When Windows Update fails, there are a few things you can do to try and get it working again. Below are some tips and solutions that may help you identify and resolve the problem.
1. Check for Windows Updates Manually:
If Windows Update is not able to find updates for your computer, you can check for updates manually. To do this, open Settings on your computer and go to “Update & Security”. Then select “Windows Update” and click on “Check for Updates”.
2. Update Drivers:
Sometimes, outdated drivers can cause errors in Windows Update. To update your drivers, you can use the Device Manager. To do this, press the Windows Key + X and select “Device Manager” from the menu. Then, expand the list of devices and locate the one that is causing the issue. Right-click the device and select “Update Driver”. You can also update your drivers automatically using specialized software, such as Driver Booster or DriverDoc.
3. Reset the Windows Update Components:
In some cases, resetting the Windows Update components may help fix your problem. To do this, open Command Prompt with administrative privileges. To do this, press the Windows key and type “cmd”. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as Administrator”. Then type the following commands:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits
net stop cryptsvc
Ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak
Ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 Catroot2.bak
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc
4. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter:
Another thing you can do to fix Windows Update errors is to run the Windows Update Troubleshooter. To do this, open Settings on your computer and go to “Update & Security”. Then select “Troubleshoot”. From here, select “Windows Update” and click “Run the Troubleshooter”.
5. Delete the Software Distribution Folder:
There is also a chance that corrupt files in the Software Distribution folder may be preventing Windows Update from working correctly. To do this, open Command Prompt with administrative privileges by pressing the Windows key and typing “cmd”. Then, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as Administrator”.
Type the following commands:
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
net stop bits
Then, delete the Software Distribution folder by typing the following command:
del C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
Finally, type the following commands to start the Windows Update services again:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
net start cryptsvc
6. Uninstall Recently Installed Updates:
In some cases, recently installed updates may be causing the issue. To fix this, go to “Update & Security” in Settings and select “View Update History”. From here, you can uninstall the updates that are causing the issue.
7. Perform a System Restore:
If all else fails, you can try performing a System Restore. A System Restore will undo any changes made to your computer since the restore point was created. To do this, open Control Panel, go to “System and Security”, and select “System”. Click “System Protection” and then click “System Restore”. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your system to an earlier point.
These are some of the most common solutions for fixing Windows Update errors. If none of these solutions work, you may need to contact Microsoft support for further help.