000

h: Diskcheckup found no issues.

On checking C Drive about the storage space as I was wondering if maybe I was missing something**,** just in case, I discovered these folders or files and was wondering if my PC is now compromised or these are a tell tale sign of Windows Update being corrupted or Other as these have only appeared in the last 6 hours or so.

NOTE: Will be doing a clean install at some point, but not just yet as need to copy some stuff over that I want to keep and as it may take several hours...

There is one or two others like below as well and all dated the same.

Thanks in advance!

![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/1dd5b0e5-3eb0-45a8-b043-631470329b6c?platform=QnA

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-05-15T03:17:18+00:00

    Hi Min,

    Code 28 means "The drivers for this device are not installed".

    1. Please launch msinfo32.exe, and click System Summary. Resize the columns in the right pane to make the entries visible, and post a screenshot of that screen.
    2. Open admin Command Prompt and run these commands: dism /online /get-drivers /format:table >c:\drivers.txt md C:\Drivers pnputil /export-driver * C:\Drivers

    Post the output.

    1. Share C:\drivers.txt on OneDrive or GoFile.io and post the link here.

    Read the above again as was still typing it out as lost all of it when I was typing it out some hours back... twice.

    So was doing it bit by bit to make sure it saved.

    Please read the full write-up.

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  2. Ramesh Srinivasan 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-05-15T03:24:30+00:00

    If you find a suitable driver and make the audio work, you can block driver updates via Windows Update. That shouldn't be an issue.

    // 3: if I do an upgrade or clean install it won't make a difference due to that outdated Realtek audio - would it?//

    Windows Update will issue the latest driver just as it has now.

    // 4: Is it possible to replace an audio driver with another one all together? //

    Instaling a driver overwrites the previous one.

    Regarding the 0x80070057 error, a repair installation using MCT should help.

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  3. Ramesh Srinivasan 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-05-15T03:33:17+00:00

    If the Code 28 error appears even after the repair installation, please run the steps I mentioned in my earlier post and post the output. Also, share c:\drivers.txt.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-05-15T03:41:53+00:00

    If the Code 28 error appears even after the repair installation, please run the steps I mentioned in my earlier post and post the output. Also, share c:\drivers.txt.

    Got it! 👍

    Will try the repair first then see what happens.

    I'm really not sure why it did what it did last night as the only activity I did (other than what was previously mentioned) was the online scan and that wouldn't have done that at all.

    Will try the repair a bit later on as I was up hours and hours trying to sort out the audio issues as well as a System Restore attempt that lasted 2-3 hours just to fail.

    I think I need a bit of a break...

    When I do do it I will come back to update!

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  5. Ramesh Srinivasan 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-05-15T05:29:16+00:00

    Hi Min,

    Okay, let me know how it went. By the way, the detectionverification driver is available from Microsoft. If the repair installation doesn't automatically apply it, we can get the driver cab file from Microsoft.

    Regards,

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