Fix Windows Update Issues in Windows 10 and 11

Sometimes, you may encounter errors such as 0x80244007, 0x8024a105 or other errors when installing updates via the Windows Update channel. Here are some sample error messages:

There were problems downloading some updates, but we'll try again later. If you keep seeing this, try searching the web or contacting support for help. This error code might help: (0x8024a105)

Note: Especially for error 0x8024a105, restart Windows and attempt to install updates. Also, try a different internet service provider just in case if this is a DNS issue or a problem reaching out Microsoft Update’s CDN in your region.

Some other error codes may occur when attempting to install updates.

0x8024a223
0x80244007
0x80080005
0x80070422
0x80248007

This article has the troubleshooting steps required to fix most of the Windows Update errors in Windows 10 and 11.

Resolution

1) Run Windows Update Troubleshooter

Run Windows Update troubleshooter and let it automatically fix the problems. The troubleshooter checks for various issues and attempts to fix them automatically.

2) Check your Services configuration

Launch the Services MMC (services.msc) and make sure that the following services are configured correctly:

Service	Startup Type
Background Intelligent Transfer Service	Manual
Delivery Optimization	Automatic
Update Orchestrator Service	Automatic (Delayed Start)
Windows Modules Installer	Manual
Windows Update Medic Service	Manual
Windows Update	Manual

Also, make sure that each of the above services can start. Click the Start button in the service’s properties to see if they can start correctly.

References

• Windows 11 Default Services Configuration
• Windows 10 Default Services Configuration

3) Reset the Windows Update Cache

Option 1: Reset WU using a script

Reset Windows Update using this batch file:
https://gist.github.com/winhelponline/af9296c106448a664a6229d8146a85fd

1. Download the zip file and extract the batch file to the desktop.

2. Right-click on the batch file and click Properties, click “Unblock” (if present), and OK.

3. Double-click the batch file to run it.

4. After it completes execution, don’t close it yet.

5. Right-click on that Command Prompt window, click “Edit” and click “Select all”

6. Right-click on that Command Prompt window, click “Edit” and click “Copy”

   (This copies the output to the clipboard.)

7. Analyze the output and see if all the commands ran correctly.

Option 2: Reset WU manually

Open an elevated Command Prompt window. Type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each line:

net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc

This stops Windows Update, Application Identity, and Cryptographic Services temporarily.

Then, type the following commands:

rd /s /q %systemroot%\softwaredistribution.bak
rd /s /q %systemroot%\system32\catroot2.bak
ren %systemroot%\softwaredistribution softwaredistribution.bak
ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc

4) Remove Windows Update Policies

From the admin Command Prompt, run the following commands to remove all the Windows Update registry-based policies:

reg.exe delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /f
reg.exe delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\WindowsUpdate" /f
reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate" /f
reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\WindowsUpdate" /f
reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Servicing" /v "RepairContentServerSource" /f
reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Servicing" /v "LocalSourcePath" /f
reg.exe delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Servicing" /v "UseWindowsUpdate" /f
net stop wuauserv
net start wuauserv

See if you can now install updates via Windows Update.

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Workaround: Download Standalone Update from MU Catalog and Install it

If the error occurs only for a particular update, you can download the standalone version of the update (.msu or .cab) directly from Microsoft Update Catalog and install it rather than installing it from the regular Windows Update channel.

I hope one of the above fixes helps you resolve Windows Update errors.