Windows Update Not Working: How to Fix Windows Update Problems

Windows Update is a great feature that makes sure you automatically get the latest patches, fixes and features for your computer. It works in the background, downloads the updates without interrupting your work, and then installs them when you’re ready to switch off or reboot your PC. Without Windows Update, your computer would be vulnerable to hundreds of threats and struggle without the latest improvements.

Most of the time, the Windows Update feature works perfectly well. But sometimes you may start getting problems – an update might not want to install, you can’t download new updates, or the Windows Update won’t work at all. To make matters worse, Windows Update error messages aren’t at all helpful and don’t give you enough information to act upon.

In this article, we’re going to help you fix Windows Update problems.

Fix 1: Use Windows Update Troubleshooter

Windows comes with a built-in Troubleshooter tool that you can use to find and fix Windows Update problems.

To open the Troubleshooter, open Settings and go to Update & Security, then click on Troubleshoot. Then, click on Additional Troubleshooters and select Windows Update. Click on the Run the troubleshooter button to run the tool.

When the Troubleshooter finishes its scan and repair process, close it and try running Windows Update again.

Fix 2: Install Windows Updates Manually

If running the Troubleshooter doesn’t work, you can try installing the updates manually. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Microsoft Update Catalog using your browser.
2. Click on the search bar and type the KB number of the Windows Cumulative Update package you wish to install.
3. Press Enter.
4. The result page will list various versions of the Windows 10 update you searched for. Find the correct version for your PC (32-bit, 64-bit, ARM, Windows 10 in S mode, etc.)
5. Download the update once you’re sure you found the version you need.
6. Double-click on the downloaded update file and Windows will install it.

Fix 3: Repair System Files

Another way to fix Windows Update is to try repairing corrupted or missing system files. You can do it this way:

1. In the Windows Search bar, type Command Prompt
2. Run it as Administrator
3. In the Command Prompt, type this command and press Enter:
   dism /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
4. When that command runs through, type in the following command and press Enter:
   sfc /scannow
5. Close the Command Prompt and see if the Windows Update problem is fixed.

We hope that this post helped you to fix Windows Update and you can now update your PC automatically, without running into any problems.