Windows Update is an essential part of maintaining a secure, healthy computing system. It can help ensure that you have all of the latest security patches and updates, as well as bug fixes and new features for your system. Unfortunately, sometimes Windows Update can cause problems, or may not work properly. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help fix any issues with Windows Update.
1. Check for updates manually:
If your computer isn’t updating automatically, you can try and check for updates manually. To do this, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update on Windows 10. On Windows 7 and older versions, go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update. If there are any available updates, they will be listed here.
2. Download and install the latest Service Pack:
A Service Pack (SP) is a large package of updates and bug fixes that Microsoft releases periodically. It is recommended that you download and install the latest Service Pack to help make sure that your computer is up-to-date. To do this, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Then select “Check for Updates” and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Reset the Windows Update components:
Sometimes resetting certain components of Windows Update can help fix any issues. To reset the Windows Update components, run the Windows Update Troubleshooter by following these steps: open Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Scroll down to find and select the Windows Update troubleshooter, then click “Run the Troubleshooter.”
4. Check for updates in Safe Mode:
If the above methods do not resolve your issue, then it may be worth trying to check for updates in Safe Mode. This is because some programs may interfere with Windows Update, which can prevent it from working properly. To do this, restart your computer and hold down the F8 key while it boots. This will open the Advanced Boot Options menu and you can select “Safe Mode.” Once in Safe Mode, follow the steps above to check for updates.
5. Delete the SoftwareDistribution folder:
The SoftwareDistribution folder contains the files and other information related to Windows Update. Sometimes deleting this folder can help resolve any issues related to Windows Update. To do this, open a Command Prompt window with administrative privileges (right click and select “Run as Administrator”). Type “net stop wuauserv” without the quotation marks and press Enter. After this has completed, type “del /f /s /q %SystemRoot%\SoftwareDistribution “ without the quotation marks and press Enter. After the deletion has completed, type “net start wuauserv” without the quotation marks and press Enter. Note that this will delete any temporary files related to Windows Update, so you may need to re-download them.
6. Perform a clean boot:
Sometimes third party programs can interfere with Windows Update and prevent it from working. To help determine if this is the cause of your issue, you can perform a clean boot. This is a procedure which helps to start Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. To do this, go to Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools. Inside this menu, select “System Configuration” and then select the “General” tab. Now select “Selective Startup” and uncheck the “Load Startup Items” box. Finally, select “OK” and restart your computer.
7. Reinstall Windows Update:
If all else fails, then you may need to reinstall Windows Update. To do this, open a Command Prompt window with administrative privileges (right click and select “Run as Administrator”). Enter the following commands one by one: “net stop wuauserv”, “net stop bits”, “net stop cryptsvc”, “ren %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old”, “ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 catroot2.old”, “net start wuauserv”, “net start bits”, and “net start cryptsvc”. Now you should be able to retrieve updates successfully.
With these steps, you should be able to successfully fix any issues you are having with Windows Update. It is important to keep your system updated, as this is the best way to ensure that you have the latest security patches and bug fixes. By following the steps above, you can ensure that Windows Update works properly and keeps your computer running securely.