Applies to: Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows 11, Windows 10
Note
Windows Server 2016 supports policies available in Windows 10, version 1607. Windows Server 2019 supports policies available in Windows 10, version 1809.
The following resources provide additional information about using Windows Update.
If all else fails, try resetting the Windows Update Agent by running these commands from an elevated command prompt:
net stop wuauserv
rd /s /q %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution
net start wuauserv
Reset Windows Update components manually
Open a Windows command prompt. To open a command prompt, select Start > Run. Copy and paste (or type) cmd and then press Enter.
Stop the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.
net stop bits
net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptsvc
Delete the qmgr*.dat files. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:
Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"
If it is your first attempt at resolving your Windows Update issues by using the steps in this article, go to step 5 without carrying out the steps in step 4. The steps in step 4 should only be performed at this point in the troubleshooting if you can't resolve your Windows Update issues after following all steps but step 4. The steps in step 4 are also performed by the "Aggressive" mode of the Fix it Solution above.
Rename the following folders to *.BAK:
%Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
%Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download
%Systemroot%\System32\catroot2
To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.
The reset step below using sc.exe will overwrite your existing security ACLs on the BITS and Windows Update service and set them to default. Skip this step unless the other steps to reset Windows Update components have not resolved the issue.
Reset the BITS service and the Windows Update service to the default security descriptor. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.
Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:
cd /d %windir%\system32
Reregister the BITS files and the Windows Update files. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.
Reset Winsock. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:
netsh winsock reset
If you're running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, you have to set the proxy settings. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:
proxycfg.exe -d
Restart the BITS service, the Windows Update service and the Cryptographic service. Type the following commands at a command prompt. Press Enter after you type each command.
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start cryptsvc
If you're running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, clear the BITS queue. Type the following command at a command prompt, and then press Enter:
As a Windows Server hybrid administrator, you integrate Windows Server environments with Azure services and manage Windows Server in on-premises networks.