Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWSUS error 0x80070057 usually means the Windows Update Agent received an invalid argument. In WSUS troubleshooting, the most specific cause is an incorrect proxy server name in the client’s Internet Explorer/Internet Options settings. It can also occur when a proxy requires an authentication method other than NTLM or Negotiate but receives a null user name or password. The separate code 0x80070005 is the explicit access-denied error. Capture the exact code and failure phase, test the WSUS endpoint, correct proxy and service settings, then clear the download cache and repair Windows servicing files only when the evidence points there.
What WSUS error 0x80070057 means
Windows Update and WSUS use hexadecimal HRESULT values in their logs. Microsoft’s WSUS client-agent troubleshooting table maps E_INVALIDARG to 0x80070057. In that table, the direct explanation is an incorrect proxy server name in the user’s Internet Explorer proxy settings. The same error can be returned when credentials are supplied for an authentication scheme other than NTLM or Negotiate while the user name or password is null.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
That is different from 0x80070005, which is E_ACCESSDENIED. If the log really contains 0x80070005, investigate permissions, security software, or policy restrictions rather than treating the incident as a malformed-proxy problem. A support message that says “access denied” can therefore be misleading when the hexadecimal value is actually 0x80070057.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Code | Meaning in WSUS/Windows Update troubleshooting | First direction to investigate |
|---|---|---|
0x80070057 |
E_INVALIDARG; commonly an invalid proxy name or incompatible/null proxy credentials |
Proxy host, PAC entry, authentication method, and the client’s Internet Options |
0x80070005 |
E_ACCESSDENIED; an explicit permission or policy failure |
Account and service permissions, security software, and Group Policy |
The code alone does not tell you whether the failure happened while the client was scanning, downloading, or installing. That phase determines whether a connectivity correction, cache cleanup, or servicing repair is appropriate.
#1 Best Overall
Record the failure before changing anything
Changing several settings at once destroys the clues that identify the cause. Start with a short incident record for the affected client.
- Write down the exact hexadecimal code, including every digit, and the date and time of the failure.
- Note whether the failure occurred during a scan for updates, a download, or installation.
- Check
WindowsUpdate.log, or the current Windows Update event channels on systems that do not maintain a traditional log file. - Review Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) events around the same timestamp.
- Record whether the machine is configured to use a WSUS server, a proxy, a PAC (proxy auto-configuration) entry, or another managed update source.
Use the timestamp to correlate the Windows Update and BITS entries. A proxy or endpoint error during a scan or download points to network and service checks. An error that appears only while installing, especially alongside component-store messages, makes servicing repair more relevant.
Test that the client can reach WSUS
Before deleting caches, prove that the client can resolve and reach the configured WSUS endpoint. Microsoft’s WSUS guidance uses the identity file as a simple test: the client should be able to access and download http://<WSUSSERVER:port>/iuident.cab without errors.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
- From the affected client, identify the WSUS server name and port supplied by the organization’s update policy.
- Resolve that server name from the client. A name-resolution failure must be corrected before Windows Update can work.
- Request the
/iuident.cabURL through the same network path used by Windows Update and confirm that the file downloads rather than returning a connection, authentication, or proxy error. - Repeat the check while the machine is subject to the same proxy and Group Policy settings as the failing Windows Update service.
Testing from an administrator’s interactive browser session is not always equivalent to testing from the service context. A browser may use a per-user proxy or credentials that BITS and Windows Update cannot use. If the endpoint works only for one user, treat that as evidence of a context or credential mismatch, not proof that WSUS is healthy for the client.
Verify BITS, Windows Update, and policy settings
BITS transfers update files, while the Windows Update service coordinates scans and installation. Both must be available for a WSUS client to function.
Check the two services
- Open the Windows Services management console.
- Locate Background Intelligent Transfer Service and the Windows Update service.
- Confirm that neither service is stopped or disabled. Start a stopped service, then retry the endpoint test and update scan.
- Record any service-start error instead of repeatedly attempting a scan; a service failure is a separate problem to resolve first.
