How Error Code 0x80070057 Appears
The 0x80070057 error code may appear on a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), or in a white pop-out window, depending on how catastrophic it is. Typically it’s not as impactful as some of the other errors that Windows is prone to experience, but it does still stop you in your tracks. Since error code 0x80070057 is typically related to storage problems, it usually appears when you’re attempting to install a new application or run a Windows update. It’s also possible for it to appear when you upgrade to Windows 10 from an older version of Windows, like Windows 7 or 8.1. But you don’t need to go anywhere near Windows 10 to experience error code 0x80070057. It’s been around since Windows 7 in one guise or another.
Causes of Error Code 0x80070057
If you come across error code 0x80070057, it means there was a problem with your storage solution, whether it’s a hard drive or SSD. This might be because you’ve attempted to install something that’s too large for the drive and you’ve run out of space, or you’re trying to copy files to the drive and they’ve run out of room. Installing Windows is also a common time to see this error code appear. If your storage solution doesn’t have enough space or isn’t using the right file system for the version of Windows you’re installing, error code 0x80070057 can appear. Similarly, when installing Windows updates, if there’s a storage issue, these (occasionally large) installations can trigger this particularly frustrating error. If your hard drive is particularly old, or you’ve been playing around with partitions, it’s possible that one of your partitions is corrupted. Trying to install or copy data to any part of that partition might throw up error 0x80070057 as the disk struggles to write the information to it. We’ve also heard more innocuous instances of error code 0x80070057 appearing, such as when creating a new profile in MS Outlook. There are also other applications that appear to be more susceptible to this error than others, but in theory, there’s nothing stopping any application from triggering it if you’re running low on storage or there’s a problem with the underlying hardware.
How to Fix Error Code 0x80070057
The exact cause of error code 0x80070057 isn’t always clear, but there are a number of potential fixes you can try. These are listed from easiest to most intensive and time-consuming, so even if the earlier ones seem a little basic or you don’t think they’re likely to work, we’d recommend working through them step by step. If one of the earlier fixes is successful, you can save yourself a lot of time. Look for the C: drive; that’s typically your main boot drive. If it shows little space left, you’ll need to delete some things off your drive to make room. Consider clearing out your downloads folder, recycle bin, and temporary folders. To clear disk space, consider a free disk space analyzer tool.
