14 DAY TRIAL // UPDATE, August 4: Here's a very simple way to fix Windows 10 Anniversary Update errors 0x80070057 and 0xa0000400, courtesy of our reader Alberto Berbacchi. Original story below.
The recently released Windows 10 Anniversary Update fails to install on a number of PCs for an unknown reason, with the error codes provided to users offering no information on how exactly they should proceed to deal with the problem.
Basically, since the Anniversary Update is being shipped via Windows Update, this is the main method that users are turning to in order to install the new pack of improvements, especially because everything is performed automatically and only minimum user input is necessary.
But in posts on Microsoft’s Community forums, users complain that installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update fails with various errors, and codes 0x80070057 and 0xa0000400 seem to be more common.
Here’s how one of the users impacted by this installation issue describes the problem - Microsoft is yet to acknowledge the bug, so it’s most likely not very widespread for the moment:
“Windows Update does not download Win 10 Anniversary Edition. When using ‘Learn More’ within Update module the Windows 10 Upgrade Assistant downloads, but through the process I get above error code. Also I am using Windows 10 Education edition, if that matters.”
Using the Media Creation Tool can help
Another user reveals that the issue is being experienced on Windows 10 Home, with English configured as the base language (others have also confirmed similar problems on the Pro SKU).
“I'm getting the error 0x80070057 while trying to update. None of the solutions on web seem to work. I know several people that are having the same problem. What would be the solution?”
The only way to successfully install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update on computers hit with these errors is to turn to the Media Creation Tool and build installation media that can then be used to clean-install the operating system and start from scratch.
The Media Creation Tool guides users throughout the entire installation process, and detailed information is displayed on the screen before each step, so beginners should have no problem when installing the Anniversary Update using this method.