Windows 10 Update error 0x80070643? Pretend it is not there, says Microsoft

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Modern Windows versions receive plenty of updates to keep your PC safe and stable, and with such a complex product, occasional errors and missteps are hardly surprising. Microsoft has plenty of tools to deal with such issues—from Known Issues Rollback to the recently launched Quick Machine Recovery for unbootable devices. Still, sometimes, dealing with Windows Update issues is much simpler.

As simple as just ignoring the error.

In recently updated documentation, Microsoft notified users that Windows PCs might experience error 0x80070643 with an "ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE" message (similar issues occurred in January 2025) when attempting to install an update for the Windows Recovery Environment or WinRE. The bug occurs when installing the April 2025 KB5057589 WinRE update.

Microsoft says affected users should simply dismiss the notification, which will disappear on its own. Here is the full message posted in the documentation:

After installing the April 2025 Windows Recovery Environment update [KB5057589], you might see the following error message in the Windows Update settings page: 0x80070643 – ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE. This error message is not accurate and does not impact the update or device functionality. The Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) is a recovery environment that can repair common causes of unbootable operating systems.

This error is observed when the device installs the WinRE update when there is another update in a pending reboot state. Although the error message suggests the update did not complete, the WinRE update is typically applied successfully after the device restarts. Windows Update might continue to display the update as failed until the next daily scan, at which point the update is no longer offered and the failure message is cleared automatically.

The bug affects PCs with Windows 10 version 21H2 and 22H2. The company is working on a fix, which will be available in a future update. Interestingly, this is the second time Microsoft has said that users should ignore a certain issue. In January, the company said an error code in the Windows Event Log was nothing to worry about.