Reset Windows Update Components – 4 Ways to Reset Windows Update Components

BySidney

Are you continuously experiencing a Windows 7 Update Not Working failure?

If you’ve answered yes, you’re in the right place.

You need to reset windows 7 update components to their default setting to solve the error. The reset can be done manually using the command prompt or automatically using a Microsoft Update script tool.

But…

What’s Reset Windows Update Components all about?

Windows Update is a critical component of the Windows Operating System. It keeps your computer system running and protected against all kinds of threats and malicious attacks.

However, Windows Update sometimes face certain challenges, hence the need to Reset Windows Update Components.

Available on every Windows 10 release, the Update enables the OS to retrieve the latest updates whenever they become available for installation to fix bugs and drivers, and install security patches.

Windows 10 also obtains preview builds and new feature improvements through the Update feature. Sometimes, however, your computer system may fail to download and install available updates due to particular errors such as “Windows Update is not able to connect to the Microsoft servers.”

When the Update agent and associated services cease to work, users often encounter problems. The issues point to a problem with the update cache or corruption of certain features. Therefore, it becomes necessary to Reset Windows Updating Components to solve the errors.

How Do I Reset Windows Update Components?

This guide explains the ways you can fix Windows Update features ranging from using the command prompt to fix the error manually to utilizing the “Windows Update Troubleshooter” tool.

However, it’s important to install the latest improvement of the Service Stack Update (SSU) manually and repair system files before using the option for the command prompt.

4 Ways to Reset Windows Update Components

How Do I Manually Fix Windows Updates?

Install your Windows updates manually using the steps below to solve the issue:

  1. Nagivate to the “Windows 10 update history website.”
  2. Find the latest improvement for your Windows 10 OS version and take note of its KB. Go to “Settings” then “System” and click on “About” to read the current version of your OS under the section “Windows Specifications.”
  3. Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
  4. Find the update’s knowledge base (KB) number.
  5. Download your Windows 10 version update (32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64)).
  6. Double-click on the downloaded file to install your new improvements.
  7. Restart or reboot your PC.

Your computer should have the latest updates installed once you finish. The installations fix the Windows 7 Updates not working problem. To find available updates, click on the “Check for Updates” button on the Windows Update settings window.

How Do You Fix Windows Update Components Must be Repaired? – Use a Troubleshooter Tool

Follow the procedure below to reset the OS improvement feature using an automated troubleshooter:

  1. Download the Microsoft Windows Update Troubleshooter.
  2. Double-click on the “WindowsUpdateDiagnostic.diagcab” file to load the troubleshooter.
  3. Choose the option “Windows Update.”
  4. Click on the “Next” button to continue.
  5. Click on the option “Try troubleshooting as an administrator.” Re-choose your option and hit the “Next” button to continue.
  6. Click on the “Close” button to close the window.
  7. Re-open the Troubleshooter program.
  8. Click on the option “Windows Networking Diagnostics” to fix any networking problems that may be preventing the Windows updates from downloading.
  9. Click on “Next” and then the “Close” button.
  10. Restart your PC.

After rebooting your computer, try to update your Windows. It should work, otherwise, try another option.

How Do I Reset Windows Update Database? – Install the Latest Servicing Stack Update (SSU) to Fix Windows Update Error

Follow the procedure below to install the latest Servicing Stack Update to solve the issue with your Windows 10:

  1. Open the “Settings” window.
  2. Click on the option “System.”
  3. Select the “About” option.
  4. Determine your Windows 10 version (64-bit or 32-bit) under the section “System type.”
  5. Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
  6. Download the latest Servicing Stack Update for your OS version (64-bit (x64) or 32-bit (x86)).
  7. Double-click on the downloaded file to install the most recent update.
  8. Restart or reboot your PC.

When done, downloading and installing updates from the “Settings” will work after restarting your computer.

Use the Command Prompt to Fix Windows Update Components

Reset your Windows OS Update feature manually as follows:

  1.  Click on “Start.”
  2. Type “Command Prompt” in the search function and right-click on the first option.
  3. Choose the option “Run as administrator.”
  4. Type on the command prompt:

Net stop bits      – stops the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS).

Net stop wuauserv     – stops Windows Update service.

Net stop appidsvc

Net stop cryptsvc     – stops the Cryptographic service

5.   Press Enter after typing each line of command. Continue running the command until you get the message that the service has been stopped successfully.

6.   Delete all the “qmgr*.dat” files that the BITS created from your computer using the commands below and press Enter.

Del “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application

Data\Microsoft\Network\Downloader\*.*”

7.   Type “Y” to verify the deletion.

8.   Clear the Windows Update cache with the following commands to enable Windows 10 to re-download the updates. Don’t use files already downloaded that could be corrupted or damaged. Press Enter at the end of each command line.

rmdir %systemroot%\SoftwareDistribution /S /Q

rmdir %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 /S /Q

Tip – The rmdir (remove directory) command and the /S switch command deletes the specified directory and all sub-directories under the main folder, while the /Q switch command silently deletes directories without pushing confirmation messages.

Repeat the first step if you get the message “The process cannot access the file because it’s being used by another process.”

9.   Reset the Windows Update and BITS services using the following commands to default settings (security descriptor), and press Enter at the end of each command line:

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)

10.  Move the System32 folder using the command below and press Enter:

cd /d %windir%\system32

11.  Register all related Windows Update DLL and BITS files on the registry and hit Enter at the end of each line on the command prompt:

  • dll regsvr32. exe /s atl.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s urlmon.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s mshtml.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s shdocvw.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s browseui.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s jscript.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s vbscript.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s scrrun.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s msxml.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s msxml3.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s msxml6.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s actxprxy.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s softpub.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wintrust.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s dssenh.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s rsaenh.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s gpkcsp.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s sccbase.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s slbcsp.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s cryptdlg.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s oleaut32.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s ole32.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s shell32.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s initpki.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wuapi.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wuaueng.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wuaueng1.dll
  • regsvr32. exe /s wucltui.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wups.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wups2.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wuweb.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s qmgr.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s qmgrprxy.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wucltux.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s muweb.dll
  • dll regsvr32. exe /s wuwebv.dll

The command regsvr32 helps register the .DLL files as components of the command in the registry. The /S

switch specifies the tool responsible for running the command quietly without pushing messages or notifications.

12.  Reset the network configurations (don’t reboot your PC at this point) likely to cause the Windows OS issue using the commands below and press Enter at the end of each command line:

netsh winsock reset

netsh winsock reset proxy

13.  Restart the Windows Update, the BITS, and Cryptographic services using the following commands and press the Enter at the end of each line:

net start bits

net start wuauserv

net start appidsvc

net start cryptsvc

14.  Restart or reboot your computer to save the files changed.

When done, the Windows Update is reset and thus should work.