Check Group Policy
Managed computers can have policy that disables, restricts, or misconfigures BITS or Windows Update. Review the policies that define the organization’s intranet update service, proxy behavior, and service startup state. Correct a policy at its source when possible; a local change can be overwritten at the next policy refresh.
If the log shows 0x80070005 rather than 0x80070057, include policy and security software in this review. Do not infer a proxy error from the phrase “access denied” alone.
Correct the proxy configuration
For 0x80070057, proxy configuration is the highest-value manual check. Microsoft specifically associates the code with an incorrect proxy server name in the user’s Internet Explorer proxy settings. On current Windows editions, those settings are exposed through Internet Options.
Inspect the host and port
- Open Internet Options (you can search for it from Start or open the Internet Properties control-panel applet).
- Choose Connections, then LAN settings.
- Check the proxy server name and port for spelling, punctuation, and stale host names. Remove a malformed entry or replace it with the value supplied by your administrator.
- Review any automatic configuration or PAC address for a typo or an unreachable location.
- Apply the correction, then repeat the
/iuident.cabdownload test and an update scan.
Check authentication details
The WSUS client-agent documentation also describes a credential edge case: a proxy using an authentication scheme other than NTLM or Negotiate can return 0x80070057 when the supplied user name or password is null. Confirm which authentication method the proxy requires and whether the Windows Update/BITS context is allowed to provide non-empty credentials. Do not enter arbitrary credentials or embed passwords in scripts. If the proxy is managed centrally, ask the network administrator to correct the authentication requirement or provide a supported method.
Separate user and service settings
Internet Options are user-associated, while update transfers run through Windows services. A setting that works in an interactive browser does not prove that the service has a usable route. Compare the proxy behavior observed by the failing client context with the settings defined by policy. If the URL succeeds only when a user is signed in, investigate that difference before touching the update cache.
Clear a corrupted Windows Update download cache
Use cache cleanup after reachability, proxy, and service checks. Microsoft documents the following sequence for corrupted Windows Update downloads. It removes the contents of the download subfolder, not the entire Windows Update data store.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Stop Windows Update and BITS.
- Remove the download cache.
- Start BITS and Windows Update again.
- Restart the computer and retry the scan or download.
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
rd /s /q %windir%SoftwareDistributionDownload
net start bits
net start wuauservThe rd /s /q command permanently removes the specified cache directory without asking for confirmation. Verify that the command contains %windir%SoftwareDistributionDownload exactly; do not substitute a broader system path. If a service refuses to stop, note the message and resolve that service problem rather than forcing deletion while files are in use.
After the reboot, check the new Windows Update and BITS entries. If the same proxy error returns immediately, rebuilding the cache did not address the cause. Return to the endpoint and proxy tests instead of repeating the deletion.
Repair the Windows component store and system files
When logs or repeated failures indicate damaged servicing components or system files, run DISM first and SFC second. DISM repairs the component store that SFC uses as a source; running SFC first can leave it without a healthy source.
- Open an elevated Command Prompt.
- Run
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthand wait for it to finish. - Run
sfc /scannowin the same elevated window. - Restart Windows after both commands complete.
- Retry the WSUS scan and compare the new log entries with the original timestamp.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannowThese commands address Windows servicing corruption; they do not correct an invalid proxy name, a blocked WSUS endpoint, or a disabled BITS service. If DISM or SFC reports that it could not complete, preserve the result and investigate that separate servicing failure before repeating update scans.
Know when the problem is a data-store failure
WSUS has client and server-side data stores. A damaged store can produce errors that persist after proxy, service, endpoint, cache, and component checks. Microsoft protocol guidance describes recovery for a damaged store as resetting the data store and resynchronizing.
