Windows update is considered important, but I would add another word to it “crucial.” Windows updates push crucial security updates to the system which should not be avoided. Thus, if Windows update is not working for any reason, it should be resolved as soon as possible.
Of the many known errors with Windows update, one is:
Windows Update Error 8024402c
This error disallows the Windows updates from downloading and installing.
Cause
The cause behind Windows Update Error 8024402c is that the Windows update service was unable to connect with Microsoft’s servers.
Solution 1] Recheck the Internet connection
If the system wasn’t connected to the network, we would have encountered a different error and not 8024402c, but if any Firewall or proxy is preventing the connection, there could be a possibility.
Before anything else, check if you are able to access the internet normally or not. If yes, try the following:
1] Press Win + R to open the Run window and type the command cmd. Press Enter to open the Command Prompt window.
2] Type the command ping microsoft.com. Check if you get all 4 replies. If yes, proceed to the next step.
Solution 2] Temporarily disable Windows Firewall and the anti virus in the system
The Windows Defender Firewall might be preventing the system from accessing Microsoft’s server. Thus, we could disable it temporarily. Here’s the procedure for disabling the Windows Defender Firewall.
The anti virus also needs to be disabled temporarily to isolate the issue.
Solution 3] Change the DNS Address of the system
1] Press Win + R to open the Run window and type the command ncpa.cpl. Press Enter to open Network connections window.
2] Right-click on your network and then on Properties.
3] Double-click on Internet Protocol version 4 to open its properties.
4] Select the radio button to Use the following DNS server addresses.
5] Use the following values:
Preferred DNS server address: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS server address: 8.8.4.4
6] Click on OK to save the settings. Restart the system.
Solution 4] Update your Hard disk drivers
The hard disk drivers are located in the Disk drives section in the Device manager. Here’s the procedure to update drivers.
Solution 5] Disable Internet Protocol version 6
1] Press Win + R to open the Run window and type the command ncpa.cpl. Press Enter to open Network connections window.
2] Right-click on your network and then on Properties.
3] Uncheck the box corresponding to Internet Protocol version 6.
4] Click on OK to save the settings.
5] Restart the system.
Solution 6] Reset the proxy settings on the system using Command Prompt
1] Search for Command Prompt in the Windows search bar. Right-click on the icon and select Run as administrator.
2] Type the following commands in the administrative Command Prompt window and press Enter after each command to execute it:
netsh
winhttp
reset proxy
3] Restart the system and check if this resolves the issue.
Solution 7] Use the Windows update troubleshooter
All the above mentioned solutions were targeting the network. Once we have isolated that angle, we can focus on troubleshooting the Windows update service.
The Windows Update troubleshooter helps check problems related to the updates. Here’s the procedure to run the Windows update troubleshooter:
1] Click on the Start button and then the gear-like symbol to open the Settings page.
2] Go to Updates and security and then to the Troubleshoot tab.
3] Select the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter and run it.
4] Restart the system.
Solution 8] Reset Windows update components
Resetting Windows update components could do away with any and every possibility of issues with the Windows update service.The procedure to update Windows update components is mentioned in Solution 5 here.