If you are seeing an error message stating, “Windows Update error 0x80070424” on your computer then your system will not receive crucial updates unless you fix the problem manually. Simply, follow these easy steps and the problem will be solved easily.
Workarounds you can try–
1. Restart your computer and check if it helps.
2. Disable the antivirus and the firewall temporarily on your device, and then try updating your device.
Table of Contents
Fix-1 Automate services from CMD-
You can automate the necessary services from the Command Prompt window.
1. Press Windows key+R to launch Run.
2. Type “cmd” and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter together.
Command Prompt window will be opened with Administrative rights.
2. To program these 4 services to automatically startup at the time of rebooting, copy-paste these one-by-one and hit Enter.
sc config wuauserv start=auto
sc config cryptSvc start=auto
sc config bits start=auto
sc config trustedinstaller start=auto
Once you have executed these commands on your computer, reboot your system and after rebooting, try to update your computer again.
Fix-2 Run Windows Update Troubleshooter-
Running Windows Update Troubleshooter will detect any error with the Windows Update process on your computer.
1. Click on the Windows Icon to access the search box. Now, write “Troubleshoot settings“.
2. In the elevated search results, you have to click on the “Troubleshoot settings“.
3. Scroll down in the Settings window until you see the “Windows Update” troubleshooter.
4. Then, click on “Run the troubleshooter” to run a troubleshooter.
3. Now, you don’t have to do a thing except wait as the troubleshooter will run basic check for Windows Udpate faults.
4. Simply follow the on-screen instructions to go through these easy steps.
This process will take some time as Windows will detect any problem with Windows Update.
3. When the troubleshooter has detected the issue, click on “Next” to apply the fix.
Reboot your computer.
After rebooting your computer, try to update your system again.
Fix-3 Automate Windows Update service-
Automating Windows Update service on your computer may help you out.
1. Press the Windows key. Then, type “services” in the search bar.
2. Then, click on the “Services” on the search result.
The Services window will be opened.
2. When the Services window opens up, scroll down to look for the “Windows Update” service. Double click on it to open its properties.
3. In Windows Update properties, click on ‘Startup type:‘ and choose “Automatic“.
4. Click on “Start” to start the process if the ‘Service Status:‘ is not “Running“.
5. After that, click on “Apply” and “OK” to save the changes on your computer.
6. Coming back to Services window, right-click on “Windows Update” service and then click on “Restart” to restart the service on your computer.
Close Services window on your computer.
Check if this works or not.
Fix 4 – Rename Updates folder
1. Search cmd in windows 10 taskbar search and then right-click on the cmd icon and choose run as administrator.
2. Simply, copy-paste these commands in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter after pasting each of these commands.
net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver
3. To rename the existing folders what you need to do is to copy-paste these two commands and execute them by pressing ‘Enter‘.
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.older ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.older
4. At the last step, you have to resume the processes you have stopped in the first step.
net start wuauserv net start cryptSvc net start bits net start msiserver
Close Command Prompt window. Reboot your computer. After rebooting, try updating your computer.
Sambit is a Mechanical Engineer By qualification who loves to write about Windows 10 and solutions to weirdest possible problems.
Ananda Kotelawela says
Awesome, this is very helpful information
Mark says
ya? none of those worked. I had to reset windows, I started getting a blinking pin wheel next to my cursor then sudden shutdown then rebooted to the blinking cursor again then a blue sceen telling me my system would rebbot, then several black screens before I got acess to a trouble shooter, I had to reset windows and now that its reset it wont update.. and nothing so far that I have found online works..