How to reset Windows Update on Windows 11

Windows Update on Windows 11 can break for many reasons, such as corrupted cache files, stalled services, network issues, or damaged system components.
When updates fail to download or install, you can restore functionality by using the built-in Troubleshooter, installing updates manually, repairing system files with DISM and SFC, or fully resetting every Windows Update component through Command Prompt.
This guide walks you through each method so you can fix update errors and get Windows 11 updating again.

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
Fix Windows Update manually installing updates on Windows 11
Fix Windows Update repairing corrupted files on Windows 11
Reset Windows Update with Command Prompt on Windows 11
FAQs about fixing and resetting Windows Update on Windows 11

Reset Windows Update with Troubleshoot on Windows 11

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

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on System.
Click the Troubleshoot page.
Click the Other troubleshooters setting.
Under the “Most frequent” section, click the Run button for the “Windows Update” setting.
Continue with the on-screen directions using the Get Help app (if applicable).

Once the computer restarts, the next time 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 with Windows Update, installing the latest available update 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 Windows Update problems on Windows 11, follow these steps:

Open the Windows 11 update history website.
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.
Open the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Search for the knowledge base (KB) number for the latest update (x64).
Click the Download button for the latest Windows 11 update.
Click the “.msu” download link, then save the file to the device.

Quick note: You have to download both packages and install them in that order.
Double-click the packages (one at a time) to install them and fix Windows Update problems.
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, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following DISM command to repair corrupted system files and press Enter:
```
dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
```
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, you can reset all Windows Update components using commands to fix the most common problems. Typically, this is the best option for resolving issues with the update mechanism in Windows 11.

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

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
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.
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\*.*"
```
Type “Y” to confirm the deletion.
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.

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)

Type the following command to move to the System32 folder and press Enter:
```
cd /d %windir%\system32
```

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

Windows Update register DLLs

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.

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
```
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
```
Restart the computer.

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

Alternatively, you can also copy and paste the script and save it as a “.bat” file using Notepad, and then run it as administrator for a more automated process:

@echo off
echo Stopping services...
net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop appidsvc
net stop cryptsvc

echo Deleting BITS cache...
del /f /q "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\*.*"

echo Clearing Windows Update cache...
rmdir %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution /S /Q
rmdir %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 /S /Q

echo Resetting service security descriptors...
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)

echo Registering DLLs...
cd /d %windir%\system32
for %%i in (
atl.dll urlmon.dll mshtml.dll shdocvw.dll browseui.dll jscript.dll vbscript.dll
scrrun.dll msxml.dll msxml3.dll msxml6.dll actxprxy.dll softpub.dll wintrust.dll
dssenh.dll rsaenh.dll gpkcsp.dll sccbase.dll slbcsp.dll cryptdlg.dll oleaut32.dll
ole32.dll shell32.dll initpki.dll wuapi.dll wuaueng.dll wuaueng1.dll wucltui.dll
wups.dll wups2.dll wuweb.dll qmgr.dll qmgrprxy.dll wucltux.dll muweb.dll wuwebv.dll
) do regsvr32.exe /s %%i

echo Resetting network stack...
netsh winsock reset
netsh winsock reset proxy

echo Starting services...
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvc

echo.
echo Done. Restart the computer to complete the process.
pause

Once you run the script and reboot your computer, you can check for updates through the “Windows Update” settings page.

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

FAQs about fixing and resetting Windows Update on Windows 11

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about resetting Windows Update.

What causes Windows Update to stop working on Windows 11?

Windows Update can fail when core update services stop running, the update cache becomes corrupted, or system files required for installation become damaged. Network issues, Windows Update server outages, and driver conflicts can also prevent updates from downloading or installing correctly.

When should I reset Windows Update components?

You should reset the components when updates repeatedly fail to download, install, or complete. When updates get stuck at a specific percentage, or when you receive persistent error codes even after using the Troubleshooter. Resetting helps repair corrupted cache folders, re-register services, and restore default configurations.

Does the Windows Update Troubleshooter fix most update problems?

The Troubleshooter can repair common issues such as stuck services, cache corruption, or misconfigured components. However, it doesn’t fix deeper corruption in system files or damaged Windows Update infrastructure. In complex cases, using DISM, SFC, or a full reset of the Windows Update components is more effective.

Can manually installing an update fix Windows Update errors?

Yes. Manually downloading and installing the latest cumulative update often resolves issues that block Windows Update. Cumulative updates include servicing stack fixes that can automatically restore update functionality.

Is it safe to clear the SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 folders?

Yes. These folders contain temporary update files. Clearing them forces Windows to download fresh content and often resolves corruption-related issues. You must stop all update-related services before removing these directories to avoid file-in-use errors.

What does running DISM and SFC do when fixing update problems?

DISM repairs the underlying operating system image, ensuring the system has healthy source files. SFC checks and repairs corrupted or missing system files using the repaired image. Running both tools can resolve update failures caused by system-level corruption.

Why should I reset Windows Update services from Command Prompt?

Resetting from the Command Prompt lets you fully stop the update services, delete the update cache, reset security descriptors, re-register DLLs, and rebuild the network stack. This method is more thorough than the Troubleshooter and fixes stubborn issues that automated tools can’t resolve.

Will resetting Windows Update delete my personal files or apps?

No. Resetting affects only update-related components and cache folders. Your documents, apps, and settings remain untouched.

What should I do if I continue getting Windows Update error codes like 0x8007000d or 0x800f0922?

These codes often appear when the update cache is corrupt or when system files have problems. Running DISM, SFC, manually installing updates, or fully resetting the update components usually resolves them. If the errors persist, the next step is a repair installation using an ISO.

How long should I wait if Windows Update shows error 0x80248007?

This error happens when the Windows Update service cannot access the required metadata from Microsoft’s servers. The issue typically clears on its own within several hours. Microsoft recommends waiting up to 24 hours before trying again.

Can I use a repair install if nothing else fixes Windows Update?

Yes. A repair install (in-place upgrade) reinstalls Windows 11 over your current setup without deleting apps or files. It replaces all system components and services, making it one of the most reliable ways to resolve update issues that persist despite resets and repairs.