Automatic updates for Windows don’t always work as expected and without the latest patches. Your PC becomes vulnerable to malware, viruses, and other online attacks. Here’s how to fix Windows Update Problem.
If Windows Update does not run correctly and the latest patches are not installed on your system, you can manually install one of the many update packages available online that combine the latest updates into a single installation file. But this won’t solve windows update problems unless you want to manually install updates every time they are released.
In this short guide, we will explain how you can use Microsoft tools to solve any Windows Update problem. That occurs and what to do if they don’t work.
Run Reset Windows Update Tool to troubleshoot Windows Update problem
Microsoft now offers its own tool to solve the Windows update problem. The Reset Windows Update Tool is a free troubleshooting tool that is regularly updated. It is compatible with all versions from Windows from XP onwards. Once you download the tool, you will find the 1065kb wureset.zip file in the Downloads folder. Select it, press the Extract All button, and then choose Extract.
Now run the wureset_x64 (or x86) file with administrative rights by right-clicking and choosing Run as administrator. Tap Y on the keyboard when the User Account Control pop-up appears, then press 0 and Enter. Press Y, Enter and finally 2 followed by entering to restore the Windows Update components. The tool will reset Windows Update and restart the service, which may take several minutes.
What to do when the Reset Windows Update Tool does not work
Correct Windows Update Tool
PC-Welt has developed its own Fix Windows Update tool which does a more in-depth job than the official Microsoft tool. The app is in German but it’s simple enough to understand even if you don’t speak the language. Download the file from here and double click on it to run the installer. Accept the user account prompt, then click Weiter followed by Installieren to install and launch the app.
The tool will automatically load and do its job (this part is in English). Once the process is over, you can click on any button to continue and press Fertigstellen to exit the app. You should then search for and open Windows Update using the Windows search bar and click Check for updates.
Microsoft Windows Update Troubleshooter
If none of the above options work, the next step should be Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooter. Click here to download it, then double-click the downloaded file to start the wizard and follow the steps. If the tool detects an error, it will attempt to fix the windows update problem automatically.
How to fix errors 0x80073712, 0x800705B4, 0x80004005, 0x8024402F, 0x80070002, 0x80070643, 0x80070003, 0x8024200B, 0x80070422 and 0x80070020?
Microsoft offers interactive help for solving a variety of update problems. On the page, first, select the version of Windows where the problem occurs, then follow the instructions.
How to fix error 0x800F081F
If Windows Update displays one of these errors, try this procedure: type cmd in the search box, then right-click on the Command Prompt item and select Run as administrator. Press Yes when User Account Control is displayed.
Type the following commands in sequence to check and repair the system image. You will have to press Enter after each command.
- DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth
- DISM / Online / Cleanup-Image / RestoreHealth
How to fix error 0x80240016
This error can occur if Windows is already busy installing updates (or software ) or a restart is required to complete the installation. Then wait 10-15 minutes and restart your computer.
How to fix error 0x80240030
This error indicates that proxy or firewall settings prevent Windows Update from connecting to the server. To correct the error, type cmd in the search box, then right-click on the Command Prompt item and select Run as administrator. Enter the following commands, pressing Enter at the end of each:
- netsh winhttp reset proxy
- net stop wuauserv
- net start wuauserv
This will reset the proxy settings and restart the update service.
What else could “break” Windows Update?
Windows Update will not work properly if the date and time are not set correctly on your system; check and correct these two values if necessary. You will also have problems with Windows Update if there is not enough disk space for the update. In this case, all that remains is to free up some space.
Finally, remember that support for Windows XP and Vista has already been discontinued, while Windows 7 will receive security updates until January 14, 2020, but no longer new features. Microsoft only provides full support for Windows 8 and Windows 10.