Windows Update “Something went wrong”: how to fix it

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10. Most steps need an administrator account.

What the message means

Windows shows “Something went wrong” when an update check, download or install fails and it has no friendlier explanation. You may see it as Something went wrong. Try to reopen Settings later, or under an update in Settings > Windows Update with Install error or Download error and a code such as 0x80070003.

Common causes are a stuck or corrupted update cache, a stopped service, low disk space, damaged system files, or a network or proxy problem that blocks Microsoft’s update servers. The steps below go from quickest to most thorough.

Quick checks first

1. Restart and retry. A pending restart from an earlier update blocks new ones more often than you’d expect. Use Restart, not Shut down, then check for updates again.
2. Free up disk space. Feature updates need several GB free on C:. Open Settings > System > Storage and run Cleanup recommendations (Windows 11) or Temporary files.
3. Check your connection. Turn off VPN and any third-party firewall for a moment. If the message says Windows can’t reach the service, see “We couldn’t connect to the update service”.
4. Run the troubleshooter. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and run Windows Update; in Windows 10 it’s under Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters. On newer builds this may open the Get Help app instead, which runs the same checks.

Check the update services

Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter. Check these three:

• Windows Update: Startup type Manual (Trigger Start) is normal; it must not be Disabled.
• Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS): should be Manual or Automatic (Delayed Start), not Disabled.
• Cryptographic Services: should be Automatic and running.

If Windows Update isn’t in the list at all, follow Windows Update service missing. Update-blocking tools and some “privacy” apps disable these services; undo their changes before going further.

Reset Windows Update components

This clears the downloaded update cache, which fixes most repeat failures. Your files and installed updates are kept; Windows simply downloads pending updates again. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin), and run these lines one at a time:

net stop wuauserv
net stop cryptSvc
net stop bits
net stop msiserver
ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
net start wuauserv
net start cryptSvc
net start bits
net start msiserver

If a ren line says the folder is in use, a service didn’t stop; run its net stop line again and retry. Restart the PC, then check for updates. Update history in Settings may look empty afterwards; that’s expected. Once updates work again you can delete the .old folders. For more update commands, see Windows Update from the command line.

Repair system files

Damaged Windows files can make every update fail. In an admin terminal, run DISM first (it repairs the component store, using Windows Update or a local source), then SFC:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

DISM can sit at 20% or 62% for a while; let it finish. Restart afterwards and try the update again. If SFC can’t run because Windows won’t start properly, use SFC offline from recovery.

Install the update manually

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note the KB number of the update that failed (KB followed by seven digits).
2. Search for that KB number in the Microsoft Update Catalog, pick the version that matches your Windows version and architecture (usually x64), and download it.
3. Double-click the .msu file to install it, then restart.

On recent Windows 11 versions you can also repair Windows itself without losing apps or files: go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Reinstall now next to Fix problems using Windows Update. It downloads and reinstalls the current version of Windows, which fixes stubborn update failures. Back up important files first anyway.

If Settings itself says “Something went wrong”

If the Settings app shows Something went wrong. Try to reopen Settings later before you even reach Windows Update, the problem is the app, not the updates. Run the DISM and SFC commands above first. If Settings still won’t open, reset it from an admin PowerShell window:

Get-AppxPackage *windows.immersivecontrolpanel* | Reset-AppxPackage

Then restart. Meanwhile you can still check for updates from the command line with usoclient StartScan on most builds, although it gives no on-screen progress. If the update also shows a specific code, check our guide for it, such as error 0x80070003.

Related guides

• “We couldn’t connect to the update service”: 7 fixes for Windows 11/10
• Windows Update service missing: how to restore it
• Windows Update from the command line: CMD and PowerShell commands
• Error 0x80070003: how to fix it in Windows Update
• SFC offline: how to run sfc /scannow from recovery

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own pages:

• Microsoft Support: Troubleshoot problems updating Windows
• Microsoft Learn: Windows Update common errors and mitigation

Frequently asked questions

Will resetting Windows Update delete my files?

No. Renaming SoftwareDistribution and catroot2 only removes cached update downloads and signature data. Your documents, apps and already-installed updates stay.

Should I just pause updates?

Pausing hides the message for a few weeks but leaves security fixes uninstalled. Use it only as a short break while you fix the real problem.

Why does it fail on the same update every time?

That usually points to a specific blocker: low disk space, a driver, or a damaged component store. Note the error code in Update history and search for it; installing that update manually often gets past it.