how to Reset Windows Update Components

Question

How do I reset Windows Update Components in windows 11?

Answer 1

To reset Windows Update components in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open a Command Prompt: Select Start > Run, type cmd, and press Enter.
2. Stop the Services: Type the following commands and press Enter after each:

      net stop bits
      net stop wuauserv
      net stop cryptsvc
   

3. Delete the qmgr.dat Files: Run this command:

      Del "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\qmgr*.dat"
   

4. Rename Folders: Rename the following folders to *.BAK:
   • %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore
   • %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download
   • %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 Use these commands:

      Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore DataStore.bak
      Ren %Systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution\Download Download.bak
      Ren %Systemroot%\System32\catroot2 catroot2.bak
   

5. Reset Services: Type the following commands to reset the BITS and Windows Update services:

      sc.exe sdset bits D:(A;;CCLCLCR;;WD)S:(AU;ID;FA;WD)
      sc.exe sdset wuauserv D:(A;;CCLCLCR;;WD)S:(AU;ID;FA;WD)
   

6. Reregister BITS and Windows Update Files: You may need to run additional commands to reregister these files.
7. Reset Winsock: Run the following command:

      netsh winsock reset
   

8. Restart Services: Finally, restart the services with these commands:

      net start bits
      net start wuauserv
      net start cryptsvc
   

Following these steps should help reset the Windows Update components effectively.

Answer 2

Dear Harald Garpestad, 

Thank you for reaching out to us. I completely understand how inconvenient update issues can be, and I’m here to make this as easy as possible for you. 

Before we start, please also check the AI-generated suggestions in the first answer, they may include helpful tips alongside this guide. 

If stopping the services doesn’t fully resolve the problem, here are some other options you can try. 

• Run Windows Update Troubleshooter 

Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, then run Windows Update troubleshooter. 

• Repair System Files 

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run: 

sfc /scannow  

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth  

• Use Microsoft Tools 

Download and run Windows Update Assistant or Media Creation Tool from Microsoft. 

• PowerShell Script 

You can also use the official script Reset-WindowsUpdate.ps1 to reset all components automatically. 

After trying these steps, restart your computer and check Windows Update again. If the issue continues, please don't hesitate to let me know. 

We truly appreciate your patience and trust in Microsoft. 

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