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Windows Error
Windows Error 0x8007000E: Out of Memory or System Resources
Windows Update (or another operation) ran out of memory or system resources mid-process.
What This Error Means
This code corresponds to E_OUTOFMEMORY — despite the name, it doesn't always mean literally out of RAM; it often means Windows Update ran out of disk space in a temporary staging area, or a corrupted update cache exhausted available resources during processing.
Why It Occurs
Most commonly caused by insufficient free disk space on the system drive, a corrupted Windows Update cache, or (less commonly) genuinely low available RAM during a memory-intensive update.
Symptoms
- ⚠ Windows Update fails partway through downloading or installing
- ⚠ Error appears specifically during update processing, not immediately
Common Causes
- • Low free disk space on the C: drive
- • Corrupted Windows Update cache (SoftwareDistribution folder)
- • Genuinely insufficient RAM for the update process on very low-spec hardware
How to Fix It
- Check free disk space: you generally need several GB free for Windows Update to stage files — free up space if low
- Run Disk Cleanup, including "Clean up system files" to remove old update leftovers
- Reset the Windows Update cache: stop wuauserv, rename SoftwareDistribution and Catroot2, restart wuauserv
- Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter
- If on very low-RAM hardware, close other applications before attempting the update
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| net stop wuauserv | Stop Windows Update before clearing its cache |
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Verification
- ✓ Confirm several GB of free disk space before retrying
- ✓ Re-attempt the update and confirm it completes
Prevention
- → Maintain at least 10-15GB free disk space on the system drive for update headroom
- → Run Disk Cleanup periodically rather than only when an update fails