Catroot & Catroot2 Folders (C:\Windows\System32\catroot2)

Bottom Line: You can safely delete or reset the catroot2 folder by stopping the Cryptographic Service first. Do NOT manually delete catroot, but resetting catroot2 is the official Microsoft fix for Windows Update errors like 0x80070002 or 0x80070003.

What are the Catroot & Catroot2 Folders?

Located at C:\Windows\System32\catroot and C:\Windows\System32\catroot2, these system folders store cryptographic signature catalogs for Windows Update packages and driver verification.

While catroot holds catalog files required to verify hardware driver signatures, catroot2 acts as a temporary transaction database for Windows Update package signatures. When Windows Update corrupts or stalls, catroot2 files often get stuck in a locked, bloated state.

Can You Delete catroot2?

• Deleting catroot2 folder: ✅ Safe (when reset properly via Cryptographic Services). Windows will recreate a fresh catroot2 folder automatically.
• Deleting catroot folder: ⚠️ Do NOT delete catroot manually, as removing catroot can prevent Windows drivers from initializing.

How to Safely Reset & Clear catroot2

Because catroot2 is locked by the Cryptographic Services (CryptSvc), follow these exact steps in Command Prompt:

1. Open Start, search cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Stop the services locking catroot2:

   net stop wuauserv
   net stop cryptSvc
   net stop bits
   net stop msiserver

3. Rename or delete the catroot2 folder:

   ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old

4. Restart the services:

   net start wuauserv
   net start cryptSvc
   net start bits
   net start msiserver

What Happens After You Reset It?

• Windows automatically creates a brand-new, clean catroot2 folder.
• Corrupted Windows Update transaction caches are purged.
• You can safely delete catroot2.old afterwards.

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