An updated Windows operating system helps keep your computer running smoothly. The “Windows update keeps failing Windows 11” issue can be frustrating. Various reasons, such as network problems or software conflicts, may cause these failures.
In this step-by-step tutorial, I will show you various methods for resolving that issue.
Why does Windows update keep failing
Windows updates may fail due to several reasons. Here are the possible causes:
- Unstable or restricted Internet connection (Firewall, proxy, VPN)
- Low disk space on the C: drive.
- Corrupted system files
- Security software blocks updates, either by false positives or by interfering with the update process.
- Windows Update Cache Corruption
How to Fix Windows 11 Update Keeps Failing
Fix 1: Check Your Network Connection
Even if it seems obvious, you must start checking the basics; Make sure your computer is connected to the Internet. A simple test is to do a ping.
Ping google.com
If you get a reply, this means you are connected to the Internet. Otherwise, check the network cable or the Wi-Fi connection.
Fix 2: Check your disk space
If your C: drive space is almost full, Windows can’t download and install updates. Typically, feature updates require 6 GB – 11 GB or more of free space, while quality updates require 2 GB – 3 GB or more.
For more information, please visit this page.
To check your disk space:
- Open File Explorer
- Click on “This PC” in the left sidebar of File Explorer.
- Then check the free disk space.
If your disk is showing as full, refer to the following article for instructions on freeing up space.
Fix 3: Run Windows Troubleshooter
The Windows Troubleshooter is a tool that scans the system, identifying potential problems and automatically fixes them, without requiring the user to be knowledgeable about the operating system.
- To run the Troubleshooter, open the Windows Settings, select “System” then click on “Troubleshooter”
If the troubleshooter identifies a Windows update issue, it will attempt to resolve it.
Fix 4: Flush Corrupted Local Windows Update Store
The cache, where updates are temporarily stored (C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution), can get corrupted. Clearing or resetting it often fixes update issues.
To clear the cache, you first need to stop the following Windows services:
- Open a Windows terminal with administrator privileges
- Type the following commands:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits- Rename the folder “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution” to “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.bak”
Note: Renaming the folder rather than deleting it allows you to revert to the original folder in case something goes wrong.
- Restart the previously stopped Windows update services.
net strat wuauserv
net start bits- Relaunch the Windows update; if it works, your problem is fixed; if not, go to the next step.
Fix 5: Check the System Files’ Integrity
If system files, such as those related to Windows Update, are missing or corrupted, it can disrupt the update process. A system file could be corrupted after a malware infection or due to hard disk sector degradation, for example.
Tools like SFC or DISM help resolve this issue.
Use the SFC tool to fix system files:
SFC stands for System File Checker. SFC will scan all system files and replace missing or corrupted files with cached copies from the component store, located under the C:\Windows\WinSxS path.
To run the SFC tool, open the command prompt as an administrator and type:
SFC /scannowSFC will start scanning the system, checking for any corrupted system files, and attempt to repair them if possible.
The SFC scan result could be one of the following:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations – this indicates that the system does not have any corrupted or missing files.
- Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation – This indicates a problem during the scan, and an offline scan is required. An offline scan requires you to start from a USB drive, enter the troubleshooting menu, and then perform the System File Checker (SFC) scan.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log file (%WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log). This indicates that the tool identified issues and successfully resolved them.
- Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log file (%WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log). This indicates that you may need to repair the corrupted files manually. Specifically, this means that you may need to replace the corrupted file copy with a good one by copying it from a functioning computer with the same Windows version.
Use the DISM tool to fix the system files.
If the SFC tool was unable to fix the corrupted system files, this could mean that even the cached copies of those files were corrupted. In this case, you can use the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool.
DISM will scan the component store (C:\Windows\WinSxS) for corrupted components and, if found, replace them with healthy copies retrieved from the Windows Update website.
- Open a Windows terminal or a command prompt with administrator privileges.
- Type the following command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealthThe above command will instruct the DISM tool to check the local operating system (/online argument), clean up any corrupted system files (/Cleanup-Image), and then replace the corrupt files (/RestoreHealth).
If the computer is offline, then run the DISM command with the following arguments:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:\\<servername>\c$\winsxs /LimitAccessReplace <servername> with the computer name of the computer you are using as a repair source.
Note: The repair source computer must be running the same operating system version
DISM will create a log file under “%windir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log” that captures any issues the tool finds or fixes. %windir% is the folder in which Windows is installed. For example, the %windir% folder is C:\Windows.
In the above log screenshot, DISM identified one corrupted file (osk.exe) and successfully repaired it.
- You are not yet done. DISM will only repair corrupted system files located in the Component Store. To repair the online system file, you must run the SFC /scannow command.
- Relaunch Windows Update.
Fix 6: Perform an In-place upgrade
If the previous fixes don’t work, you can perform an in-place upgrade. An in-place upgrade is the process of literally installing Windows over itself without losing your data and replacing any eventually corrupted system files.
In summary, resolving Windows update issues requires a systematic approach: start by verifying the basics, such as Internet connectivity and available disk space, then proceed with targeted repairs using the DISM and SFC tools. Once done, attempt to relaunch Windows updates. If problems persist, an in-place upgrade provides a reliable way to restore system integrity while preserving user data and settings.
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