Windows Update Error codes are quite frequent issues in both Windows 11 and 10 PCs. When an error code occurs, your device fails to upgrade to the next available Build OS. In this post, we have discussed 10 working fixes that will help you troubleshoot Windows Update and resolve the error code in the least possible time.
1. Check your Internet Connection
Before you apply any fix, you must ensure your device is on a stable internet connection. This is essential as the Windows Update service requires connecting to Microsoft Servers online. Only when you have a stable internet connection, your system download and install pending updates on your computer.
You may follow this guide on how to reset your network if you are not receiving internet connectivity on your PC.
2. Restart your Computer
Sometimes internal glitches on your computer may prevent Windows Update from happening smoothly. If that’s the case, the update will always fail on some error code or another.
To avoid this, you must restart your computer and check if the updates are now installed correctly.
3. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter
This is an in-built tool in Windows developed to find and fix the underlying causes on your Windows PC. For this, you need to navigate to its proper setting and initiate the troubleshooting task.
Windows 11:
Settings (Win + I) > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run
Windows 10:
Settings (Windows + I) > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Windows Update > Run the troubleshooter
When the troubleshooting window launches, click Next and follow the on-screen instructions that appear moving forward. This tool checks for the underlying causes and resolves the discovered ones in no time.
After this is over, you may close the troubleshooter and restart your PC. Check if the update-related issue is resolved now on your computer.
4. Check for Pending Updates
It’s possible that there are pending updates that need to be installed before others can be installed successfully. You can never be sure of it unless you find and install some other pending updates on your Windows PC.
Here’s how –
- Press Windows + I to launch Settings.
- Go to Windows Update from the left pane, and hit Check for updates.
- The system will automatically check for pending updates.
- If it does find any pending update, the same will be downloaded and installed on your computer.
After this is over, you may restart your PC and check if you can update Windows normally now.
5. Free Up Disk Space
Lack of disk space may also sometimes prevent updates from being installed. If that’s the case, you must delete files and folders that are not important and are unnecessarily consuming storage space on your PC.
For this, go to Settings > System > Storage, and delete whatever is there inside the Temporary files. You may delete some not-so-used installed apps, videos, and others that are not important to you.
Alternatively, you may also use the Disk Cleanup tool to find and delete unnecessary files from your Windows PC.
6. Disable Security Software
Though there is less possibility of a security app interfering with Windows Updates, this could be possible, especially when you are using some third-party apps. If that’s the case, you must disable your antivirus and firewall and check if you can update Windows normally now.
7. Reset Update Components
Windows Cache folders are there to note down some important data related to installed updates. Over a period of time, these folders are filled up with outdated files and thus prevent Windows Update from happening smoothly. Here’s how to perform this task –
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialog.
- Type CMD on it, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
- Doing so will open Command Prompt as administrator.
- On the elevated console, execute the following codes one after another –
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
- Next, rename both Windows Cache folders by running these two codes.
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
- After you have renamed both the cache folders, restart all those services that you stopped earlier. For this, run these commands one after another.
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver
- Close the CMD and restart your PC.
Hopefully, you are now able to update Windows without getting into some error codes.
8. Manually download and install pending updates
Sometimes when you are not able to update Windows normally, checking for its standalone package and installing them is the ideal fix.
Here’s a complete guideline on how to find and install pending updates manually on Windows 11 or Windows 10 PCs.
9. Use a System Restore Point
If you are facing an update error after installing some apps or updating your Windows, System Restore is the perfect tool to revert back your PC to its previous stable state.
Note: When you use a system restore point, all your recent app installations and their settings get deleted as well.
10. Consider In-place Upgrade
If none of the above solutions work to troubleshoot Windows Update on your computer, you are left with only one fix. This fix consists of performing an in-place upgrade of Windows.
Make sure to opt for keeping all your files and apps intact while going for this option. Otherwise, all your important files are gone and can’t be recovered.
Conclusion
The above 10-way fix can resolve any update-related issue on your computer. However, dealing with Windows Update can sometimes be really tricky and you get circled from one update error code to another. If that’s the case, you better perform a clean installation of Windows on your computer.
