How to Clear Windows Update cache and Fix Windows updates

The easiest but most effective way to fix Windows Update issues is to clear the Windows Update cache. In this article, we are going to show how to clear the Windows Update cache on your computer. If you are experiencing any difficulty with the Windows Update, simply follow these steps to fix the issue easily.

Recommended Read: How to Delete all kind of Windows Cache

Fix-1 Restart Windows Update Auto Update client-

Restarting Windows Update Auto Update client may fix this issue easily.

1. Press Windows key+X keys together and then click on “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” to access the Powershell window with administrative rights.

 

Press Win + X, Click On Windows Powershell (admin) From Menu

 

2. To update Windows Update AutoUpdate Clientcopy-paste or type this command and then hit Enter.



wuauclt.exe /updatenow

 

Wuauclt Update Now

 

Once you have done it, close the PowerShell window.

Reboot your computer and check if the Windows Update process is working or not.

 

Fix-2 Delete contents of Software Distribution folder-

Deleting the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder may solve this issue.

1. At first, you need to type “cmd” from the search box.

2. After that, right-click on “Command Prompt” and choose “Run as administrator“.

 

Cmd Search New

 

3. At first, you need to suspend some update services, copy-paste these commands sequentially, and hit Enter after each of them to execute them.

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver

 

Wu Cmd1

 

4. Press Windows key+R to launch Run.

5. To access the Download folder, copy-paste this line in Run window and hit Enter.

C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download
 

 

Software Distributiion

 

6. What you need to do next is to select all the contents of the folder and then press the “Delete” key to empty the contents of the SoftwareDistribution folder.

 

Software Distribution Empty

 

7. Now,  click on “SoftwareDistribution” in the address bar.

 

Software Folder

 

8. This time double-click on the “DataStore” folder to access it.

 

Datastore Double Click

 

9. In the DataStore folder, select all the files and then press the “Delete” key from your keyboard.

 

Delete The Folders

 

10. Then, double click on the “PostRebootEventCache.V2” folder to open it.

 

Double Click Postreboot

 

11. Make sure this folder is empty.

 

Make Sure This Folder Is Empty

 

12. First, press Windows key+R to launch Run.



13. Then, type “cmd” and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter together.

 

Cmd

 

Command Prompt window will be opened with Administrative rights.

14. All it is left to start those services. To do so execute these 4 codes sequentially.

net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

 

Start Wuauserv

 

Once when all the commands are executed on your computer, close the Command Prompt window.

Reboot your computer and after rebooting your computer, try to update your computer again.

This should fix your issue.





10 thoughts on “How to Clear Windows Update cache and Fix Windows updates”

  1. I’m getting this error, above solutions didn’t work,

    Invoke-CimMethod : WU Scan Failed
    At C:\Windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\WindowsUpdateProvider\MSFT_WUOperations.psm1:13 char:20
    + … $scanres = Invoke-CimMethod -Namespace root/Microsoft/Windows/Window …
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (root/Microsoft/…FT_WUOperations:String) [Invoke-CimMethod], CimExceptio
    n
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : HRESULT 0x80072ee2,Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimCmdlets.InvokeCimMethodCommand

    Start-WUScan : Scan hit error: .ReturnValue
    At line:1 char:11
    + $update = Start-WUScan
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Start-WUScan

  2. hello Sam bit,
    You helped a computer idiot to solve the problem that even the online expert could not solve. I’ve been suffered from reboot and reboot for a year and now the problem has been solved forever. Thank you.

  3. Thanks Sambit,
    You were spot on for the reset of windows update! KB5001330 was stuck in a file error when installing, followed your “Very Clear” instructions and was able to rerun the windows update, although I still get the error when installed at 100% “some update files are missing” I’m now able to work around the update that failed.

  4. Your tip on restarting the Windows Update Auto Update Client was GOLD! I’ve scoured tech support forums all over the web trying to fix an issue I was having with some Windows store apps. I even reset my whole PC to factory defaults in desperation when I couldn’t diagnose and resolve the issues using Procmon and Windows Event Viewer (it was due for a refresh anyway), and the problem returned almost immediately. All it took was a measly little one liner, who woulda thunk it?

  5. Hi Sambit, I haven’t done what you said here yet, but I want to tell you that these are the most clear instructions I have ever seen about doing something on computers, and I want to thank you very much for that. I’m going to come back to your website whenever I have questions.

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