Do not apply a server reset to every affected client. Use the scope of the evidence:
| Evidence | Likely scope | Appropriate next action |
|---|---|---|
| One client fails; its proxy name or credentials are invalid; other clients update normally | Single client configuration | Correct proxy settings and retest the endpoint |
| Several clients fail to download; the WSUS identity URL is unreachable | Network path, proxy, or WSUS availability | Resolve DNS, proxy, firewall, or server reachability before cache work |
| Services are disabled or policy changes recur | Management configuration | Correct the responsible Group Policy or service-management rule |
| Logs identify a damaged WSUS data store after connectivity checks pass | Client or WSUS server store, depending on the log | Plan a data-store reset and resynchronization using the applicable Microsoft procedure |
A data-store reset can be disruptive because resynchronization rebuilds update metadata. Confirm whether the evidence names the client store or the WSUS server store, record the current configuration, and schedule the work according to the organization’s change process. If the failure is limited to one client and the logs point to a proxy argument, a server reset is disproportionate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the least disruptive remediation path
The safest order is the one that preserves evidence and changes the smallest scope first.
Recommended Free Tools
| Path | Failure phase | Scope | Log evidence | Reversibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proxy and endpoint correction | Scan or download | One client or its network path | Invalid host, PAC, authentication, DNS, or HTTP error | High; configuration can be corrected |
| Service and policy correction | Scan or transfer never starts | Client management configuration | BITS/Windows Update stopped, disabled, or policy-restricted | High when changed through policy control |
| Download-cache cleanup | Download repeatedly fails after reachability works | One client | Corrupt or incomplete download indications | Moderate; cached files are removed |
| DISM followed by SFC | Install or servicing | One Windows installation | Component-store or system-file corruption | Moderate; allow commands to finish and reboot |
| Data-store reset and resynchronization | Persistent metadata/store failure | Client or WSUS server | Logs identify a damaged store after simpler checks pass | Lowest; plan and document the change |
This ordering prevents a broad reset from masking a narrow configuration error. It also separates a transport problem from an installation problem: a client cannot repair a downloaded package until it can first reach its update source.
Best Value
Common misdiagnoses and recovery branches
“Access denied” means the proxy is wrong
Check the digits. 0x80070005 is the explicit access-denied value; 0x80070057 is the invalid-argument value most closely associated with a bad proxy name or null credentials in this WSUS context. Follow the branch that matches the logged code.
The browser can open the server, so WSUS is reachable
A browser test can use a different user, proxy, or credential context. Test the exact /iuident.cab endpoint under the client’s managed settings and correlate it with BITS events.
Deleting the cache is always the first fix
Cache deletion cannot repair DNS, a malformed proxy host, a disabled service, or a policy restriction. Perform the endpoint, service, and proxy checks first; use the documented deletion sequence when downloads appear corrupted.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
A successful DISM run proves WSUS is fixed
DISM and SFC repair Windows servicing files. They do not change WSUS policy or proxy authentication. Retest the update path after servicing repair and use the new logs to decide the next branch.
Every affected machine requires a server reset
Scope matters. A single-client proxy error is not evidence of a damaged WSUS server store. Reserve reset-and-resynchronize work for logs that identify a data-store failure and for the component named by those logs.
What a successful verification looks like
- The client resolves the configured WSUS server name.
http://<WSUSSERVER:port>/iuident.cabdownloads without a proxy, authentication, or connection error.- BITS and Windows Update remain running and are not disabled by policy.
- A new scan reaches the expected phase without returning
0x80070057. - If the download cache was rebuilt, the post-reboot log shows a fresh download attempt rather than the same corrupted job.
- If DISM and SFC were run, both results are recorded and the machine was restarted before retesting.
Keep the original code, timestamps, endpoint result, service state, proxy correction, command output, and post-fix log entry together. That record prevents the same client from cycling through increasingly invasive resets and gives an administrator enough evidence to address a policy, proxy, or server-side issue.
Quick Recap
As an optional shortcut after the manual checks, Outbyte PC Repair can address more than 100 common Windows issues where possible, including broken system elements, invalid redirects, shared DLL files, settings that contribute to CPU, RAM, or disk load, temporary and cache files, vulnerability checks, and app-crash logging. It runs on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7; its free trial is offered by category for at least two days before a paid subscription, and it complements rather than replaces antivirus software. Results vary, and no repair tool fixes every crash.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
