Error 2149842967 is basically an update-related issue and it normally occurs when you are trying to update your Build OS. In this post, we will look into the reasons causing this error code, and the six solutions that should resolve this error once and for all. So, without any further ado, let’s learn what causes this error code in the first place.
What triggers an update error 2149842967?
An update error may occur because of different things going wrong on your computer. However, we are not going to explore the basic things like network issues, third-party antivirus running on your device, etc. Instead, we will look into the common problems that may lead to this error.
First thing first, you may overcome an update error quite easily by manually downloading and installing the relevant update. This works most of the time. However, if it doesn’t, attempt purging Windows cache folders, troubleshooting Windows Update, and restarting update-related services, especially BITS.
How to Fix Update Error 2149842967 on Windows PC
If a cumulative update is failing to install on an error code 2149842967, attempt the below fixes, and check if any resolve this issue. The most probable solutions to this problem are as follows –
- Manually update Windows OS
- Restart Update Services
- Reset Windows Update Components
- Run SFC/DISM Scans
- Boot into Safe Mode and retry updating your Windows
1] Manually update Windows OS
The update error 2149842967 primarily occurs during an ongoing installation of cumulative updates. This could have been because you download a faulty update and are now trying to install it on your PC. Well, in such cases, you may manually download the relevant standalone package and install that. Here’s how to perform the manual update on Windows PC –
First of all, you need to know the exact KB number that is failing on your computer. You may find it by visiting the below path –
Windows 11: Settings > Windows Update > Update history
Windows 10: Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > View update history
Now that you know the KB number, visit Microsoft’s Update Catalog, and type the copied KB number in the search bar. Press Enter to view the updates bearing this number. Pick the update that best matches your system configuration and hit Download.
Click on the top link and wait for this download to finish. The setup file is downloaded in the “.msu” file format. Double-click on it to begin its installation on your Windows PC. I hope the error 2149842967 resolves after your device updates to this patch update.
2] Restart Update Services
Windows Update Errors may also occur if any update-related service is somehow disabled or not running. If that’s the case, you must re-enable all services which are essential to update Windows. Here’s how to check and restart update services –
- Press Win + R to launch the Run dialog.
- Type
services.mscin the text field and hit OK. - On the Services window, scroll down and locate Background Intelligent Transfer Service.
- Right-click on this service and select Start/Restart.
- Follow the above steps to restart the below services as well –
Windows Udpate
Cryptographic Services
Now that you have restarted all these services, restart your PC and check if you can update Windows normally.
3] Reset Windows Update Components
With each update coming to Windows, some info about them gets stored inside the cache folders. When these folders accumulate too much data, it might also trigger an error 2149842967. As a workaround, you need to purge these folders. However, make sure to stop the update-related services first as otherwise, your system may crash unexpectedly. Worry not, as all you require is to open CMD as administrator and run these codes one by one.
Stop Update Services
net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc
Delete non-essentials files
Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat”
Purge Windows Cache folders
Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
Ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
Restart Update Services
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc
Close Command Prompt and restart your PC. Check if you can update Windows normally.
4] Run SFC/DISM Scans
Third-party apps running on Windows OS often interact with the system files and make them corrupt. As a result, the update process fails on different error codes. Disable external antivirus (if running on your PC), and repair the corrupt files using SFC/DISM.
- Right-click on the Windows icon and select Run.
- Type CMD and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys altogether.
- When the UAC window prompts, hit Yes to authorize opening Command Prompt as admin.
- On the elevated console, run the SFC code first –
sfc /scannow
- Wait for the next 15-20 minutes while this command finds and repairs corrupt system files.
- Once this is over, repair any corruption inside the System Image via DISM.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- This command will also take 15-20 minutes in order to resolve any issues within your operating system.
- Type exit and press Enter to come out of Command Prompt and restart your PC.
Sign back into your device and check if you can update Windows without getting into any update error.
5] Boot into Safe Mode and retry updating your Windows
In case none of the above solutions help to fix error 2149842967 on Windows 11/10, you should boot into Safe Mode and try updating Windows once again. Since the third-party apps and services are not running inside the Clean boot, your device may upgrade without getting into any trouble.
If you are not concerned about the data stored inside the root drive, you may go for a clean installation of Windows 11 as well. I hope the solutions outlined above indeed help to fix this error 2149842967 on your PC. If you face difficulty following either section, let’s know in the below comment section.
