How do I reset Windows Update components?

Article ID: 971058 - View products that this article applies to.
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Diagnose by using the automated troubleshooter

Windows 8

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Run the Windows Update automated troubleshooter.
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Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7

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The Automatically diagnose and fix common problems with Windows Update troubleshooter may automatically fix the problem described in this article.
This troubleshooter fixes many problems.learn morerun now
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Note If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

Let me fix it myself

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
Click here to view or hide detailed information

Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the Windows Update components are reset. If the Windows Update components are reset, you are finished with this article. If the Windows Update components are not reset, you can contact support.

References

You may have other issues with Windows Update, visit the following Microsoft Website:
326253 Error message when you check for updates on the Windows Update site: "0X800A138F: There are no updates available at this time"
Windows Update error 80072efe or 80072f76
If the information in this article did not help, select one of the following references:

Properties

Article ID: 971058 - Last Review: April 16, 2013 - Revision: 18.1
Applies to
  • Microsoft Windows Update
  • Microsoft Update
Keywords: 
kbexpertiseinter kbsurveynew kbfixme kbcip kbmatsfixme KB971058

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