How to reset Windows Update on Windows 11

On Windows 11, the Windows Update service allows the system to receive the latest update from Microsoft to address bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, and deploy newer drivers. Also, it’s the service of choice to download feature updates, and Insider preview builds.

The caveat is that Windows Update is not perfect, and sometimes computers may be unable to download or install updates because of specific errors, the system not connecting to the service online, and many other problems.

Usually, problems occur when the update mechanism services stop working, Windows 11 is dealing with update cache issues, or the system finds corruptions in some installation files. If something is happening, you can reset Windows Update on Windows 11 to fix most issues using the Troubleshoot feature, applying updates manually, repairing corrupted system files, or resetting the Windows Update components.

In this guide, you will learn how to reset the Windows Update components on Windows 11.

Reset Windows Update with Troubleshoot on Windows 11

To reset Windows Update using the Troubleshoot feature on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.
2. Click on System.
3. Click the Troubleshoot tab.
4. Click the Other troubleshooters setting.

   

5. Under the “Most frequent” section, click the Run button for the “Windows Update” setting.

   

6. Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).

   

Once the computer restarts, the next you try to update Windows 11, the system should work as expected.

Fix Windows Update manually installing updates on Windows 11

If you have problems using Windows Update, installing the latest update available may resolve the issue automatically. Also, cumulative updates now combine the “Servicing Stack Update” (SSU), an update designed to improve and fix problems to make Windows Update more reliable.

To install an update manually to fix problems with Windows Update on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open the Windows 11 update history website.
2. Select the latest update of Windows 11 from the left pane (and note the update’s “KB” number).
   Quick tip: You can check your current version on Settings > System > About, and under the “Windows Specifications” section, confirm the version information.
3. Open the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
4. Search for the knowledge base (KB) number for the latest update (x64).

   

5. Click the Download button for the latest Windows 11 update.
6. Click the “.msu” download link and save the file on the device.
7. Double-click the package to install it and fix Windows Update problems.

   

8. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the device will apply the most recent update. The installation should have also resolved any issues with the Windows Update service.

Fix Windows Update repairing corrupted files on Windows 11

The Windows Update service may break as a result of corrupted system files. If this is the case, you can use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to ensure that the local system image of Windows 11 is in good health, and then the System File Checker (SFC) to fix problems on Windows Update using the files of the local system image.

To repair system files to fix Windows 11 update problems, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following DISM command to repair corrupted system files and press Enter:

   dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
   

4. Type the following SFC command to repair system files and press Enter:

   sfc /scannow

   

Once you complete the steps, the Windows Update components should start working again, and you can check for updates again to verify.

Reset Windows Update with Command Prompt on Windows 11

Alternatively, it’s also possible to reset all the Windows Update components with commands to fix the most common problems. Typically, this is the best option to resolve issues with the update mechanism on Windows 11.

To reset Windows Update manually from Command Prompt on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following commands to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows Update service, and Cryptographic service, and press Enter on each line:

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

   

   Quick tip: You may need to run the command more than once until you see the message that the service has stopped successfully.
4. Type the following command to delete all the “qmgr*.dat” files created by BITS from your computer and press Enter:

   Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\*.*"

   

5. Type “Y” to confirm the deletion.
6. Type the following commands to clear the Windows Update cache to allow Windows 11 to re-download the updates instead of using the files already downloaded on the system that might be damaged, and press Enter on each line:

   rmdir %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution /S /Q
   rmdir %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 /S /Q

   Quick tip: We use the remove directory rmdir command with the /S option to delete the specified directory and all subdirectories within the main folder, and the /Q option deletes directories quietly without confirmation. If you get the message “The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process,” repeat step No. 1 and try again, as one of the services might have restarted unexpectedly.
7. Type the following commands to reset the BITS and Windows Update services to their default security descriptor, and press Enter on each line:

   sc.exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)
   sc.exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;SY)(A;;CCDCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRSDRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;CCLCSWLOCRRC;;;AU)(A;;CCLCSWRPWPDTLOCRRC;;;PU)

8. Type the following command to move to the System32 folder and press Enter:

   cd /d %windir%\system32

9. Type the following commands to register all the corresponding BITS and Windows Update DLL files on the Registry and press Enter on each line:

   regsvr32.exe /s atl.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s urlmon.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s mshtml.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s shdocvw.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s browseui.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s jscript.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s vbscript.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s scrrun.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s msxml.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s msxml3.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s msxml6.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s actxprxy.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s softpub.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wintrust.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s dssenh.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s rsaenh.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s gpkcsp.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s sccbase.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s slbcsp.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s cryptdlg.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s oleaut32.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s ole32.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s shell32.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s initpki.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wuapi.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wuaueng.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wuaueng1.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wucltui.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wups.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wups2.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wuweb.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s qmgr.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s qmgrprxy.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wucltux.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s muweb.dll
   regsvr32.exe /s wuwebv.dll

   

   Quick note: The regsvr32 helps to register “.DLL” files as command components in the Registry, and we use the /S option to specify the tool to run the command silently without prompting additional messages.
10. Type the following commands to reset the network configurations that might be part of the problem (but do not restart your computer just yet), and press Enter on each line:

    netsh winsock reset
    netsh winsock reset proxy

    

11. Type the following commands to restart the BITS, Windows Update, and Cryptographic services, and press Enter on each line:

    net start bits
    net start wuauserv
    net start appidsvc
    net start cryptsvc

12. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, Windows Update will reset, and it should work again on Windows 11.

If you receive the error “0x80248007” while downloading a cumulative or feature update, you will need to wait sometime (up to 24 hours), and the error will go away automatically.