ARTICLE - Reset Windows update components

Question

Technical Level: Intermediate

Summary

Windows update is an essential component of Windows. With Windows updates, one can get

• new drivers for the hardware devices installed in the computer

security patches

Known bugs fixed

Major updates and upgrades.

But some issues, generally related directly or indirectly to some corruption in system files, windows updates may not work correctly. This article discusses resetting the Windows update completely using a reset script.

Details

The script does the following things:

Removes the older Windows update Folders, where the updates are downloaded. Newer ones are created automatically.

• Re-registers the Windows Update Files.

Resets your network connection.

Instructions for using the Windows update Reset script

• Download the Script into your computer.
• At the location where it is saved, Right click and select Extract.

• After the extraction is complete, you will see a WuReset.bat file in the new window that opens.
• Right-click the WuReset.bat named file and select Run as administrator.

• Wait for the “Task completed successfully” message in the command Prompt Window.

Restart your computer and check for the updates again.

Download the Reset Script For Users running Windows 10 build 10240 and later:

Download Reset Windows update script for Computers running Windows 10 (dropbox.com)

In  any case, if you cannot download/run the script, copy the following code in Notepad and save it as "WUReset.bat" (with quotes) and then run it subsequently:

@echo off
echo .echo Simple script to reset windows update-Credits to shawn Brink for the commandsecho .echo PAUSE



set b=0

:bits
set /a b=%b%+1
if %b% equ 3 (
   goto end1
) 
net stop bits
echo Checking the bits service status.
sc query bits | findstr /I /C:"STOPPED" 
if not %errorlevel%==0 ( 
    goto bits 
) 
goto loop2

:end1
cls
echo.
echo Failed to reset Windows Update due to bits service failing to stop.
echo.
pause
goto Start


:loop2
set w=0

:wuauserv
set /a w=%w%+1
if %w% equ 3 (
   goto end2
) 
net stop wuauserv
echo Checking the wuauserv service status.
sc query wuauserv | findstr /I /C:"STOPPED" 
if not %errorlevel%==0 ( 
    goto wuauserv 
) 
goto loop3

:end2
cls
echo.
echo Failed to reset Windows Update due to wuauserv service failing to stop.
echo.
pause
goto Start



:loop3
set app=0

:appidsvc
set /a app=%app%+1
if %app% equ 3 (
   goto end3
) 
net stop appidsvc
echo Checking the appidsvc service status.
sc query appidsvc | findstr /I /C:"STOPPED" 
if not %errorlevel%==0 ( 
    goto appidsvc 
) 
goto loop4

:end3
cls
echo.
echo Failed to reset Windows Update due to appidsvc service failing to stop.
echo.
pause
goto Start


:loop4
set c=0

:cryptsvc
set /a c=%c%+1
if %c% equ 3 (
   goto end4
) 
net stop cryptsvc
echo Checking the cryptsvc service status.
sc query cryptsvc | findstr /I /C:"STOPPED" 
if not %errorlevel%==0 ( 
    goto cryptsvc 
) 
goto Reset

:end4
cls
echo.
echo Failed to reset Windows Update due to cryptsvc service failing to stop.
echo.
pause
goto Start


:Reset
Ipconfig /flushdns
del /s /q /f "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat" del /s /q /f "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"

cd /d %windir%\system32

if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml.bak" del /s /q /f "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml.bak" 
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml" ( 
    takeown /f "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml" 
    attrib -r -s -h /s /d "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml" 
    ren "%SYSTEMROOT%\winsxs\pending.xml" pending.xml.bak 
) 
  
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\SoftwareDistribution.bak" rmdir /s /q "%SYSTEMROOT%\SoftwareDistribution.bak"
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\SoftwareDistribution" ( 
    attrib -r -s -h /s /d "%SYSTEMROOT%\SoftwareDistribution" 
    ren "%SYSTEMROOT%\SoftwareDistribution" SoftwareDistribution.bak 
) 
 
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\Catroot2.bak" rmdir /s /q "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\Catroot2.bak" 
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\Catroot2" ( 
    attrib -r -s -h /s /d "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\Catroot2" 
    ren "%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\Catroot2" Catroot2.bak 
) 
  
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\WindowsUpdate.log.bak" del /s /q /f "%SYSTEMROOT%\WindowsUpdate.log.bak" 
if exist "%SYSTEMROOT%\WindowsUpdate.log" ( 
    attrib -r -s -h /s /d "%SYSTEMROOT%\WindowsUpdate.log" 
    ren "%SYSTEMROOT%\WindowsUpdate.log" WindowsUpdate.log.bak 
) 
  
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)

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
regsvr32 /s wudriver.dll
netsh winsock reset
netsh winsock reset proxy

:Start
net start bits
net start wuauserv
net start appidsvc
net start cryptsvcecho Task completed succesfully!Please restart your computer and check for the updates again.

Is this Script Safe?

Yes, the script is absolutely safe to use. The code was created with the help of Shawn Brink, a Microsoft MVP. You can look into the source by right-clicking the bat file and selecting edit.

Special thanks to  Askvg and Tenforums and Denis for the help

Also Read:

Fix Windows update undoing changes

Answer 1

I have been trying to use this script but it has limitations. For example, quite often the appid service simply restarts itself. I have been trying to set it to disabled in the registry (an sc command does not work) but I am not convinced it is working well.

There are also some dependent services that need to be stopped, so you have to use a /y switch on the net stop. You then also have to restart those services at the end really.

Checking for 'stopped' is also probably not enough. The service can be in other states that are non-functional.

Answer 2

I feel like most Microsoft scripts and tech articles have gone completely amiss since they switched support models. Most of the issues I run into are issues with the product itself too, or come from a patch failure.