How to Reset Windows Update Components to Fix a Problematic Update

Not all Windows updates download perfectly. Sometimes an update can cause your PC to behave worse than it did before you updated it. Other times, when downloading an update, you may experience a stuck update or get an error telling you that the download cannot continue. While many things can cause these problems, one of the biggest is corrupt Windows Update components. This tutorial shows how to reset them to fix a problematic update.

Good to know: if a recent Windows update has been causing issues on your PC, check out the latest Windows update problems and solutions.

Resetting Windows Updates components manually is a meticulous process. Try some generic fixes before resetting the components.

Tip: seeing Windows update error 0x80245006 as you’re trying to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11? Learn what to do to get rid of it.

Consider this the first step to resetting the Windows Update components: stop the services that are integral to the Windows Update process.

Namely, we are stopping the following services:

We are stopping the above-mentioned services in PowerShell, but you can also use Command Prompt, if that is what you prefer.

Note: keep PowerShell open even after stopping the services, as we need it throughout this guide.

FYI: get up to speed with these useful PowerShell commands you should know!

The SoftwareDistrubition folder stores temporary data associated with Windows updates, such as files, history, and other cached data. The catroot2 folder stores files used to verify system files, some of which are important to the Windows update process.

Renaming these folders is a way to reset the update cache on Windows. This helps to clear out any corrupted files that could be causing the Windows Update components to misbehave.

Remember those services you stopped in the first step? It is time to restart them now that you’ve reset the Windows Update components.

Tip: caught in an infinite Windows reboot loop? Not to worry, as we have a list of solutions for you.

Head to “Settings -> Windows Update -> Update History” on Windows 11. On Windows 10, head to “Update & Security -> Windows Update -> View update history.”

Normally, you shouldn’t stop Windows updates because of the performance and security improvements they provide. But if you find that it’s interrupting your user experience, then yes, there are several ways to stop updates on Windows.

Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Chifundo Kasiya.

Chifundo is a tech writer who loves all things computers and gaming. He has been a freelancer writer for over 10 years and loves tackling complex topics so he can break them down for everyone to understand. He is also an artist, game programmer, and amateur philosopher. As a tech writer for MTE, he focuses mainly on Windows.

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