How to Fix Windows Update Errors on Windows 11 (2026 Edition)

Start with Microsoft's automated diagnostic tool. This catches most common update issues without manual intervention.

Right-click the Start button and select Settings. Navigate to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Find Windows Update in the list and click Run next to it.

The troubleshooter will scan for problems like corrupted update files, service issues, and registry errors. Follow any prompts that appear and let it complete the process. This can take 5-10 minutes.

Corrupted system files are a leading cause of update failures. Run these commands to scan and repair your Windows installation.

Press Windows + X and select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Run these commands in sequence:

sfc /scannow

Wait for the System File Checker to complete (10-30 minutes). Then run:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

This repairs the Windows image using Windows Update. Finally, clean up component store:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

Restart your computer after all commands complete successfully.

Windows Update relies on several background services. If these aren't running properly, updates will fail consistently.

Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Locate these three critical services:

• App Readiness
• Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
• Windows Update

For each service, right-click and select Properties. Set the Startup type to Automatic, then click Start if the service isn't running. Click Apply and OK.

After configuring all three services, restart each one by right-clicking and selecting Restart.

For specific KB updates like KB5077241 (February 2026 Preview) that fail through Windows Update, download them directly from Microsoft's catalog.

Open your web browser and navigate to https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx. In the search box, enter the KB number (e.g., KB5077241).

Find the update that matches your Windows version and architecture. Check your system by running winver in the Start menu search. Look for entries like:

• Windows 11 Version 25H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems

Click Download next to the correct version. Save the .msu file to your Downloads folder. Double-click the downloaded file to install it manually.

The Windows Update Standalone Installer will open. Click Yes to install and wait for completion.

If your system won't boot after installing January 2026 updates (like KB5074109), you need to access Windows Recovery Environment to uninstall the problematic update.

Method 1 - Trigger WinRE: Power on your computer and force shutdown by holding the power button when you see the Windows logo. Repeat this 2-3 times until you see "Preparing Automatic Repair."

Method 2 - Use bootable media: If you have a Windows installation USB, boot from it and select Repair your computer.

Once in WinRE, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates > Uninstall latest quality update. Confirm the uninstallation and wait for the process to complete.

Your system will restart automatically. After booting successfully, immediately go to Settings > Windows Update and click Pause updates for 1 week to prevent the problematic update from reinstalling.

Prevent known problematic updates from reinstalling automatically using Microsoft's official hide updates tool.

Download the Windows Update Show or Hide tool from http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/2/2/F22D5FDB-59CD-4275-8C95-1BE17BF70B21/wushowhide.diagcab. This is Microsoft's official troubleshooter for managing updates.

Double-click the downloaded wushowhide.diagcab file to run it. Click Next when the troubleshooter opens.

Select Hide updates from the options. The tool will scan for available updates and display a list. Check the boxes next to any problematic updates you want to block (such as KB5074109 if it caused boot issues).

Click Next and then Close when the process completes. The selected updates will no longer appear in Windows Update.

If you later want to unhide an update, run the tool again and select Show hidden updates.

If standard troubleshooting fails, Windows 11 includes built-in recovery options specifically for update problems.

Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. Scroll down and click Recovery. You'll see several options:

Fix problems using Windows Update: This resets Windows Update components and downloads fresh update files. Click this option first and follow the prompts.

Go back to the previous version of Windows 11: Available for 10 days after a feature update. This rolls back major version changes while keeping your files.

If the built-in recovery doesn't work, you can perform a repair installation. Go to Settings > System > Recovery and under Reset this PC, click Reset PC. Choose Keep my files and Download from the cloud for the cleanest repair.

Microsoft releases out-of-band updates to fix critical issues. For January 2026 problems, KB5077796 provides specific fixes.

Visit the Microsoft Update Catalog at https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx and search for KB5077796. This out-of-band update addresses boot and installation failures from the January 2026 updates.

Download the version matching your Windows 11 build (24H2 or 25H2) and architecture (x64). Install it by double-clicking the downloaded .msu file.

Alternatively, if the update appears in Windows Update, install it through Settings > Windows Update. Out-of-band fixes are typically marked as important or critical updates.

After installation, restart your computer and test normal Windows Update functionality by checking for and installing any pending updates.