Download Windows Update Troubleshooter for Windows 10
- Microsoft regularly rolls out Windows updates to add new OS features and useful security improvements.
- The company releases new software patches the second Tuesday of every month -- en event which is known under the popular name of Patch Tuesday.
- Installing the latest Windows updates sometimes turns into a nightmare due to various errors. Microsoft's online Windows Update Troubleshooting Guide can help you fix update errors. In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about it.
- This guide is part of our troubleshooting hub dedicated to Windows update errors. Bookmark it so that you have it at hand if you experience other errors next time you update your OS.
Updating Windows 10 can often turn into a nightmare. The latest OS updates can literally make your computer unusable, as it was the case with many KBs Microsoft rolled out over the years.
Also, quite frequently, Windows 10 users can’t even install the updates on their devices due to various update bugs.
There are already many workarounds available to fix the annoying Windows 10 update bugs. If you encounter such issues, the first tool you can use is Microsoft‘s Windows Update Troubleshooting Guide. The instructions are very simple and stright to the point and can use it as a step-by-step troubleshooting guide.
Its main advantage is that you can use it to troubleshoot some of the most common Windows 10, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 update problems.
As a quick reminder, Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. If you’re still using these OS versions, it’s high time to upgrade your OS to benefit from the latest features and security improvements. If your computer does not meet the necessary requirements to run Windows 10, you should also take into consideration buying a new device.
Use Microsoft’s online troubleshooting guide to fix Windows Update errors
The troubleshooting guide available on Microsoft’s website allows users to fix all Windows Update errors, including: 0x80073712, 0x800705B4, 0x80004005, 0x8024402F, 0x80070002, 0x80070643, 0x80070003, 0x8024200B, 0x80070422, 0x80070020, and more.
First of all, you need to select the Windows version you’re running. The tool will then ask you to run the Windows Update troubleshooter.
The Windows Update troubleshooter runs a series of checks on your computer in order to detect and fix the root causes of your update problems.
You can run the automatic repair option or use the advanced option that allows you to manually control the next troubleshooting steps. If the automatic repair option doesn’t work for some reason, try these quick tips to solve the problem.
Once the tool completes the verification steps, it suggests a series of solutions such as: repairing Windows update components, fixing improperly configured security settings, checking for missing or corrupt files, and more.
The next step is to download the latest Windows cumulative updates.
If these two actions don’t fix the problem, the guide will list two advanced troubleshooting steps that include:
- Running the DISM command in Command Prompt: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
- Resetting or reinstalling Windows.
If these two solutions didn’t solve the problem either, you are asked to contact the Answer Desk.
Alternatively, try one of these tools to fix Windows updates!
If you’re looking for an easy-to-follow troubleshooting guide, Microsoft’s Windows Update troubleshooter is a very handy too to use. Each step depends on previously given answers, and you can change your answer at any time in case you realized you checked the wrong box.
The update troubleshooting steps are similar for all Windows versions and rely on the Windows Update Troubleshooter.
If all the solutions provided by this tool failed to fix the Windows Update issue you’re experiencing, you need to reset or reinstall Windows.
Alternatively, if you’re dealing with a specific error code, chances are that we already covered it in our Windows Update Troubleshooting Hub. Feel free to visit our collection of troubleshooting guides, type the error you’re seeing on the screen in the Search box and you’ll see the complete list of the articles where we covered the respective error.
FAQ: Learn more about Windows Update errors
- Why is my Windows Update not working?
Here are the most frequent issues blocking Windows Update: corrupted update files or corrupted Windows Update cache issues, the Windows Update Services are disabled, your date and time settings are incorrect, the service registration is missing or got corrupted or some security settings are blocking the OS from downloading the updates.
- What does the Windows Update Troubleshooter do?
The Windows Update Troubleshooter renames the SoftwareDistribution folder, clears the old cache for Windows updates, restarts the Windows Update Services automatically, fixes missing or corrupted update files, and fixes other potential issues that might be preventing the OS from installing the latest updates.
- How do I run Windows Update Troubleshooter on Windows 10?
Follow these steps to run the Windows Update troubleshooter:
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Update & Security
- In the left-hand pane, click on Troubleshoot
- Click on the Windows Update Troubleshooter and run it.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2016 and has since been updated for freshness and accuracy.